Back pain

As an employer, you must protect workers from the risks of developing back pain caused by work. There are things that both you and your workers can do to manage back pain in the workplace, for example there is advice on managing manual handling[79] tasks.

Protect your workers

You must:

  • avoid work activities that can cause back pain, where reasonably practicable[80]
  • where the activity can't be avoided, assess it to see what you can do to reduce the risk of back pain
  • apply the control measures you have identified and monitor and review them to make sure they are working
  • consult your workers[81] and, if they have health and safety concerns, do something about them

Causes of back pain at work

Some work tasks can cause back pain or make existing pain worse:

  • lifting[82] heavy or bulky loads
  • carrying[83] loads awkwardly, possibly one-handed
  • pushing, pulling or dragging heavy loads[84]
  • manual handling in awkward places, such as during delivery work
  • repetitive tasks[85], such as packing products
  • bending, crouching or stooping
  • stretching, twisting and reaching
  • being in one position for a long time
  • working beyond your capability or when physically overtired
  • working with display screen equipment[86] (with poor posture)
  • driving long distances or over rough ground, especially if the seat is not, or cannot be, properly adjusted or operating heavy equipment[87] (for example excavators)

A major reason for developing back pain is having had a previous episode, particularly if it was recent. How the work is organised[88] (for example, high workloads, tight deadlines, lack of control of the work and working methods) can also have an impact.

Manage the risk of back pain

You can reduce the risk of back pain in your workplace:

  • identify what activities can cause back pain and decide whether they can be avoided or changed
  • ask your workers for input – they have first-hand knowledge of the work and can suggest changes
  • think about how you can make jobs physically easier, for example, by moving loads on wheels
  • make sure controls, for example lifting aids, are available, used and maintained
  • look for signs of back pain among your workers, such as a reluctance to do a particular task, which may suggest your controls are not working
  • encourage them to report problems early to you or their worker representative so they get the right help

People with back pain usually recover completely if the problem is recognised early and treated appropriately.

The NHS has evidence-based advice about preventing back pain[89] at work and there is other useful advice for workers[90].

If workers already have back pain, tell them about the NHS advice on treating back pain [91] and when back pain can be a sign of something more serious[92].

Link URLs in this page

  1. MSDshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/msds.htm
  2. Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/backpain/index.htm
  3. Upper limb disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/index.htm
  4. Lower limb disorders https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/lld/index.htm
  5. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  6. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  7. Overview - MSD toolkithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/toolkit.htm
  8. Overview - MAC toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/index.htm
  9. Introduction to MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/introduction.htm
  10. Developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/development.htm
  11. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/scoresheet.htm
  12. Overview - Liftinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftintro.htm
  13. Lifting from pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid1.htm
  14. Lifting creels of wire videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid2.htm
  15. Lifting control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance01a.htm
  16. Overview - Carryinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryintro.htm
  17. Carrying from conveyor videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid1.htm
  18. Carrying task in pastry factory videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid2.htm
  19. Carrying control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance02a.htm
  20. Overview - Team handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamintro.htm
  21. Team handling pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid1.htm
  22. Team handling container videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid2.htm
  23. Team handling control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance03a.htm
  24. Psychosocial risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  25. Individual differenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/individuals.htm
  26. MAC assessment tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/tips.htm
  27. MAC FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/faq.htm
  28. Overview - V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/index.htm
  29. Advantages and limitationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/1-advantages-limitations.htm
  30. What you need to knowhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/2-what-you-need-to-know-before.htm
  31. How to use the V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/3-how-to-use.htm
  32. Which jobs and workers to assesshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/4-which-jobs-workers-to-assess.htm
  33. Entering datahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/5-entering-data.htm
  34. What does the V-MAC tell you?https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/6-what-does-vmac-tell-you.htm
  35. Values in the summary tablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/7-summary-tables.htm
  36. Recording and usinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/8-recording-and-using.htm
  37. Worked exampleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/9-worked-examples.htm
  38. V-MAC FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/10-faqs.htm
  39. Overview - ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/index.htm
  40. What is the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/whatis.htm
  41. Overview - Learning to use the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/learning.htm
  42. Preparationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/preparation.htm
  43. Risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/riskfactors.htm
  44. Observationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/observation.htm
  45. Overview - Making an assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessment.htm
  46. Task descriptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/task.htm
  47. Overview - Assessment guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessguide.htm
  48. A. Frequency and repetition of movementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/freqrep.htm
  49. B. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/forceassessment.htm
  50. C. Awkward postureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/awkpostures.htm
  51. D. Additional factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/addfactors.htm
  52. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/score.htm
  53. A walkthroughhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/walkthrough.htm
  54. Overview - Try it outhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/try.htm
  55. Book bindinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/bookbinding.htm
  56. Jogging sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/jogging.htm
  57. Collating papershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/papers.htm
  58. Whisky carton assemblyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/cartonassembly.htm
  59. Croissant curlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/croissant.htm
  60. Overview - Analysis and actionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/analysis.htm
  61. What the scores meanhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  62. Analysing task rotationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/rotation.htm
  63. Overview - Taking actionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/action.htm
  64. Repetitionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/repetition.htm
  65. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/force.htm
  66. Posturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/posture.htm
  67. Durationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/duration.htm
  68. Physical environmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/environment.htm
  69. Psychosocial issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/psychosocial.htm
  70. Art Tool Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/resources.htm
  71. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/faq.htm
  72. Overview - RAPP toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/index.htm
  73. Push/pull riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/risks.htm
  74. Push/pull risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/assessment.htm
  75. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/legislation.htm
  76. Health monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/health-monitoring.htm
  77. Workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/workers-msds.htm
  78. Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/resources.htm
  79. manual handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  80. where reasonably practicablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm#_Control_the_risks
  81. consult your workershttp://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/
  82. liftinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  83. carryinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  84. pushing, pulling or dragging heavy loadshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/risks.htm
  85. repetitive taskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/index.htm
  86. display screen equipmenthttp://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/
  87. operating heavy equipmenthttp://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/wbv/index.htm
  88. How the work is organisedhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  89. back painhttps://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/back-pain-at-work/
  90. advice for workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/workers-msds.htm
  91. treating back pain https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/treatment/
  92. something more serioushttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/
  93. Manual handling at work: A brief guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.htm
  94. Managing upper limb disorders in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg171.htm
  95. Manual handling assessment charts (the MAC tool) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg383.htm
  96. Risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg478.htm
  97. Assessment of repetitive tasks of the upper limbs (the ART tool)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg438.htm
  98. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  99. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm

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Updated 2024-02-09