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Backs! 2005 Initiative

In June 2005 HSE, Local Authorities (Las) and partners will launch a nationwide health initiative entitled Backs! 2005. This initiative will support the HSE 2005 – 2008 Business Plan for the healthy priority programme topic of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This programme seeks to address the revised PSA targets:

  • To reduce new cases of self-reported MSDs by 8% (i.e. by 16,320 cases) in 2007/2008 from 2003/2004 levels; and
  • To reduce lost days resulting from MSDs by 9% (i.e. by 1,062 000 days) in the same period.

Back injury and pain accounts for a large proportion of these cases

In 2003/2004, there were some 204 000 new cases of self reported MSDs and some 11.8 million lost days resulting from MSDs. An estimated 1.1 million people in the United Kingdom suffer from MSDs that they believe was caused or made worse by their work. This is clearly bad, both for people and for business.

The scale of the target should not be underestimated. To succeed, we must influence a significant part of the entire population. A single campaign cannot be expected to achieve this but, by working together in partnership across Great Britain, Backs! 2005 is intended to hit back injury and pain harder than ever before.

Backs! 2005 will promote effective control to reduce risk of work-related MSDs. Later interventions may extend to other areas, e.g. non-work related MSDs, and provision of prompt, appropriate treatment. It is intended to support the strategies of other government agencies, and industry initiatives.

Backs! 2005 will concentrate upon back injury and pain, and features three main elements:

  • A major communications and publicity campaign
  • A four-week workplace inspection phase, from 13 June to 8 July 2005
  • Follow-up visits with poor performers and evaluation, to take place in the following months

Backs! 2005 applies lessons from similar but smaller scale interventions on other topics, including the recent successful partnership between HSE and LAs addressing workplace transport.

Want to Know More

Free guidance is available from the HSE website or from HSE Infoline on 0845 345 0055.