Lighten the Load Campaign

Lighten the Load Campaign

This is a European campaign on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) which aims to support employers, workers, safety representatives, practitioners, preventive services, policy makers and other stakeholders in improving MSD prevention at workplace level.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has stated that 'One in four workers reported suffering from back pain in 2005, and a smaller number complained of muscular pains. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common of all reported work-related health problems in the EU15 (53%)'

The cost to individual companies, individual workers and their families, and to Europe and society at large, is high. MSDs not only result in high costs due to medical and social security expenses, and lost productivity, but also result in personal suffering for many workers.

Any worker can be affected, yet the problem can be prevented or reduced by following existing health and safety regulations, and is preventable by applying proper risk assessments, putting in place appropriate preventive measures based on guidance and good practice, and checking that these measures remain effective.

Local action

During European Safety Week 22- 26 October 2007 Tandridge District Council Environmental Health Officers will be informing local businesses about simple measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of MSDs occurring. This is part of this Authority's contribution to the national Fit 3 campaign.

Focus

The campaign emphasises the concept of "managing the load". This does not only refer to the load being carried but also on all the "strains" being put onto the body by, for example, the material being moved, the environmental factors in which the work is being carried out, other hazards in the workplace, and the pace at which the task is done.

Normally there is not a single risk factor leading to the development of MSDs. For example, manual handling is not a single cause of back pain; there are many other risk factors contributing to its development including stress, cold and work organisation. Therefore, it is important to assess the full range of MSD risks and to address them in a comprehensive way.

In addition to the primary prevention of MSDs, a comprehensive management approach should also cover secondary and tertiary prevention focused on the retention, rehabilitation and reintegration of workers who already suffer from MSDs.

Further information on Fit 3

The national Fit3 strategic program has been designed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and Local Authorities to deliver the Health and Safety Commissions (HSC) Public Service Agreement (PSA) target on reducing work related ill health, injury and days lost.

HSC PSA target is to achieve by 2007/2008:

- 3% reduction in the incidence rate of work-related fatal and major injuries;
- 6% reduction in the incidence rate of cases of work-related ill health;
- 9% reduction in the incidence rate of days lost due to work-related injuries and ill health.

against the figures for 2005.

The 'Lighten the load' campaign will form part of this Council's strategy for implementing Fit3 during 2007 - 2008.

Simple Guidance

The European Agency for Safety and Health has produced a series of short animations to highlight the problems of MSD injury at:

Lighten the load animations

The HSE has also developed guidance on controlling MSD for a number of specific industry sectors and this can be accessed at:

Fit 3 Street

General guidance is provided at:

MSD guidance