Northern Ireland is gearing up for this year's European Week for Safety and Health at Work, which will run from 22 - 26 October 2007. It will focus on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which are the most common source of workplace illness in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, affecting 1 million people every year. Across Europe, 25% of workers complain of back pain and 27% of muscle pain. MSDs can affect muscles, joints, bones, tendons, ligaments and nerves, and recent evidence has shown that sedentary PC posture causes more back problems than excessive lifting and carrying.
The Wednesday of the safety week is traditionally designated as National Inspection Day, when all safety reps are encouraged to carry out an inspection of their workplace. Employers have a legal obligation to protect their own health and safety as well as that of their workforce. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 2000/388, place a requirement on them to assess the general risks to their employees. Specific provisions relating to manual handling and users of display screen equipment are also contained in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 1992/535 and the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 1992/513, respectively.
