A conference will give advice on how to combat the negative effects of musculoskeletal disorders on employees – and businesses
IN THESE TOUGH economic times it is more important than ever to keep our workforce fit and healthy, and employers must be proactive in addressing the issue, a conference at Dublin Castle will be told today.
Arthritis Ireland, in partnership with Abbott and Fás, is hosting the high-level forum Keeping Ireland Fit for Work, which will address how chronic conditions, if managed properly, can have a positive effect on absenteeism rates and work productivity.
Seven million working days are lost a year in Ireland due to musculo- skeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back pain, arm or neck strains or diseases of the joints, and the direct cost of MSDs at work in Ireland is estimated to be at least €750 million per annum.
The Fit for Work programme, based on a pan-European study of the impact of MSDs conducted across 25 countries, demonstrates that improvements in early intervention, treatment and return to work practices could help those with even severe MSDs to stay in work.
Ireland spends more per capita on sickness and healthcare benefits than the other 24 countries featured in the study – spending on illness and disability benefits increased by 500 per cent between 1998 and 2007 – but Irish employers have traditionally been slow to get involved in the health issues of their workers.
At least one in 10 of the workforce is not healthy enough to drive the improvements in productivity the country needs to compete internationally when the up-turn comes, so it is vital that Irish employers become more proactive in order to improve both staff health and the bottom line.
“Good health equals good business,” says Dr Steve Boorman, medical director of UK Royal Mail, one of the key speakers at today’s conference. He says his work with postal workers and previously the NHS has shown that looking after staff’s health needs better “has led to organisational productivity, better financial performance and better meeting of regulatory targets”.
“It’s about being more proactive and doing things to keep healthy in the first place, like encouraging physical activity, reducing smoking and addressing risk factors in diet and lifestlye – and also it’s about making staff aware of the help and support that is available once they are unwell, particularly in terms of early intervention.”
There is, of course, a cost to providing these services, but he maintains that the investment is worth far more in terms of its return. “Yes, it does cost, but there is a clear return on the investment, and putting in place the mechanisms to provide early interventions are not only cost- effective, they provide a very significant return,” he says.
For those workers who have been out of work sick, employers need to have a plan in place for helping them return to work as soon as practically possible.
This means being flexible, according to occupational psychologist Richard Wynne of the Work Research Centre Ireland, who is also speaking at the conference.
There are three key elements employers should keep in mind to achieve this, says Wynne. These are:
Have a proactive approach. Don’t wait for things to happen. Have a system in place.
Intervene early, and don’t let it fester on for months.
Be flexible. Make your workplace accommodating and you will have a more successful outcome.
He points out that Ireland has had a very young working population that tended to be less ill up until recently, but that is now changing.
“We’re going to have to work longer to an older age, with pension difficulties and people not being able to afford to retire, so we’re going to have to become better at accommodating people with chronic conditions in the workplace for longer and longer.”
Dame Carol Black, UK national director for work and health, will also speak at the conference.
A REAL PAIN: MSDs AND THE IRISH WORKFORCE
The 2009 Fit For Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Irish Labour Marketreport found that MSDs are the most commonly reported cause of work-related ill-health in Ireland.
The report highlights repeatedly that early intervention is essential and that the evidence shows that long periods away from work have a negative impact on those living with MSDs.
The key findings from the report include:
* More than 50 per cent of Irish workers report experiencing back pain each year, and 25 per cent of non-fatal injuries in Irish workplaces are attributable to back pain.
* Up to 80 per cent of the adult population will suffer significant back pain at some time in their lives. In the vast majority of patients with back pain, no specific diagnosis is given.
* Just under 60 per cent of Irish workers suffer from muscular pain in their neck, shoulders and upper limbs.