Back Care Awareness Week
Back Care Awareness Week takes place each October, so we thought it appropriate to talk a little on this subject in terms of the workplace.
As an employer you have a duty to protect your employees from developing back pain caused by work, whether this be through manual handling activities, working with display screen equipment or driving long distances over rough ground.
This includes ensuring:
- your workers avoid work activities that can cause back pain, wherever reasonably practicable
- where the activity can’t be avoided, you assess to see what can be done to reduce the risk of back pain
- you apply the control measures you have identified and monitor and review them to make sure they are working
- you consult your workers and address any health and safety concerns they may have
To help to reduce the risk of back pain in your workplace there are several things you can do including:
- identifying activities that might cause back pain and decide whether they can be avoided or changed
- asking your workers for input
- thinking about how you can make jobs physically easier
- making sure controls, e.g. lifting aids, are available, used and maintained
- looking for signs of back pain among your workers
- encouraging workers to report problems early to you so they get the right help
As ever, if you would like help in ensuring the welfare of your employees, we are always here to help and advise you so please do get in touch.