How Well is Your Occupational Health?

The approach might depend on a number of factors, including company size, industry sector and company culture. In this article Ansgar Kupper gives a case study of work we have recently carried out. It describes our chosen approach for this particular client, focussing especially on its first step, a health survey of assembly line workers.

Work related symptoms

We were contacted by the human resources manager of an engineering manufacturing company. She was concerned about the number of people on long term sick leave due to work related symptoms. She was also very aware of the cost implications of frequent absenteeism related to aches and pains. In the past, we had provided occasional ergonomics input into the assembly processes, but in view of the new situation we thought a more radical approach was needed. The strategy chosen consisted of a part-time onsite physiotherapy treatment service in combination with ergonomics input specifically aimed at addressing those tasks that are suspected to contribute to the workers' musculoskeletal symptoms.

Our first step was to carry out a health survey. The purpose of this survey was threefold:

1. To encourage early symptom reporting by staff
2. To gain an insight into the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms
3. To help scope the input needed for the ergonomics support and for the onsite physiotherapy service

A questionnaire was customised, inquiring about personal information, work factors and musculoskeletal symptoms. A meeting was set up with the workers' team leaders to discuss the proposed strategy and to gain their support for conducting the survey. The project was well received by them and the questionnaires were handed out to each worker to be completed during work hours.

Questionnaire results

Forms were returned by 62% of workers. The data was entered into an SPSS database and analysed. The results were worrying. 65% of respondents reported musculoskeletal symptoms, 91% of these attributed them to work factors. However, only 41% of those with symptoms had received some form of treatment or sought medical advice (anything from self-medication to consultant appointment). Consistent with the nature of the work tasks, the largest proportion of symptoms related to the upper limb (55%) and back (28%), in comparison with the lower limb (11%) and neck (6%).

Our aim is to keep symptom reporting high on the agenda, in order to be able to offer the appropriate prompt treatment, to prevent injuries from becoming chronic, to maintain high levels of productivity and to support worker morale by addressing their real needs and worries.

We are currently preparing the launch of the in-house physiotherapy service, which will also offer a rehabilitation programme for those on long-term sick leave. We will closely monitor the effects on symptoms and absenteeism of the combined physiotherapy and ergonomics input. We will write a further article after the programme has been running for approximately 6 months, providing details on the effects of the intervention.

Ansgar Kupper

First published June 2004