Campaign on back injuries at work

The aim of the project is to reduce back injuries at work

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is organising a crackdown on delivery companies in a bid to reduce back injuries at work.

The campaign is being run in conjunction with local authorities across the South West.

The crackdown, called Sofa (Safety of Furniture Activities), will start with a series of inspections on employers in the furniture delivery industry.

Every year hundreds of employees suffer back injuries at work.

Many of the problems are blamed on lifting, carrying and loading activities.

The aim of the project is to reduce accidents and work-related ill-health Andy Netherton, HSE

HSE and local authority inspectors will shadow deliveries to private homes from retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers across the region from now until 6 July.

Sofa is part of the South West's contribution to HSE's Better Backs initiative.

The campaign is aimed at reducing back injuries in the workplace, which currently account for 4.9 million annual sick days in the UK.

Andy Netherton, a local authority inspector on secondment to HSE in Plymouth, is leading the Sofa project.

He said: "Workers, such as furniture delivery people are often missed by traditional inspection visits and are often at greater risk as they work in areas outside of the control of their employers.

"Most of the time, these injuries and ill-health can be avoided if the right measures are in place."

In the South West the HSE estimate that 48,000 people, about one in 100, currently report a back injury caused or made worse by work.