To coincide with European Week for Safety and Health, Roisin
Woolnough reports on how you can stay in the pink at work.
Many employees leave responsibility for health and safety issues
up to their employer. Yet, even if a company has clear,
comprehensive, policies in place, as the law demands, and
proactively promotes them, it won't amount to much unless
individuals do their bit to stay fit and healthy.
"Employees have legal duties too, including co-operating with
their employer," explains Owen Tudor, senior health and safety
policy officer at the Trades Union Congress (TUC). "It is the
employer who takes most of the decisions at work and you can't
delegate ultimate responsibility for health and safety."
Moreover, the potentially harmful effects of working with
computers are increasingly well documented, so there is no excuse
for bad practice.
This week is an ideal time for IT professionals to assess their
working environment because it is the European Week for Safety and
Health. The initiative aims to increase awareness of safety and
health at work, both for employees and employers, and encourage
both parties to look proactively at improving the workplace. This
year it is focusing on back pain and musculo-skeletal disorders,
coinciding with Back Care week.
"Musculo-skeletal and back pain affects a lot of people and is
the single biggest cause of days lost from work," says Peter
Rimmer, director of information for the Health & Safety
Executive (HSE), which promotes the week. Musculo-skeletal pain is
a broad-ranging term that encompasses work-related upper and lower
limb disorders, more commonly referred to as repetitive strain
injury (RSI).
Symptoms of RSI range from pain, weakness, restriction or loss
of movement, tingling, numbness, tenderness, swelling, muscle
spasms and spontaneous flicking movements, and these sensations are
not only limited to working hours. Some sufferers find that the
problem persists even after periods of rest and, for an unfortunate
few, they have RSI for life. The RSI Association says 3%-4% of RSI
victims suffer long-term damage.
Frequent and heavy lifting or moving of objects are obvious
causes of musculo-skeletal and back pain, and ITers working in
support roles should take particular care to move and lift objects
correctly. One of the other major causes, of course, is computer
work. Prolonged bouts of sitting in front of a computer, probably
carrying out repetitive tasks, can result in all sorts of
problems.
The first step is for people to look at their immediate
surroundings. Don't be afraid to make any changes or ask for a
formal assessment - employers are legally bound to ensure that
employee workstations meet all the legislative requirements and
suit individuals. Even if you don't have your own desk and are
hot-desking, for example, you are still fully entitled to insist
that inadequate workstations are changed. "People have different
requirements and should make sure that they do things like adjust
their seat and screen to suit them," explains Rimmer. "Same as you
adjust the seat and mirror if you get in someone else's car."
Don't think this is the sum of it though. A lot of muscle and
back problems could be avoided by good practice, for example,
maintaining a good posture, taking regular screen breaks, avoiding
long periods of repetitive action, keeping stress levels down
etc.
It is all too easy to forget though and let standards slip,
particularly for people doing stressful jobs. Stress in itself can
cause health problems, not least because when the pressure piles
on, personal health considerations tend to take a back seat. IT
professionals are particularly at risk to a whole host of ailments
because their job is normally a sedentary one, so if you're working
long hours to get a project finished, any problems will be
compounded.
Also, as most ITers spend a considerable amount of time
surrounded by electrical equipment, they run a high risk of
contracting sick building syndrome. Regarded by some as the
ultimate blagger's excuse, there is growing evidence to support the
theory that this condition exists. Computers, air conditioning,
photocopiers - all electrical equipment is under scrutiny in case
it is radiating harmful substances. Anyone who thinks they are
suffering from sick building syndrome may find it hard to prove,
but they should let their employers know.
In fact, anyone who experiences any kind of work-related
illnesses should take action immediately before long-term damage
sets in. Check out what health and safety policies your company has
in place. Ask about free eye tests. Many organisations,
particularly the larger ones, have occupational health
departments.
Some offer free physiotherapy, massages or other treatments. You
may even be fortunate enough to work for a dotcom that provides
yoga and relaxation sessions for employees. Make time in the
working day to take advantage of any activities like this - as well
as the health benefits, it will make you more productive in the
long run.
Even if you're someone who works from home, be it on a regular
or permanent basis, your employer is still liable for your health.
"Companies still have the same duty of care," says Rimmer. "And
people should take the same precautions when they're working from
home."
It may not sound like the most exciting issue to think about,
but then nor is suffering years of back pain or headaches. If
you're still not convinced that workplace health is a top priority,
then reflect on what Tudor has to say: "Over 100,000 people a year
develop RSI because of office work and if it's not treated and
dealt with, those people could be excluding themselves from the
jobs of the future."
Useful numbers
- RSI Association: 0800 018 5012
- National Back Pain Association: 020-89777 5474
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: 020-7306 6666
Top tips for staying healthy
- Get your workstation assessed
- Look at how your perform your tasks to see if you need to
improve your habits
- Do pause gymnastics. Information about these can be obtained
from organisations like the RSI Association
- Make time for a walk at lunchtime
- Vary your tasks throughout the day to minimise constant
repetitive action
- Avoid twisting or lifting incorrectly
The frightening truth
- 300 people a year die in Britain at work
- About 1,000 accidents are reported at work each year involving
electric shocks or burns. About 30 of them are fatal
- 158,000 non-fatal injuries are reported each year
- Slipping or tripping is the single most common cause of injury
at work
- More than a third of injuries reported that last longer than
three days are due to manual handling. The average length of days
subsequently taken off is 20
- Repetitive handling injuries affect 100,000 workers each
year