Information for Employers

Employers

Back pain is the second most common cause of sickness absence in Great Britain and this makes back pain a costly condition for companies and organisations. Although back pain can have a big impact on work, in most cases the pain is not caused by work.

Irrespective of what caused back pain in the first instance, it is important to think about controlling back pain in your organisation. Fortunately there are a number of measures you can take to reduce the chances of back pain becoming a real problem in your organisation. First of all the risk factors that contribute to back pain can be reduced and secondly a number of measures can be taken to ensure that employees with back pain can return to or remain at work.

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Prevention of back pain
Back pain is a very common condition but there are a number of measures you can take to reduce the risks of developing back pain. Risk factors for back pain can be grouped into physical risk factors and psychological risk factors.

The most important physical risk factors include:

frequent heavy lifting,
twisting and bending,
static postures,
repetitive work and
vibration.

Reducing the employee’s exposure to these risk factors may decrease the risks of back pain becoming a serious problem for your employees. However there are also a number of other risk factors that you may not directly associate with back pain. These psychological risk factors include distress, mental stress, job dissatisfaction and beliefs about back pain. We know that back pain is best controlled by a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple risk factors.

Providing manual handling aids and adequate training are very important in creating a work place where backs are not put at unnecessary risk. However this is only the first step as it is just as important to make sure that manual handling tools are actually used on the work floor. The Health and Safety Executive has a wealth of information on this topic.

Furthermore, measures should be taken to address some of the other risk factors for back pain. Many of these apply to all sorts of work places, from offices to places of more physical work. Adequately designed desks and regular breaks are important in giving your employees the ‘tools’ to create a working place where they can function optimally and safely. It is good practice to consult with your employees when addressing these issues at work.

Supporting employees with back pain at work
Due to the large number of people with back pain in Western societies, it is very likely that a number of people in your organisation are experiencing back pain. In most cases you will probably never know that someone has back pain because the majority of people with back pain are able to continue coming into work and performing their normal duties. However some people may need some additional support and you can take a number of simple measures to enable your employees to remain at work when they experience back pain.

Research has shown that temporary adaptations to the work that employees with back pain normally do can greatly improve their chances of remaining at or returning to work. There is a whole range of small changes you can include and it is good practice to discuss the options with the employee and agree on a strategy that suits both parties.

Some of the adaptations you can think of:

Changes to the duties and activities of the employee.
Identify what activities the employee finds difficult to perform due to their back pain and find alternative ways of doing them or ask the employee to do other duties for a limited period of time.

Changes to the working hours.
Some employees with back pain may find that after a few hours of work their back pain and discomfort increases. You may be able to come up with alternative working hours.

Good use of breaks.
Repetitive work may exacerbate existing back pain and it may therefore be beneficial to make sure employees can take regular breaks from repetitive work. Some people with back pain find that doing regular stretches or going for a walk helps them with managing back pain.

Input from occupational health professionals, including ergonomists.
Research has shown that a comprehensive ergonomical assessment may be especially useful for employees who are experiencing back pain. Furthermore occupational health providers may be able to give further advice on specific employees.

Ensuring an early return to work for employees off sick
Research has shown that the longer employees are off sick, the more difficult it is for them to return to work. Restricting the time an employee is off sick is to everyone’s advantage and with the right measures in place this can be achieved in many cases.

The same measures listed under ‘supporting employees with back pain to remain at work’ are also applicable to assisting employees to return to work. Adaptations to the work place and time can make a big difference between being able to work and not being able to work.

Furthermore research has shown that good communication between the employer and the healthcare provider (mostly the GP) can facilitate return to work. The employee, healthcare provider and employer all have to agree on a realistic plan to return to work. This plan may also include temporary changes to the duties and working hours of the employee.

Many employees who have been sick listed for a long time, may find it difficult to return to work because they fear that their employer does not understand their situation. To prevent this it may be helpful to stay in regular contact with sick listed employees. It is important, however, to make it clear to the employee that any return to work programme would have to be agreed between the employer and the employee.

Smaller organisations may not have routine access to occupational health services but can contact the Health & Safety Executive (http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacehealth)

NHS Plus (http://www.nhsplus.nhs.uk/web/public/Default.aspx) for help.