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In the UK, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions rank as the second leading reason for employee absenteeism, following mental health concerns. Around 15.2 million workdays are lost per year due to MSK disorders.
MSK refers to the way your muscles, bones, and joints work together to help you move. By prioritising your team’s MSK health, you can safeguard their physical and mental wellness. Implementing good MSK practises in your company can improve productivity, enhance life quality, and aid in staff retention and hiring, while also reducing the frequency of sick leave and associated financial losses from paid sick days, among other benefits.
Improving MSK health can be challenging. That’s why we’ve created a list of 5 tips you can use to improve your employees MSK wellbeing.
1. Understanding the needs of your team.
Organisations and their staff can often face MSK challenges, varying by sector, role, and responsibilities. The specific MSK assistance required by your team is likely influenced by your industry and the nature of the tasks being performed. Key considerations include the work environment, the nature of tasks, duration of each task, individual needs, and necessary equipment.
Making sure you’re aware of each team member’s unique needs can be crucial to prevent MSK problems from developing.
2. Assessing risk.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, as an employer, it’s your statutory duty to safeguard your employees’ health and safety.
This involves conducting a thorough risk assessment to spot potential hazards that may lead to harm or illness. You must evaluate the likelihood of such harm occurring (‘the risk’) and act to eliminate or reduce risks to your staff. It’s also crucial to document and routinely reassess the effectiveness of the safety precautions you’ve implemented.
3. Reasonable adjustments.
After pinpointing the particular MSK hazards and your team’s requirements, it’s crucial to provide the necessary support. This support will not only enable your team to perform their duties safely but also maintain their MSK wellbeing. It will also assist employees with pre-existing MSK conditions in managing their symptoms, prevent their problem from getting worse and enable them to continue working. Workplace adjustments can be beneficial for many employees or tailored to an individual’s specific needs.
Such adjustments may include the provision of ergonomic equipment like desk chairs, headsets, footstools, laptop stands, monitors, personal protective equipment, as needed, along with implementing regular breaks, sharing helpful information resources, and directing towards available occupational health and support services.
4. Creating healthy habits.
To safeguard your employees MSK health, you and your team can implement small changes. These involve staying active and consuming a nutritious diet to keep a healthy weight.
Promoting healthy habits within your organisation is crucial. Set an example and motivate your team by organising walk-and-talk meetings when possible, ensuring breaks are taken regularly, and sharing available employee benefits like gym membership discounts or deals on fitness devices.
Consistent exercise can not only assist staff in managing their weight but also in reducing stress, enhancing sleep quality, boosting mental health, and strengthening muscles and bones. Additionally, it can alleviate symptoms for those with pre-existing MSK issues.
Bupa Physiotherapist Caitlin McNicholas advises: “If someone is in pain, they might think they need to rest or feel worried that exercise would make their pain worse. But physical activity can improve your symptoms if you have an existing MSK problem. If you’re feeling unsure or your pain isn’t improving, speak to a physiotherapist for advice.”
5. Encouraging open conversations.
Regularly touch base with your team to gauge their wellbeing to find out if they require any assistance with their MSK health. Many MSK issues can improve with appropriate care and support. Prompting your staff to share any issues allows you to set up support measures as early as possible. This approach can help to keep your team at work or help their return after recovery. Additionally, consider seeking feedback from your employees on any MSK hazards they have observed in the workplace and their suggestions to resolve them.
Proactive care of MSK health can be key to avoiding aches and pains and musculoskeletal disorders.
For more information and advice on how to improve the MSK health of your workforce, or for any other wellbeing support, please read Bupa’s guide to support your team’s musculoskeletal (MSK) health.