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Benefits and Pensions MonitorBack Pain In The WorkplaceBy: Caroline Tapp-McDougall Back pain is one of the most common and preventable workplace injuries and itʼs not just labourers that are affected. If office workers do not maintain the correct posture, sitting in an office chair can lead to severe and chronic back problems which can cause absenteeism and extra healthcare expenses. Two Types Of Injuries There are two types of workplace back injuries: accidental and non-accidental. An example of an accidental injury is if a load a worker was carrying shifted and they fell. Some accidental injuries can be prevented if employees follow proper safety procedures and are careful around potentially dangerous situations. An example of a nonaccidental injury is when a worker gets a back problem from doing normal activities over a long period of time. Fortunately, it is easy to prevent many non-accidental back injuries. Ergonomics is one intervention that can help prevent non-accidental back injuries. The goal of ergonomics in the workplace is to adapt each workstation to each employee, depending on body type, job description, and the required tasks. The key is to try and avoid workers from being hunched over with their shoulders leaning forward or from sitting on a chair with a negative incline. This can be especially bad considering that 30 per cent of the population suffers from chronic back pain which can affect their ability to walk, sit, or do some regular daily activities. Another 60 per cent of employees suffer from some form of back pain each year. Posture Is Key The first thing employees should be concerned about is their posture. They should be relaxed at their desk and have their feet flat on the floor and their knees in a comfortable position. The head should be centred so their neck is not stressed by holding their head off balance. (A personʼs head is quite heavy – about 14 pounds – and can put a lot of stress on the neck and shoulders if it is not properly positioned above their body.) The second important part of any workstation is the chair. Improper seating is a major cause of back pain. Office chairs should be height- and slope-adjustable and large enough to comfortably hold larger employees. The front of the seat should be rounded and facing down rather than flat and sharp so there is not much pressure on the personʼs legs. The backrest should provide proper support to the lower back. Employees who use a computer should have it set up properly. The top of the monitor should be at eye level so they do not have to keep their head at an odd angle. They should be able to tilt the screen to find the most comfortable set up. The keyboard should be detached from the computer and on an adjustable tray that folds under the desk and placed on a slope so the workerʼs wrists are in a neutral position while they are typing. The mouse should be in an easyto- reach area. Finally, workers who do a lot of data entry should have a special holder for the source documents so they can look at them without twisting their heads back and forth.
Proper Equipment And Training Workers in physically demanding jobs that require repetitive lifting have the highest risk of developing some kind of back injury. For example, hospital workers face a high risk because they are constantly helping patients walk, change positions, or get up – and often the patients are far bigger than the nurses! Regardless of the type of workplace, employers should ensure their workers have the proper equipment to manage the loads they are expected to carry and are trained properly so they know how to handle heavy loads. For labourers, many repetitive tasks carried out in unnatural positions can be hard on the back. A mechanic working on an engine, a painter working on a ceiling, or a plumber laying pipe all face an increased risk of back injuries. Any worker who wears a hard hat is also at risk of a back injury because the added weight on their head puts pressure on their neck and spine. It is a good idea to grant them regular break times so they can stretch and relax their muscles. Regardless of the work involved, employers should do a risk assessment on all employees and customize their training regimens so they know the right way to do their jobs to avoid injury. The Role Of Morale Back pain not only affects physical health, but psychological health, including employee morale. A 2003 study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found the “physical risk of back pain was comparable to the psychological impact of the workplace.” Therefore, maintaining high workplace morale is just as important as ergonomically designing employeesʼ workspaces. When it comes to back pain, prevention is the most effective way to keep workers healthy. Ensuring they have the proper training and tools necessary to do their jobs safely is a good first step. Ensuring that their workspaces are ergonomically designed to avoid repetitive strain injuries is an important second step. Finally, maintaining high morale among employees will keep them psychologically healthy and lower their risk of developing back injuries. Caroline Tapp-McDougall is the publisher of Solutions: Canadaʼs Family Guide to Home Health Care and Wellness and the author of The Complete Canadian Eldercare Guide. |
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