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30th November 2006
Survey Reveals How Painful Work Can Be
A recent survey carried out on behalf of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), has revealed that more than two thirds of British employees who work at computers, have experienced discomfort in their neck, back, shoulders, wrists or forearms as a result of sitting at their workstation for too long.
The survey, which questioned 1,396 UK employees aged 18 or over, also revealed that one in six also admitted to taking time off work as a result.
Hugh Babington Smith, managing director of Didcot-based Etcom People Engineers, believes this survey gives weight to the common belief that working at computers is likely to be bad for you.
“Health and Safety Executive statistics for absence because of work related injury at computers are extremely low and do not impress employers,” he says. “The CSP survey shows that for every absence, there is a lot of suffering. The question is, what can be done about it? “Employers have a duty to provide a safe working environment for their staff, and many spend a lot on furniture and equipment. However, we believe the key to real pain-free working lies in helping people help themselves. Simple self-help exercises which can be taught easily by an experienced, chartered physiotherapist can really make the difference.”
Physiotherapists know that back pain and other work-related upper-limb disorders of the kind that arise at the computer can become debilitating and possibly damaging if left untreated. They are therefore best placed to advise employees and employers on how they can be avoided. “We believe too many companies forget to invest properly in their employees,” continues Hugh Babington Smith. “However, by training an individual, a company’s performance can be improved, giving an increase in morale and loyalty. “As this survey has revealed, employee absence is not the problem. It is when people ‘grin and bear’ the pain at work, that their efficiency is reduced. The solution is to teach them how to ‘grin and change it!’”
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