Karen Hall, BSc(Hons) MCSP, Chartered Physiotherapist at PMI Health Group
Tip 1: Assess risk as soon as possible
Don’t leave risk assessment to staff inductions which may only be carried out every few weeks – get training booked in to educate staff on the appropriate posture for each task as soon as the employee joins, particularly where any heavy lifting is involved.
Tip 2: Help desk-based staff maintain good posture throughout the working day.
- Teach your employees how to sit and stand correctly, at home, at work and in the car
- Make sure forearms are parallel to the keyboard, with the shoulders relaxed and, in particular, that the hands are horizontal to the keyboard and do not have to tilt upwards to type.
- Ensure employees have chairs with adjustable lumbar support, if required. The back rest should be upright, or just slightly inclined, to off load the spine
- Office chairs should be set to optimum height for the user, to allow the forearms to be parallel to the keyboard. A footrest may be required if the feet do not rest on the floor, or the desk height may need to be adjusted.
- Employees who regularly carry laptops to meetings should be encouraged to use rucksacks to distribute weight in a more evenly balanced way.
- Regular users of laptops should place their computers on a stand and use an external keyboard and mouse if using for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
- Use headsets if using telephones regularly.
- Computer screens should be positioned in front of the individual, vertical, horizontal, and the top of the screen should be at eye level when sitting correctly in the chair, and the screen should be at an arm’s length from the employee.
- Invest in a trolley to transport heavy documents around buildings.
- Regular breaks should be encouraged
Tip 3: Help your staff to keep the weight off
Weight gain is a major cause of muscle imbalance and resulting back pain. Encourage your staff to take up Pilates type exercises which are very effective without being too high impact or swimming. Strengthening the core stomach muscles also helps support the spine.
Tip 4: Invest in the right footwear
Over-pronation (an inward roll of the foot) is a common cause of back pain. Encourage employees to invest in bespoke insoles which are very affordable and quickly rectify posture.
More high-tech ‘wobbleboard’ technology, such as that used in Fit Flops, force a pronounced heel/toe movement which also keeps the back well aligned.
Tip 5: Check your mattress
Remind your staff to change to a firmer mattress which supports the spine, combined with a soft topper if they prefer a softer mattress. They should also reduce the number of pillows used – to ensure the head is kept in line with the spine.
Tip 6: Show your staff you care
A simple email reminder with links to relevant advice websites costs nothing and demonstrates your long-term commitment to employee wellbeing. Share the excellent free advice on back pain available on the NHS website and from national charity Backcare.
Tip 7: Support the head as well as body
Don’t let your staff get psychologically ‘trapped’ in back pain. Counsellors on a staff health helpline can give them coping strategies for chronic pain. Employee Assistance Programmes often provide access to a back specialist and can also help employees feel supported and valued.
Tip 8: Keep in touch
The longer someone is off work with back pain, the less likely they are to go back. Stay in regular contact with your employees during their sickness absence to offer support but avoid too much contact as it may be seen as an attempt to coerce them back into work early.
How to prepare for the return to work
There are lots of practical steps you can take to make an employee’s return to work following a prolonged period of back pain easier.
- Agree a return-to-work plan which aims for the employee to be back in their original full time role after a specified number or days or weeks.
- Carry out a work station assessment to identify any risks and try to look at the role with different eyes. For example, at a supermarket, can cashier staff be rotated more between left and right hand facing check outs so they alternate the repetitive stresses they are putting on their backs?
- Let them know that frequent breaks are not only acceptable but advisable during the first month back
- Find out what the barriers to returning to work are and try to minimise them. For example, one client was reluctant to return to work because she was anxious about how she would cope with jostling on an overcrowded Tube train. Reducing her hours slightly from 10am until 4pm overcame the issue.
- Offering employees a phased return-to-work including some working from home and lighter duties can help to persuade them that they can cope with working again
- Ask the employee themselves where they think the stress points are
- Monitor and review after two weeks
Karen Hall, Managed Care Physiotherapist, PMI Health Group
With more than 20 years’ clinical experience, Karen has a wealth of specialist expertise in managing sickness absence and the treatment of sports injuries. She has specialist expertise in the treatment of lower limb conditions and a broad understanding of anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation and fractures.
Prior to joining PMI Health Group, Karen worked in a variety of NHS roles, most recently as team leader responsible for seventeen staff managing sickness absence and conducting risk assessments, as well as handling complaints and waiting lists and liaising with general practitioners.
Karen is HPC registered and holds a BSc Hons in Physiotherapy. She is skilled in the use of Isokinetic Cybex for diagnostic and rehabilitation purposes, is a first responder and ILS qualified
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