News release: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are fast becoming the greatest health and safety challenge for Europe
17th November 2000
For immediate release - Press release and Journalist invitation (see end for details)
This is the main conclusion of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work with Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) accounting for up 40 or 50% of all work-related ill-health and affecting over 40 million European workers. Europes competitiveness is being considerably reduced by the social and economic impact of this increasing work-related disorder (1). Some estimates in the UK put costs to companies at between £5,251 and £11,498 per reported case. Estimates in several Member States indicate that the overall costs could be between 0.5% and 2% of Gross National Product which is a significant burden on the EU economy. In the case of MSD prevention, it is clear that a healthy workplace could also contribute to a healthy business environment.
Much of the pain and suffering and economic costs from MSDs could be prevented or significantly reduced by following existing health and safety regulations and guidance on good practice. The main objectives of the European Week have been to promote awareness about musculoskeletal disorders and to encourage the exchange of experience on practical preventive solutions to this work-related problem. The Agency has played an important role in encouraging national activities and projects and in collecting good practice examples that could have a real impact in the workplace.
The Director of the European Agency, Mr Hans-Horst KONKOLEWSKY, said that he hoped that "Companies, trade unions and professionals across Europe would consult and put into practice some of the Good Practice examples collected by the Agency and others at the Member State level. If companies were able to exploit these and other good practice examples in the workplace, they might also find that the results would not only alleviate the burden of work-related MSDs but that they may also result in cost-efficiency savings too".
On 27th November 2000 the French Presidency of the European Union and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work will join forces to organise the closing Colloquium of European Week 2000 in Bilbao. The colloquium will begin the debate between experts, social partners and decision-makers at the EU level to examine the next steps that can be taken at the European level. A full programme is available at http://osha.europa.eu/ew2000/closing_en.pdf. The results of this debate will make an invaluable contribution to the discussion next year that will be undertaken at the European level on a "European Strategy for Safety and Health" outlined in the European Commissions Communication on the European Social Policy Agenda in June. Following this colloquium, awards will be given as part of a European award scheme to a number of good practices examples which have been developed by companies and organisations from across Europe. In all, 16 organisations from across Europe were selected to receive awards in recognition of their good practices in the first ever event of this type at the European level. The full list of winners and summaries of the good practice solutions can be accessed on the Agency webpage at http://osha.europa.eu/ew2000/prevmsds.pdf
Journalists are welcome to attend the European colloquium on 27th November in Bilbao and those wishing to attend should send an e-mail to information@osha.europa.eu or a fax to + 34 94 479 4383.
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Further information
Press contacts:
Andrew Smith or Alun Jones, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Tel: +34 94 479 5733 or +34 94 479 4377 emails: smith@osha.europa.eu or jones@osha.europa.euOther enquiries:
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain email: information@osha.europa.eu, fax: +34 94 479 4383
Note for editors:
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In some countries MSDs are now the most prevalent occupational disease. According to a recent European survey 30% or 44 million of European workers complain of back pain, 17% complain of muscular pain in the arms and legs and 45% reported working in painful or tiring positions.
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The European Union has adopted directives to protect workers and to improve safety and health at work, which include minimum requirements aimed at preventing musculoskeletal disorders. The framework directive in 1989 (89/391), to improve the safety and health of workers, was a decisive step forward in this field. It imposes a duty on employers to ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect related to their work. To this end, employers must, inter alia, evaluate the risks to safety and health at work and take action to reduce or avoid the risks and to adapt the work to the workers. Individual directives followed on manual handling, on VDU equipment, on work equipment, on machinery and on working time.
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The risk of work-related MSD is increased by exposure to factors or combinations of factors such as manual load lifting, poor or awkward movements, highly repetitive movements, pace of work and vibrations. People are put at risk where their work involves unsatisfactory handling techniques or the loads they handle are excessive. Lifting, putting loads down, carrying, pushing and pulling can all cause injury. Some people are also at risk because they work in uncomfortable positions doing forceful or repetitive tasks. One example is VDU equipment work where people may work in a fixed position for prolonged periods with repetitive hand and wrist movements.
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For more information about European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2000 "Turn Your Back on Work-related Musculoskeletal disorders" see the Agency website at http://osha.europa.eu/ew2000/
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Socio-economic information on MSDs can be found at
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/9/view -
Short fact sheets for journalists on the Agency can be accessed at the following address: http://osha.europa.eu/publications/factsheets/
