Press Release: “Lighten the load” campaign – tackling musculoskeletal disorders (work-related back pain)

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common work-related health problem in Europe, affecting millions of workers. Across the EU27, 25% of workers complain of backache and 23% report muscular pains. Lighten the load, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work's 2007 campaign to tackle MSDs in the workplace, supports an integrated management approach with three key elements. First, employers, employees and government need to work together to tackle MSDs. Secondly, any actions should address the ‘whole load on the body’, which covers all the stresses and strains being placed on the body, environmental factors such as cold working conditions, and the load being carried. Thirdly, employers need to manage the retention, rehabilitation and return to work of employees with MSDs.

European Commission: DG Communication: MEMO/07/223 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/223&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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