Employers have a duty to protect the health and safety of workers, including from the risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused or worsened by work. They also have a duty to consult with their workers or their representatives about health and safety issues. To help employers discharge these duties successfully, the HSE has developed an MSD body mapping tool.
Body mapping aims to prevent work-related aches and pains from becoming serious or chronic, which could result in prolonged discomfort, medical treatment and work absences. It involves workers using coloured pens or sticky notes to mark the locations of pain in their backs, joints or muscles on an illustration of a body.
The body mapping tool, which is a publication from HSE, contains body illustrations. It also includes guidance for conducting discussions with workers about the location of their MSD discomfort, the possible causes, and potential solutions. To access the body mapping tool, click here.
Sources
- HSE Body mapping tool: https://officialpublisher.tso.co.uk/body-mapping/.
- HSE ebulletin 18 November 2024.
