Workplace back injury claims

Avoiding a back injury at work – and what to do if the worst happens

In most workplaces, there are times when you might have to undertake some form of lifting.  Even in an office environment, printers need to be restocked with paper, files transported about and parcels moved from reception to the relevant department.  In other jobs, such as those involving manual work in factories, warehouses, shops or outdoors, you’ll probably find yourself having to lift a variety of different things almost every day.  Whilst modern health and safety training has done much to raise the awareness of back injuries amongst the working population, each year thousands of people still suffer a back injury from lifting something.

It’s not just heavy lifting that can cause a back injury if not done correctly.  Incorrect posture when working at a desk or workstation can cause chronic pain problems in your back and a condition known as Repetitive Stress Syndrome (RSS), which can affect almost anyone, regardless of their age or level of physical fitness.  A bad back injury might limit your movement, making everyday tasks impossible, or at the very least extremely painful which might mean you are unable to return to work, or you are forced to change roles to a less physically demanding job.

Even if you are able to return to work after injuring your back whilst lifting, you might find the symptoms take several weeks or months to go away.  If common treatments such as icepack and over the counter painkillers do not help, then further treatment might be required, such as surgery or painkilling injections targeting the area of pain.  People with severe workplace back injuries might also require the services of a physiotherapist to assist them with regaining movement and strength in their back.

Safety first – how to lift without injuring yourself

If you are going to be doing any amount of lifting whilst at work, then making sure you lift properly, in accordance with health and safety advice, can mean you stand much less chance of ending up with a back injury.  Lifting something safely might seem obvious, but given that thousands of people each year injure themselves whilst lifting something at work, it is harder than it looks.  The key points to remember when lifting an object are:

Positioning:  Make sure you are standing close enough to the object you are going to lift that you aren’t over-stretching yourself.  If you can, position yourself so you are centred in front of the object, with your feet about shoulder-width apart.  Whilst lifting, do not turn or twist your body, instead take small steps with your feet until you are in the correct position.

Movement:  When lifting, keep your back straight.  You should be bending your knees instead to lower yourself when picking up the object and then when raising it to a comfortable height.  Same goes for putting the object down again at the end, your back should be kept straight throughout.

Grip:  If the box or object you are carrying has handles or hand-holes, make use of them.  Make sure you have a good grasp on the load to be lifted so that it doesn’t slip out of your hands.

Making a workplace back injury compensation claim

Unfortunately not all employers give the health and safety of their employees as high a priority as they should.  If you have suffered a back injury in an accident at work and it wasn’t your fault, you might be able to make a back injury compensation claim from your employer’s insurance policy.  Camps Solicitors are well placed to help you to make an accident at work compensation claim – our years of experience have seen our solicitors and staff successfully representing thousands of people injured in accidents at work where they were not at fault.

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