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Up to 11 million UK workers could face serious health problems from prolonged standing at work, and they are offered less protection than employees from the Victorian era, says a new report from the TUC published today (Thursday).
'Standing problem', which appears in the latest edition of the TUC-backed health and safety magazine Hazards says that despite calls at the end of the 19th century for action to be taken about the dire health consequences for London's shop assistants from constant standing the problems are as acute today as they were in Victorian Times.
Every year over 2 million sick days are lost due to lower limb disorders, with nearly 200,000 people reporting lower limb ailments caused or made worse by their job. Workers who spend most of the working day on their feet are at risk of work-related varicose veins, poor circulation and swelling in the feet and legs, foot problems, joint damage, heart and circulatory problems and pregnancy difficulties.
A Hazards survey of UK union national safety officers for the report found widespread problems caused by standing at work. Unions representing shopworkers, teachers, library staff, production line workers, warehouse staff, museum workers, school supervisors, train drivers, printers, hospitality and casino workers and engineers all reported standing-related health problems experienced by their members.
The health effects associated with prolonged standing vary with the job - whether for example, you are stood still, required to lift materials or operate machinery, or whether you are required to walk some or all the time.
Constant walking, particularly on hard surfaces, can cause progressive damage to bones in the foot, including the heel. With each step, the heel lands of the floor with a force of between one and a half and two times a person's body weight.
The way some jobs are performed can greatly exacerbate strain on joints and muscles. Badly designed checkouts require retail workers to stand with their feet fixed while twisting their upper bodies and moving goods. Shopworkers' union Usdaw estimates that a checkout worker lifts up to two tonnes of goods in an average four-hour shift.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'It's quite incredible that some staff today would be better off under Victorian working conditions. There really isn't any need for the excessive standing on the job that this report highlights. Most jobs don't need people to be on their feet all day and bosses need to get over the fact that someone sat down is protecting their health, not being lazy. 'Simple adjustments to the way millions of people work will save countless sick days each year and stop British workers from, in some cases, dying on their feet.'
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