An End to European Health and Safety at Work Week

European Health and Safety at Work Week has now come to an end, with events and activities across Europe to mark the occasion and highlight awareness of the importance of being safe in the work place.

In the UK it is the Health and Safety Executive who are responsible for ensuring employees adhere to the Health and Safety at Work Act. Established in 1971, it is designed to protect employees within the workplace and ensure businesses offer a duty of care to their staff.

In 2011/12 there were over 1 million work related injuries, resulting in over 27 million lost working days. This is a huge figure and has a huge impact on businesses in being able to trade efficiently, as without staff a business cannot expect to be successful or indeed operate.

Some injuries are more common than others in the workplace, with each environment having its own set of potential hazards.

Slips and Trips

This is one of the most common types of injury sustained within the workplace, either from slipping on a wet floor or tripping over a hazard in a walkway. Injuries from slips and trips can vary in their severity, from simple sprains and strains to broken bones with the most common affected areas being the wrist and ankle.

Wrist injuries are common after falls as we are programmed to put our arms out when we fall to protect our face, therefore the hand and wrist receives the full force of the impact. A sprained wrist can be very painful and hinder your ability to work, especially if it is your writing hand which is damaged. These are largely self-limiting conditions and the inflammation and pain should subside within a few days, allowing you to regain full control of your wrist. It is clear to understand the importance health and safety when a minor issue such as a sprained wrist can lead to a few lost working days.

Another method of rehabilitation from wrist injuries is the use of a wrist support, designed to offer protection and support of the joint following injury. There are different types of wrist supports depending on the nature of the condition you wish to manage, from breathable materials designed to manage inflammation to rigid designs which restrict movement of the joint to minimise the risk of further injury.

Ankle injuries can also be common from slips and trips, with any rolling of the ankle leading to ligament damage and instability of the joint. A sprained ankle can happen as a result of landing awkwardly or slipping on a wet surface and is especially common in winter where car parks have not been gritted. As with a sprained wrist, a sprained ankle is self-limiting and with rest and the use of ice to manage inflammation will heal itself.

If a person is worried about the stability of their ankle following an injury then an ankle support can be worn to help. They can work to help manage inflammation as well as helping to support the ankle joint. Depending on the design chosen, they can work as external ankle ligaments to provide additional stability following an injury.

Manual Handling

Manual handling accounts for a large number of work related injuries through incorrect lifting. If you believe an item is too heavy to lift you should either ask for help or use machinery rather than risking injury. If you are listing something remember to lift with your knees and not your back.

Back injuries are common from manual handling where a person is attempting to lift something too heavy, typically leading to complaints in the lumbar region or lower back. The majority of muscle complaints in the back are self-limiting and are treated with rest, though sometimes physiotherapy may be required.

Back injuries can be very painful and debilitating, with more serious injuries meaning a person is unable to get up. A back brace can be worn for additional support, applying compression to the affected area which helps to manage inflammation and pain and allows a person to remain active for longer.

Final Thoughts on Health and Safety

Whilst legislation is in place to protect employees it is essential that employees look out for each other and raise concerns about health and safety where necessary. Lost working days can impact massively on businesses and even more so on employees, with more serious injuries having an impact on life outside of work. Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, but many are and by remaining vigilant the number of work related injuries can be reduced.