Back Care – Reduce the likelihood of a Back Injury

By Serena Gibbons, Education Officer, Teagasc Galway/Clare

Work activities on farms by their nature involve physical manual work, which provides farmers with a helpful degree of weight bearing exercise, unlike some of the more sedentary occupations. It is good for people to be active and dynamic, and a certain level of physical manual work is healthy. However, farmers need be aware that some aspects of this physical work involve a risk of back and musculoskeletal injury, (musculoskeletal injuries involve bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissues). Recent evidence-based research identified a high prevalence of musculoskeletal injury among Irish farmers. The research included a survey of 600 Irish farmers. 100 farmers from each of the six main farm enterprise systems in Ireland, found that 56% of farmers had experienced a musculoskeletal injury. The most common types of injury or disorder were related to the back (37%).The HSA have published two case studies from this research:

Case study 1- Michael 52-year-old, full-time dairy farmer; farming 32 years on 64 acres ‘I was breaking rock with a sledge and I overdid it. I should’ve got a rock breaker machine. I’m now unable to carry buckets, to lift anything or to roll out a bale of straw’.

Case study 2-Martin 50-year-old, full-time mixed enterprise; farming 28 years on 64 acres ‘I had built a pier and it broke. I was impatient and I decided I would try to remove it myself. It was too heavy and I tore ligaments in my sacroiliac joint. I had to get out of the sheep enterprise and have to be careful when forking or shovelling’.

While hindsight is 20:20, these case studies illustrate the potential consequences of a musculoskeletal injury caused during physical work activities on the farm. The two activities highlight a clear risk of back injury. It is important to be aware of the risks of injury and utilise what resources you have to reduce the risk.

Risk factors for Manual Handling include:

• Excessive Force or Load Weight:
  Excessive force refers to the weight of a load that is to be lifted. Lifting a heavy load places excessive demands on the limited motion capabilities of the spine. Overloading the spine can cause permanent damage. Having one person handle a load weight of 50kg represents a serious risk of injury and should be avoided at all times. Other methods of handling should be considered or the load should be broken down prior to movement. The risk posed by excessive force is made worse if the person lifting a heavy load is also bending over. Such action increases pressure on the discs in the back.
  
  
• Very Awkward Posture during Lifting Activities:
  If a load is bulky or hard to grasp, such as a restless animal, it will be more difficult to hold while lifting and carrying. The holder may adopt an awkward posture, which is tiring and increases the risk of injury. Sometimes the size of an item, or a shortage of space for movement, results in a load being held away from the body. This results in increased stress on the back. Our handling capability is reduced significantly the further our hands move away from the trunk of our body during a lifting or carrying task. Holding a load at arm’s length imposes about five times the stress that holding the same load very close to the body would.

• Highly Repetitive Bending and/or Twisting Postures:
  Another risk is repetitive bending and twisting when carrying out a task. The weight that we can handle comfortably will decrease as the frequency of handling increases. Efforts need to be made to plan or schedule work activities on the farm to reduce fatigue and allow time for recovery during physically demanding work.
  

Recognition that all manual handling activities are potential workplace hazards on the farm is the first step in managing the risk of back injury on the farm. Risk-reducing measures to consider before carrying out a manual handling activity on the farm include:

1. Reducing load size
2. Using attachments on tractors and other handling aids
3. Improving seating in tractors
4. Improving storage facilities
5. Raising work platforms or benches,
6. Fitting wheels to heavy loads
7. Using hitch three-point linkage systems
8. Taking the time to plan each activity
9. Introduce some simple back stretching exercises into your daily routine

Back injuries can have serious long-term or permanent consequences. Farmers can protect their backs by being aware of the risks associated with handling loads and taking action to reduce those risks. Take some time this week to access the areas that may be putting your back under pressure and identify if there is an alternative option that could be implemented for the busy winter period. Your back needs to be looked after, so take the time to plan ahead. Find a way to work that reduces the strain on the back and still gets the job done.