Common Causes of Back Pain in the Workplace

Back, upper limb, and neck pain from work-related injuries is a major ill health condition in Great Britain and across the EU. In 2016, an estimated 8,784,000 working days were lost due to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMSD). This is an astronomical figure, considering the simple habits and knowledge that can help reduce these upper body injuries. An online manual handling course can help your staff learn how to practice self-care and avoid injury. Firstly, it’s important to understand how these injuries typically occur. The most common causes tend to be:

1. Incorrect manual handling and heavy lifting – With such obvious strain on the body, it is essential to know how to lift large, heavy and bulky items properly to avoid straining the back and upper limbs.
2. Awkward or tiring positions – Simple, seemingly innate positions such as sitting and bending can actually cause significant strain on the back and neck over time. Sitting in an ergonomically friendly way where the back, neck, and arms are supported is one simple solution. An online display screen equipment or manual handling course will teach your staff this, and so much more.
3. Keyboard work or repetitive movements – Something as small as flicking a mouse or pressing a keyboard for hours on end and staring at a screen all day can have surprisingly detrimental effects. Many workers tend to strain their necks due to poor positioning of their computer monitors, and such a small thing is so easy to fix!
4. Workplace accidents – Slips and falls, insecure inventory on shelves, and equipment malfunctions are just some of the hazards that can cause significant injury. With an online manual handling course, your workers can learn the causes of these conditions, and how to avoid them in future and prevent possible injury.
5. Stress-related strains and injuries – Difficult job demands, deadline pressures, lack of support from colleagues and many other stressful workplace elements can have a massive effect on the body. When we’re stressed, we’re tense; constricted muscles don’t perform well, and are subsequently much more prone to injury. Reducing stress in the workplace is essential for countering such injuries. Our online managing and reducing stress course will offer useful tips to help alleviate some of these.

These are all serious situations and result from insufficient training. Luckily, our online manual handling course can help your staff learn how to lift and carry objects safely to reduce the chances of back, neck, and upper limb injuries. Our courses start from as little as £10 per user. Find out more here.