Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can sound very technical - but in real life they are general aches and pains that many of your team quietly live with every day. As an employer, how you talk about MSDs and how you respond when someone says “my back’s not great”, can make a huge difference to whether people feel supported or silently struggle on until they break. How can using stories and real-life evidence, such as empathy and support help to drive better policies and prevention?
Real people, real stories
Let’s imagine a few typical UK workplaces. You may recognise your own staff in them:
“I just thought it was part of getting older” - Dave, Warehouse Picker
Dave is 57 and has worked in the warehouse for over 20 years. He’s proud of being “one of the grafters”. For months his lower back has been sore at the end of each shift. He jokes about it - “must be my age” - and pops painkillers rather than saying anything. What he doesn’t mention is that he now avoids certain heavier picks, leaving them for younger colleagues, he wakes up stiff at weekends and needs time to “loosen up” and he’s starting to worry he might have to leave work early if it gets worse.
When someone finally asks, “How’s your back really doing?”, and genuinely listens, it’s a huge relief. A small change to pallet heights and more use of trolleys makes a bigger difference than he expected.
“I didn’t want to be seen as a problem” - Aisha, Supervisor
Aisha is in her early 40s, runs a busy packing line and is known for “getting things done”. She has pain in her shoulder and wrist from repetitive taping and scanning, but she’s worried that speaking up will make her look weak or “not up to it”. So, she swaps tasks informally with colleagues to avoid the worst movements, works late to keep up when her arm is sore, goes home exhausted and irritable, with little energy for family life.
A supportive manager who says, “We need you long term - let’s see how we can make this easier,” changes everything. Task rotation, a better tape dispenser and short micro‑breaks keep her in role and feeling valued.
“It’s not just the pain, it’s the worry” - Sam, Office Worker with neck pain
Sam works mostly at a screen. His neck and upper back are constantly tight; headaches are creeping in. On top of the physical pain, he’s anxious, worrying about “What if this never goes away?”, “What if they think I’m making a fuss about nothing?” and “Am I going to end up off sick for ages?”. The stress makes the pain feel worse; the pain makes the stress worse - a vicious circle.
A simple DSE assessment, a better chair and monitor set‑up, plus a manager who openly talks about stress and workload, helps break that cycle.
Whilst these situations are fictitious, you may easily recognise similar scenarios within your work environment.
Real life cases that went wrong
If you feel that you’d prefer to use actual incidences, below are some case histories where lack of MSD prevention and management cost not only the individual, but the organisations.
Gravatom Engineering Systems Ltd v Parr [2007]. This Court of Appeal decision, now 19 years old, confirms that under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to reduce manual handling risk, including using mechanical lifting devices and adequate numbers of staff, and that failure to carry out and act on a suitable manual handling risk assessment will amount to a breach of duty, directly underpinning the need for employers to redesign manual handling tasks, provide handling aids, and organise team lifts in order to prevent MSDs in production and warehouse environments. The judgment illustrates that employers who rely on workers’ physical effort without first considering equipment, task redesign and staffing levels are unlikely to satisfy their statutory duties, so a legally compliant ergonomics programme must prioritise engineering and organisational controls over “lifting technique” training alone, with lifestyle and fitness initiatives only ever a secondary, complementary measure.
AJWS Ltd. An employee of AJWS Ltd, a wood-burning stove manufacturer, was moving a trolley loaded with approximately 30 metal sheets, each weighing over 20 kg. The load toppled over onto his legs, causing injuries so severe that he had to have his right lower leg amputated. The HSE's investigation found that unsafe methods of moving loads around the factory were being used. Failures included the use of a trolley that was not suitable for transporting such loads, unclear routes throughout the factory for moving trolleys, and inadequate training for employees in the safe movement of heavy materials. A similar incident had occurred 18 months previously, yet the task of moving heavy sheet metal had still not been adequately risk assessed. As a result, a safe system of work had not been introduced. Had appropriate changes been made following the earlier incident, this life-changing injury could have been prevented. AJWS Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching its duty to safeguard its employees (s.2(1) HSWA 1974). It was fined £200,000 plus costs. This prosecution shows that for MSD prevention employers must: select appropriate handling equipment, design safe routes, train staff in safe movement of loads, and review controls after incidents; repeating unsafe practices after an earlier near miss or injury will be an aggravating factor in enforcement action.
Why stories matter for employers
You could quote regulations and risk assessments all day, but it’s stories like those above that actually change hearts and minds. Stories build empathy and trust. When people hear a colleague talk about struggling to sleep because of pain or not being able to play with their grandkids and even worrying about paying the bills if they can’t work, it stops being “just health and safety” and becomes real life. That empathy is powerful. It:
- encourages others to speak up earlier
- makes managers more willing to adjust tasks
- helps senior leaders see why prevention is worth the effort.
