RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
October 17, 2000
SEEKING A CURE FOR HEALTH WORKERS
EUROPEAN WEEK OF HEALTH AND SAFETY - OCTOBER 16-20, 2000
Answers to one of the health and caring services’ biggest health problems will be sought at a top-level meeting on Friday, organised by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
RoSPA is hoping to come up with solutions to reduce the 5,000 employees in the health and social work sector needing time off work each year because of back injuries.
The Society is holding a "People Handling Summit" at its Birmingham headquarters, on October 20. The aim of the meeting is to explore manual handling and its associated problems, focusing on the health and caring sector.
Half of all injuries suffered by health care workers are caused by moving or lifting patients, and more than 4,000 nurses each year are forced to retire due to this problem.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: "The summit will bring together leading experts and key representatives in this field, and we are hoping to produce a ground-breaking report assessing progress and recommending ways of solving this major problem within the health service.
"Far too many employees are needlessly injured, and we all have a responsibility to find the answers that will not only save pain and suffering, but the health service millions of pounds each year."
The summit will be chaired by Sir Frank Davies, chairman of BackCare, and ex-chair of the Health and Safety Commission. It will include short presentations and discussions on poor practices associated with handling loads in the workplace.
People contributing include: John McElwaine from the Health and Safety Executive, on the impact of manual handling regulations; Steve Edwards, West Midlands Ambulance Service, about problems and action within the ambulance sector; Margaret Hanson, Institute of Occupational Medicine, on the principles of good manual handling; and Kim Sunley, GMB, looking at the role of trade union safety representatives in preventing accidents.
