Farmers urged to protect their backs
Dr. Peter Dodman, HSE's Principal Inspector, offers the following simple advice.
There can be few people working in agriculture who haven't either suffered a bad back or know someone who has. In the worst cases, people are permanently disabled, not necessarily from a single event but often from repeated stresses and strains over a period of time.
For many years, farm workers simply accepted that this went with the job.
The Health & Safety Executive estimates that around 80% of people working in agriculture suffer from back problems. To help tackle the problem, HSE is launching its Better Backs campaign on 9 October.
Extending the scope of last year's campaign, 'Better Backs' aims to reduce the incidence and impact of back pain and reduce the number of working days lost due to back pain. Targeting both, employers and employees, the campaign will emphasize the importance of workplace precautions, staying active and working together to help people return to normal activities including work.
Mechanisation in farming has reduced the amount of manual work, but much inevitably remains. And it's not just lifting and putting down which can cause a problem, but also pushing, pulling, carrying and supporting objects.
Approach the issue with an open mind and look at the available guidance material. Wherever possible, think how manual handling can be avoided. If it needs to be done, consider how best to reduce the risk. This needn't be a time-consuming or expensive process. As more and more routine jobs are considered and assessed, it will only leave the occasional or one-off jobs to think about.
Top tips to Better Backs:
* Plan your work and working areas to minimise the amount of manual handling you need to do. Perhaps you can provide mechanical assistance or change the size of the load. For example, using a sheep turnover crate not only reduces the risks but also makes flock management easier and improves animal welfare. Using a shearing back-aid is a simple and effective measure.
* Look at how and where you store or move objects such as chemical containers, drums, bales etc to avoid twisting and stretching.
* Arrange for loads to be handled at waist height.
* Familiarise yourself with safe handling techniques.
By looking critically at what you do you will arrive at solutions, often simple and obvious. Taking action could stop you becoming another back pain statistic.
For practical advice and further information visit the HSE website at www.betterbacks.hse.gov.ukor call the HSE infoline on 0845 354 0055. You can also find more information in HSE's free booklet AS23 "Manual Handling Solutions for Farms" and in the HSE video "Back on the farm: farm lifting solutions" (contact HSE Books, tel. 01787-881165).
