21 November 2016
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s), from manual handling and repetitive tasks continue to be a major ill health issue in the workplace, as highlighted in the 2015 Health and Safety Inspectorate’s annual report.
Musculoskeletal disorders statistics 2015
MSD’s accounted for almost 40% of all work related ill health claims for Social Security short term incapacity benefit in 2015. This was a decrease of 3% compared to 2014 but is still at a level requiring continued consideration. MSD’s resulted in a loss of approximately 5,200 working days, and cost almost £147,000 in benefit payments.
MSD’s are problems affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves and other soft tissues, with the back, neck and upper limbs at particularly risk. Acute symptoms may arise as a result of a single event such as unaccustomed and/or intense physical exertion resulting in a sprain or strain, leading to pain and loss or restriction of movement. Alternatively, there may be a more gradual onset of symptoms, with initial tingling, then slight swelling or soreness which may persist and gradually worsen.
Legislation
To comply with the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 (HSW Law), employers must ensure, 'so far as is reasonably practicable', the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work. This can be achieved by initially identifying and assessing manual handling and repetitive tasks as a risk and then implement suitable control measures to manage and prevent the risk:
- avoid manual handling and repetitive tasks which may cause injury altogether, by redesigning the task to avoid moving the load or by automating or mechanising the process, as far as possible
- reduce the risk of injury from those manual handling and repetitive tasks that cannot be avoided, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Measures to reduce the risk of injury can include providing mechanical assistance, such as a sack trolley or hoist. Where this is not reasonably practicable, employers should explore changes to the task, the load and the working environment, for example:
- making the load smaller or lighter and easier to lift
- breaking up large consignments into more manageable loads,
- modifying the workstation to reduce carrying distances, twisting movements, or the lifting of things from floor level or from above shoulder height
- improving the environment – e g better lighting, flooring or air temperature can sometimes make manual handling easier and safer
- ensuring the person doing the lifting has been trained to lift as safely as possible.
Following these principles will help employers ensure compliance with the legal duties imposed by the HSW Law.
Useful links
The links below provide practical guidance to assist employers:
Advice on manual handling in the workplace
The UK's Health and Safety Executive's manual handling assessment chart (MAC tool) for lifting, carrying and lowering loads
The UK's Health and Safety Executive's variable manual handling assessment (V-MAC tool) for handling varying loads
The UK's Health and Safety Executive's assessment of repetitive tasks (ART tool)
The UK's Health and Safety Executive's risk assessment tool for pushing and pulling (RAPP tool)
Depending on the task, you may find it helpful to use more than one tool, for example you may need to pick up a box of items (lifting), carry it to a workstation (carrying), then distribute the contents to other locations such as pigeon holes or a filing cabinet (repetitive movements).
gov.je