Informa Markets

Author Bio ▼

Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
June 11, 2013

Get the SHP newsletter

Daily health and safety news, job alerts and resources

Unhealthy workspaces cost business billions

Badly-designed work environments are costing UK businesses billions every year in sickness absence, according to research by a workplace supplies specialist.

Fellowes says poorly-equipped workstations result in one in five office workers missing almost three weeks of work a year owing to health problems such as backache (40 per cent), tense shoulders (37 per cent), eye problems (30 per cent) and even depression (17 per cent). In terms of sick pay, the company claims, this equates to more than £7 billion a year.

The research found that half of office workers had not had a workstation risk assessment in the previous 12 months, while 40 per cent of employees do not have access to ergonomic accessories that could help relieve or avoid poor posture and discomfort.

Almost half of those questioned by Fellowes said health problems caused in the workplace were having a negative impact on their personal lives, too; 16 per cent said it damaged relationships and one in five suffered lasting depression as a result.

€ᄄGeneral practitioner and health broadcaster Dr Sarah Jarvis commented: “The impact of the working environment on office workers’ health is all too often overlooked by businesses. €ᄄ€ᄄ

“What is very clear from the research is that the way you work and the equipment you use has a major impact not just on your workplace health but on your wider health, too.€ᄄ€ᄄ”On a daily basis I see many patients suffering, particularly from back pain, and I ask routinely about workplace set-up because I know the consequences of poor posture and spending long periods sitting in the wrong position.”

€ᄄ€ᄄLouise Shipley, from Fellowes, added: “Most of us spend a great deal of time at our desks so we need to think harder about the conditions we’re working in and invest in protecting our health and, ultimately, our quality of life.€ᄄ€ᄄ

“Employers have a responsibility to their employees and that includes making sure they can work safely and productively.€ᄄ€ᄄ”Investing in the right kind of supportive, ergonomic accessories and workspace assessments should be a part of that process to ensure they have a more engaged and healthy workforce.” €ᄄ€ᄄ

Fellowes offers a simple workstation risk assessment at www.ergo.fellowes.com/en-gb/workingwellassessment

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
H&S jobsworth
H&S jobsworth
10 years ago

it’s only a problem since employers pay sick pay for the farce. Was it a problem before EU employment law, people doing the same jobs… no, man up.

Nigel Dupree
Nigel Dupree
10 years ago

Nothing new there and, of course, begs the $64k question “just how did they manage to defer the introduction of the proposed EU MSD Directive?”

Was it so threatening to suggest that over-exposure to a stressor that would lead to the known hazards associated with any RSI type injury might or should be addressed in order to mitigate predictable harm by including a stress assessment as part of risk management ?