Case 14: Back pain caused by lifting

Company

Major multi-site biscuit and snack manufacturer with an Occupational Health Department (OHD). This site, based in the northeast, has 150 employees.

Injury

An employee had been absent from work on numerous occasions with a ‘bad back’. A further absence followed on the third day of which he was contacted by an Occupational Health Specialist Practitioner from the OHD.

Intervention

A medical history was established and the employee referred to a physiotherapist for assessment and treatment. The employee was seen by the physiotherapist within 48 hours who provided feedback to the OHD. This indicated the type of back problem, the estimated number of treatment sessions required and the duties the employee was capable of undertaking at work.

The OHD ensured an appropriate light duties were in place when the employee returned to work.

Benefits

Intervention by the OHD ensured –

  • appropriate physiotherapy advice and treatment was implemented early
  • the employee was only absent for 6 days (even though the GP had issued a sick note for 4 weeks)
  • on return to work, a package of light duties prior to commencing usual duties.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Food & drink manufacturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/index.htm
  2. Common risks - in food and drink manufacturing industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/industries.htm
  3. Meat, poultry and fishhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/slaughter.htm
  4. Milling, animal feedshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/grain.htm
  5. Bakery productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/bakery.htm
  6. Dairy productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dairy.htm
  7. Fruit and vegetableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/fruitveg.htm
  8. Alcoholic and soft drinkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/drink.htm
  9. Chilled and frozen products https://www.hse.gov.uk/food/chilled.htm
  10. Supply chainhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/chain.htm
  11. Safety risks overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/safety-hazards.htm
  12. Manual handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/handling.htm
  13. Slips on wet or contaminated floorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/slips.htm
  14. Falls from heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/falls.htm
  15. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/transport.htm
  16. Struck by somethinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/struckby.htm
  17. Overview - Food processing machineryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/machinery.htm
  18. European CEN 'C' Standards for food processing machineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/standards.htm
  19. Packaging machineryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/package.htm
  20. Overview - Prevention of dust explosionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosion.htm
  21. Selection and use of vacuum cleanershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosionapp1.htm
  22. Explosion relief for small bins and siloshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosionapp2.htm
  23. Overview - Occupational health topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/healthtopics.htm
  24. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)https://www.hse.gov.uk/food/musculoskeletal.htm
  25. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dermatitis.htm
  26. Noise induced hearing losshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/noise.htm
  27. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/asthma.htm
  28. Low dust flourhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/low-flour-dust.htm
  29. Exposure to disinfectantshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/disinfectants.htm
  30. Work-related stresshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/stress.htm
  31. Overview - Occupational rehabilitationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/index.htm
  32. OH Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/casestudies.htm
  33. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/information.htm
  34. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/experience.htm
  35. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/links.htm
  36. Food and Drink Manufacture Health and Safety Forumhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/forum.htm
  37. Topics of interesthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/live.htm
  38. Case studies menuhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/casestudies.htm
  39. Previous case studyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/case13.htm
  40. Next case studyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/case15.htm
  41. A recipe for safety: Occupational health and safety in food and drink manufacturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg252.htm
  42. Moving food and drink: Manual handling solutions for the food and drink industries https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg196.htm
  43. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/experience.htm
  44. Food Standards Agencyhttps://www.food.gov.uk/
  45. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/index.htm
  46. Fallshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  47. Musculoskeletal disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/index.htm
  48. Workplace transport micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm
  49. Equipment at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/index.htm
  50. Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/backpain/index.htm
  51. Pushing and pullinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/pushpull/index.htm
  52. MAC toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/mac/index.htm
  53. Food and Drink Manufacturing Forumhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/forum.htm
  54. Federation of Bakers (FoB)https://www.fob.uk.com/
  55. Craft Bakers Associationhttps://www.craftbakersassociation.co.uk/
  56. British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)https://britishmeatindustry.org/
  57. Dairy UKhttps://www.dairyuk.org/
  58. Chilled Foods Association (CFA)https://www.chilledfood.org/
  59. British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF)https://www.bfff.co.uk/
  60. Food Standards Agencyhttps://www.food.gov.uk/
  61. IOSH Food and Drink Grouphttps://www.iosh.co.uk/groups/food_and_drink_group.aspx

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Updated 2023-06-15