Employers urged to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders amongst staff

Back Care Awareness Week runs from 4-8 October 2021 and employers are encouraged to back up good practice to reduce musculoskeletal disorders

Are you handling with care? That’s the question being posed for Back Care Awareness Week as employers are encouraged to make sure they are backing up good practice in manual handling. Over 18,000 cases of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Northern Ireland are estimated to be caused or made worse by work.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a collective term used to describe those conditions which can affect the muscles, joints and tendons causing pain in all parts of the body including the back.

The cost to an individual as a result of an absence from work relating to MSDs not only extends to loss of income and possible job opportunities, living with pain and discomfort but also the mental burden of being away from work for a prolonged period of time. In the long term it can result in employees having to leave their place of work permanently which can prevent them from leading a full and active life.

Employee ill-health places a financial burden on local employers and society in general. Injuries relating to handling activities within the workplace have a significant impact on employers including loss of production, additional training to upskill new employees and compensation costs.

Handling with care guidance for employers

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) have published the handling with care booklet which helps employers understand MSDs, the postural factors contribution to MSDs and employers' legal duties and responsibilities to the health and wellbeing of their staff.

First published: 6 October 2021