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Case 16: Lower back pain in ‘shunter’ driver

Company

Major multi-site biscuit manufacturer with an Occupational Health Department (OHD).

Injury

A ‘shunter’ driver from a factory complained of lower back pain, early in 2006.

Intervention

The driver was assessed by the company’s Occupational Health Department (OHD) and referred to the on-site physiotherapy service. He was seen by the physio for treatment and acupuncture, a total of 12 times between March and June 2006. During this time he was supported and regularly reviewed by the OHD, who liaised with his manager. 

The driver went off sick during the summer for a couple of weeks stating that he was taking Tramadol and was suffering the side effects of the medication. He saw the company doctor and a letter was sent to his GP requesting further information. The first report from the GP suggested that the GP believed the driver might have a prolapsed disc that needed rest from his ‘shunt’ driving as the ‘potholes’ in the yard were not helping his condition; she also advised that he would be better working in a HGV lorry, driving distances to deliveries. He had been referred for an MRI scan.

The company OH team did not agree with this, but the driver was insistent that his GP was right and he wanted to go on the road. OH met with his manager to see if any such work was available and he was subsequently put on driving duties, with the understanding that there would be no lifting or off-loading.

2-3 weeks later, the driver went off sick again. When seen by OHD it was discovered that he had been asked to help unload and, although he was fully aware that he was not to, felt he must.

This time, his absence was from August to mid-November 2006. The OHD had already enquired about ‘lighter duties’ for him to rehabilitate to work. The driver’s manager had suggested office type duties, which was agreed would be fine as long as there was training, a workstation assessment and ample opportunity to get up and walk about. The driver refused this option and chose to stay absent from work. In October 2006 the driver was again seen by the company doctor, this time the driver stated he had re-hurt his back, picking up boxes at home (the driver openly told the OH team that he had set up a home-based sales business).

The driver decided, when his company sick pay expired that he wanted to return to his driving duties, stating he had the results of his MRI scan and there was nothing wrong with his back!  OHD had already written to the hospital for the results and were not happy for him to return to the old duties before a hospital report had been received.  The report was received a week after OHD had started gradually integrating him into a controlled environment, in which he was to file receipts into small boxes.   He was not happy about this as he felt he should go straight back to driving.  OHD explained that it had to consider his health and safety and that a controlled environment would help him to get back to work in a safe manner.  Also, as he had felt it necessary to assist a customer previously, we did not want him to be put in this situation again.

Outcome

  This case is ongoing and the driver is due to go back to driving a shunt vehicle on a different site with a yard that has no potholes.  OHD have suggested that if he manages this type of work, where he can take regular breaks and get help if required, he should be OK to return to the road driving again fairly soon.

Lessons learned

The OH team were not completely aware of the full situation, being fairly new. In retrospect this case could have been managed better in the early days by restricting the driving earlier and placing the driver in a safer environment until he had received his MRI scan. This might have reduced his absence time and prevented a long-term sickness absence.  Additionally the driver had physiotherapy for too many sessions with the physio also believing that he had a more serious complaint. This demonstrates the need for a good OH team and good communication.

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/case15.htm
  40. Next case studyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/case17.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