As more and more businesses adopt Working from Home practices, the more complex managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders becomes. Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s) include injuries and conditions that can affect the back, joints and limbs. There are several laws relating to MSD’s at work. Employers and workers both have responsibilities to manage related risks.
How big is the problem?
The statistics related to Musculoskeletal Disorders leaves no doubt to the impact that this risk has on employees across the UK – 480,000 workers suffered work-related MSD’s in 2019/2020 and these disorders account for 30% of all work-related ill-health.* The law on managing risks associated with MSD’s at work is underpinned by various regulations. Employers must protect the health and safety of their workers and other people who might be affected by what they do, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require employers to assess the risks associated with the health and safety of their workers. The assessment may identify risks covered by other regulations relevant to MSD’s in the workplace and you should also comply with those regulations. The main ones are listed below. If you work within specific industries, other laws may apply too.
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
- The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations
- The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations
Additionally, The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations cover a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare issues, including lighting, floors, workstations and seating. They apply to most workplaces.
More information and access to HSE resources can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/legislation.htm.
*The latest HSE statistics: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/msd.pdf
How do you manage your legal obligations to comply with DSE and Manual Handling regulations? For a no-obligation demonstration of how our DSE and Manual Handling modules can help you to streamline your processes and maintain compliance, visit: Link. Alternatively, for a brief overview on the key features of these modules click the links below
