Is work bad for you?

Whatever you do don't drive
For other workers back injury is the major problem. Recent research indicates that 49% of the population report lower back pain lasting for at least 24 hours. Those most at risk are people with skilled, manual, partly skilled and unskilled jobs. Those who drive more than 25,000 miles a year are off work with bad backs more than 22 days a year compared with an average of three days a year for those who don’t drive. Half of all office workers who use a computer and telephone for at least 2 hours a day report back pain. As with RSI, many sufferers are women; typically, nurses are particularly susceptible, unless thoroughly trained.

The TUC say these musculoskeletal injuries are a hidden epidemic. ‘Employers are not recording the number of sufferers or the amount of time lost due to RSI and back pain, nor are they providing treatment.’ Only a third of employers provide treatment, physiotherapy or rehabilitation, despite the cost-effectiveness of such measures. In the past, these illnesses were seen as accidents or due to some inherent susceptibility of the sufferer. Now there’s clear evidence from patterns associated with different employment that illnesses and injuries are work related.

What can you do?

• It’s vitally important to be well informed about risks inherent in your work, and trade unions are the best place to start
  
  
• To avoid back pain, it is important to adopt correct posture for lifting, so insist that your workplace provides adequate training and physiotherapy in case of problems.
  
  
• Back pain does not improve with lengthy rest, but with painkillers and physiotherapy. Contact BackPain.org for further information.
  
  
• To avoid RSI, the top of the computer should be level with your eyeline, and your posture correct, with back, legs and forearms straight.
  
  
• Contact the RSI helpline – 0800 018 5012.
  
  
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