Stories highlight where your systems really work, or in some cases, don’t. Listening carefully to MSD stories often reveals fairly obvious flaws in your work processes, such as:
- tasks that are much heavier or more repetitive than you realised
- work‑arounds people have invented to cope, which might introduce new hazards
- gaps between “what the procedure says” and “what actually happens on a busy shift”.
Use examples like these to feed directly into your risk assessments, safe systems of work and training. Evidencing this is exactly the kind of worker consultation the HSE expects.
Creating a supportive culture around MSDs
So how do you move from “suffer in silence” to “we tackle this together”? Firstly, make talking about pain and fatigue normal. Small signals go a long way, such as managers casually asking, “How’s your back/shoulder holding up?” in one‑to‑ones. Toolbox talks where people share what’s helped them, from stretches and layout tweaks to using aids can help reduce the stigma of asking for help within the workforce. And as always, leading from the top, with senior leaders openly saying, “We expect you to report discomfort early - that’s part of doing your job well” will all contribute to helping workers feel more comfortable about reporting issues.
The key is to respond supportively, not with eye‑rolling or “we’re all in pain”. Treat MSDs and stress as linked issues, not separate boxes. As previously discussed, pain and stress almost always travel together as high pressure and lack of control drive tension and unsafe shortcuts, pain makes people more anxious and tired, etc.
So:
- include MSD questions in your stress surveys and vice versa
- in stress risk assessments, look at physical demands as well as emails and deadlines
- make sure mental health and MSD campaigns talk to each other, not past each other.
Practical support and resources you can signpost
You’re not expected to fix everything in‑house. But you can be a really useful guide to support. Encourage workers to:
- see their GP if pain persists more than a couple of weeks, keeps returning, or affects sleep or daily life. GPs can refer to physiotherapy, pain clinics or specialists where needed.
- use NHS physiotherapy and MSD services where available locally
- for desk‑based staff, take up eye tests and DSE assessments - eyestrain and poor posture can be early warning signs.
If you have occupational health:
- offer early occupational health (OH) referrals for recurring MSD issues, not just when someone is already off sick.
If you have an employee assistance programme (EAP):
- encourage workers to call the helpline number. Most EAPs will offer up to ten sessions of physiotherapy free of charge and can stop a health issue from escalating.
Support groups and charities
There are many UK organisations offering information, helplines and peer support, e.g.:
- Versus Arthritis. Support for people with arthritis and related conditions. Versus Arthritis - UK Charity
- BackCare. Information and support on back pain. BackCare.org
- Pain UK. An umbrella organisation for chronic pain support groups. Painuk.org
You can:
- Share links on your intranet or noticeboards.
- Invite speakers to wellbeing days or awareness sessions.
In‑house champions and peer support
Consider:
- Wellbeing or MSD champions – volunteers who can signpost to resources and encourage early reporting.
- Short “lived experience” slots in safety meetings where someone shares how a change at work helped their pain.
This makes support feel closer and more real than a policy document ever will.
Advocacy for inclusive policies and preventative measures
Stories and empathy are great - but they need to translate into action. Make sure that you have inclusive policies that recognise long‑term conditions. Many MSDs are long‑term and may amount to disabilities under the Equality Act 2010, triggering a duty to make reasonable adjustments.
Check your policies to ensure that:
- sickness and capability procedures allow for long‑term, fluctuating conditions without penalising people unfairly
- there is a clear process for requesting and reviewing adjustments, such as task changes, equipment, hours, etc.
- managers trained to understand that adjustments are about keeping people in work safely, not giving special favours.
Preventative workplace measures – beyond posters
Prevention should show up in everyday decisions, and be embedded, rather than a one-off campaign, which could look reactionary to your staff. Make sure that any purchases or changes consider:
- design and layout - shelves, benches, vehicle loading, DSE set‑up, etc.
- equipment choices - are you buying pallet trucks, lift tables and adjustable chairs as standard?
- work organisation - realistic targets, built‑in rotation and breaks, not just “get it done”
- training and refreshers - short, regular sessions on safe handling, ergonomics and stress, not one‑off tick‑boxes.
Engaging workers in MSD advocacy
Managing the risk of MSDs is a shared responsibility, so you need to get your workers on board. You don’t need a big budget campaign. Some simple ideas include:
- story‑led campaigns, such as “How we helped X stay in work with a long‑term back problem.”
- suggestion schemes. Ask, “What one thing would make your job easier on your back/shoulders?” and act on the best ideas.
- joint walk‑rounds. Let staff show managers “pain points” on the shop floor or in the office and brainstorm fixes together.
When people see their suggestions turning into real changes, such as a new trolley, a different layout, a tweak to targets, engagement shoots up, along with morale and productivity.
MSDs are incredibly common across ages, sectors and job types. As an employer, you can listen to the stories behind the statistics, respond with empathy, not suspicion, advocate for better design and fair policies that keep people in work safely and join the dots between physical strain and stress and manage both together. Do that, and you don’t just comply with the law, but you build a workplace where people feel valued, heard and able to bring their best selves to work, even if they’re carrying a bit of wear and tear along the way.
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