Employees who drive more than four hours a day on average have a much greater risk of back pain.
Steph Harding - an experienced Occupational Therapist within the NHS - has launched Optimise Health, a new Occupational Therapy consultancy, with innovative driver ergonomic workshops for drivers in pain.
OpTimise Health is running a series of interactive 2-hour workshops bringing driver ergonomics to a vehicle near you. Driver ergonomics, developed from Loughborough University research, helps drivers avoid back pain.
Over 4.5 million working days are lost each year as a result of back pain. Employees who drive more than four hours a day on average have a much greater risk of back pain. Sponsored by How's My Driving?, the UK's first driving feedback service, Harding is now able to offer 10 free workshops to the driving community, human resource, risk and health and safety professionals to help prevent back pain amongst drivers. Harding stressed, "Back pain is miserable and affects every aspect of life, not just work but family, pleasure, leisure, sleep and finance. Sufferers tend to feel out of control and helpless against the symptoms."
The workshops are designed to highlight the dangers associated with poor driving posture. Participants on the in-company training days will grasp with founding driver ergonomics principles which include back mechanics as well as optimal driving positions and health and wellbeing advice to become ‘fit behind the wheel'. Harding has been dealing with back pain coping strategies for 15 years and believes that driver ergonomics has a simple message - prevention is easier than cure.
The financial cost of treatment to the UK exchequer reaches £5 billion a year, yet a small amount spent on education and awareness could put UK organisations in a much better position to drive forward.
Dates are flexible and can be made by appointment. After the initial 10 free sessions sponsored by How's My Driving?, the workshops will cost £350 + VAT and will include pre and post workshop care delivering a bespoke package for driver needs.
For more information visit www.optimisehealth.org.
Comment
Salesmen for removal companies can often drive in excess of 50,000 miles a year doing surveys. Back pain is common. What’s your experience?