Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Cleaning industry
Back pain is part of a group of health conditions called musculoskeletal disorders. This is a term used to describe strains, sprains and overuse problems affecting the body’s muscles, joints and nerves. The back, neck, shoulders and upper limbs are particularly at risk. Problems can include everything from backache and slipped discs to upper limb disorders that cause pain, numbness, swelling and tingling in the hands and wrists. These conditions are often caused or made worse by work activities.
Musculoskeletal problems are the most common form of work related ill health in Great Britain. It is estimated that 4.5 million working days are lost each year due to back pain alone.
There has been research carried out to look at the musculoskeletal health of cleaners. This research found that:
Recent accidents to cleaners reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that approximately 2700 cleaners per year are involved in accidents that cause them to be absent from work for more than 3 days. 34% of these reported accidents are as a result of moving and handling.
Cleaning work is demanding and labour intensive and changes within the industry means that cleaners increasingly work under time constraints. Many tasks involve heavy manual work, putting strain on the heart, muscles and other tissues.
There can be indicators of musculoskeletal problems in the workplace. These include:
Musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, have a significant impact on the lives of those involved. Employers have a legal duty to manage the risk of musculoskeletal disorders which their workers are exposed to. However, accident and ill health cost employers’ time and money so it also makes good business sense to properly manage the risk.
Before anyone can start to control the risks in the workplace they need to know what they are, how serious they are and who is exposed to them. The first step to managing the risk is through risk assessment. This should be carried out to decide if there are enough precautions in place or if more needs to be done to prevent harm.
An assessment of the risk of musculoskeletal problems in cleaners should take account of:
This assessment should also consider the main risk factors such as manual handing, awkward postures, work organisation and vibration from equipment.
Hazardous activities should be avoided if it is reasonably practicable (unless the cost of avoidance is grossly disproportionate to the risk).
In practice, employers have found that initiatives for reducing musculoskeletal problems in the workplace are most successful if they involve employees and their representatives working together on risk assessment and investigating accidents.
The booklet ‘Caring for Cleaners’ has been produced by HSE specifically to help the cleaning industry manage the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This publication gives guidance and case studies on how to prevent and manage the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. It also provides useful tips and ideas along with checklists to help with risk assessments.
More information on musculoskeletal disorders can also be found on the HSE's MSD website. This includes a Manual Handling Assessment (MAC) tool and details of the recent Better Backs campaign which was run in October and November.
The Cleaning Industry Liaison Forum is a working group with representatives from the industry’s trade associations, employers, trade unions, the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and trade unions.
This forum is chaired by HSE and has agreed the health and safety priorities for the industry. Musculoskeletal disorders are one of these priorities where further work is planned.
HSE launched the Better Backs campaign in early 2006. To find out more about how to tackle back pain or when to visit the GP, visit the website or you can call the HSE Infoline on 0845 345 0055.