European Week on Health & Safety 2007
European Week for Safety and Health at Work takes place between 22nd and 26th October 2007 .
The campaign this year is called ' Lighten the Load' and is dedicated to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD's). The aim of the campaign is to support employers, employees, safety representatives and other stakeholders in improving MSD prevention.
MSDs are the most common form of ill health across Europe, affecting 1 million people in Great Britain each year. Problems may include back pain and work related upper limb disorders (WRULDs), repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and lower limb disorders.
Contributing factors can include:
- Force application, e.g. lifting, carrying ,pulling pushing ,and use of tools
- Repetition of movements.
- Awkward and static postures, e.g. workstation design, prolonged standing or sitting, work which involves operating with hands above shoulder height.
- Vibration.
- Poor organistation and psychosocial factors, e.g. demanding work , lack of control over tasks performed, repetitive, monotonus work at a high pace.
- Individual factors, e.g. prior medical history, phyisical capacity and age.
Raising awareness of MSDs in the workplace is already a key part of current Health and Safety Inspections with inspectors raising awareness through the Better Backs campaign, Fit 3 and topic based inspections. This approach includes providing information packs and seminars for employers and stakeholders.
The 2006 Better Backs Campaign Focused on;
- preventing manual handling and ULD- related injuries in the workplace through sensible precautions
- promoting the benefits of staying active with back pain
- prompting employers and employees to work together to get people with back pain back into normal activities
- targeted inspections on industries where MSD's are a high risk of injury factor.
The 'Lighten The Load' campaign seeks to promote a better management approach to tackling MSD's embracing prevention, retention, rehabilitation and re-integration of employees who already suffer from MSD's .
To tackle MSD's the following should be considered:
- Evaluate the risks which can not be avoided
- Reduce the risks at source
- Adapt the work to the individual
- Provide information and instruction to employees
- Adapt to changing technology, utilising mechanical options where possible
- Re-integrate employees that suffer or have suffered MSD's back into work
Further information can be obtained via the links provided within this page which will help you access a wider range of information and guidance relevant to 'Lightening the Load'
More information can also be found on the HSE website.