Every year, thousands of people suffer from back pain at work.
Back pain can arise in many work situations. The exact cause is often unclear, but back pain is more common in tasks that involve:
- Heavy manual labour and handling tasks
- Manual handling in awkward places, like delivery work
- Repetitive tasks, such as manual packing of goods
- Sitting in front of a computer for long periods, particularly if your workstation is not correctly arranged or adjusted to suit your needs
- Driving long distances or driving over rough ground, particularly if your seat is not, or cannot be, properly adjusted
Some of the activities that can harm your back include:
- Repetitive or heavy lifting
- Excessive bending and twisting
- Exerting too much force
- Poor working conditions
- High job demands and lack of control
- Not recognising or reporting symptoms and not doing anything about it
