Over 581,000 workers in the UK reported having sustained non-fatal injuries at work from 2018 to 2019, according to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent Labour Force Survey. Slips, trips, and falls are the most common injuries. However, musculoskeletal injuries, or disorders that impact the muscles, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, and discs, are also a significant problem. This is because over 6.9 million working days are lost because of such injuries.

1. UK Workers Lose a
Combined 6.9 Million
Working Days Due to
WRMSD, Health and Safety
Executive Says
Vista Health

2. Over 581,000 workers in the UK reported having sustained non-fatal injuries at work from 2018 to 2019, according
to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent Labour Force Survey. Slips, trips, and falls are the most common
injuries. However, musculoskeletal injuries, or disorders that impact the muscles, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels,
and discs, are also a significant problem. This is because over 6.9 million working days are lost because of such
injuries.
The Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Over 498,000 employees reported suffering from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) from 2018 to
2019, the HSE found. There are different types of disorders classified under this, like tendonitis, muscle strain, carpal
tunnel syndrome, tension neck syndrome, and more. These are often diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound scan.
According to the HSE, there are work patterns linked to WRMSDs. These include:
● Repetitive movements
● Exerting force focused on small parts of the body like the wrist
● Constrained body positions
Little to no recovery between movements during work

3. Over 41% of WRMSDs affected the upper limbs or neck, 40% the back, and 19% the lower limbs. The most
vulnerable to such disorders were those in construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing, and healthcare and social
work.
A Look into the Causes
The HSE also recorded the reported causes of WRMSDs in the UK. The most significant ones were manual handling,
tiring or awkward positions, and keyboard work and other repetitive tasks. This indicated that WRMSDs aren’t just
a problem for workers in manual labour, but they also significantly affect the office workforce.
WRMSDs accounted for over 37% of workplace-related illnesses in Great Britain. More than 29% of lost working
days can be attributed to it, too. When it comes to workplace health, companies shouldn’t just put precautions
for common threats like slips and falls. They should also consider preparing for problems that progressively get
worse over time, like WRMSDs from improper ergonomics and repetitive actions.

4. Sources:
https://www.vista-health.co.uk/services/what-ultrasound-scan
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/index.htm
https://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/causdis/msd.pdf