Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business
 
Occupational health problems are a huge drag on the UK economy. 

Take just one example - back pain costs UK businesses £5 billion per year and will affect 80% of people in the UK in their lifetimes. 

Much of the pain and suffering that affects tens of thousands of people working in the UK each year could be avoided if employers had a better understanding of what causes these problems and how to prevent them.

Ergonomists have been calling for years for people to take better care of themselves – and employers to provide better training – in the workplace, and particularly when using equipment at work.  When you talk about work equipment, many people still assume you are talking about protective gear, tools or vehicles.  However, for the 14 million mobile workers in the UK today, ‘equipment’ increasingly means mobile phones, laptop computers and handheld tools such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and email devices.

In fact, the change in our working practices has happened so quickly that many of the old ways of looking after our occupational health have become less relevant.  For example, an occupational health audit of the setup of your desk remains very important to protect against workplace problems such as repetitive strain injury.  But this does you limited good when you spend much of your working life travelling between your home office and work, on the train to meetings with customers, or in an airport lounge.

At BT, a fifth (20.6%) of all our employees’ sickness absence is caused by back, neck and arm problems that can arise as a result of working in unfamiliar environments with a poor posture – so we understand the relevance of the problem to businesses across the UK.

BT Business performed some research amongst UK businesses into the issue, and were surprised by the results. This research revealed that less than half (46%) of mobile workers are receiving guidance about staying safe when working on the move.  And a quarter (25%) of workers are unaware that all businesses are legally responsible for their health and safety wherever they are working, whether or not they are in the office.

Employers and staff alike have a worrying lack of knowledge about this issue, and as mobile working becomes more common still, it is essential that employers are able to provide advice and materials to explain to their staff how to look after their health when they are working on the move.
To meet this need, BT Business worked with leading ergonomist Margaret Hanson to publish a practical guide - Get fit for mobile working - to help businesses tackle the problems encountered by some of the UK’s mobile workers.

Get fit for mobile working can be downloaded and used by employers and employees, but here are ten simple steps identified by Margaret Hanson that could help workers in the UK avoid mobile misery:

1. Wherever you are sitting, in an office or on the move, use the backrest of your chair. Don’t slouch forwards. Keep shoulders in line with your hips.

2. Hold your head so ears are above shoulders. Don’t stick your chin forward or bend or twist your neck.

3. Alternate between thumbs and fingers when typing on smartphones.

4. Don’t rest wrists or forearms on the edge of tables or desks.

5. Position items so you don’t twist your back; screens should be at a comfortable viewing height in front of you. Ensure your back is supported.
6. Exercise your hands, wrists and neck regularly.

7. Make sure there is nothing underneath your work area that restricts your posture.

8. Take regular breaks away from the keyboard and screen.

9. Don’t hold the phone between ear and shoulder – you’re likely to get a sore neck.

10. Adjust settings on your software so that the image and text are large enough for you to see comfortably.
 
We have taken this advice so seriously that we are communicating it internally to more than 100,000 employees at BT.

Mobile working can liberate people by giving them more flexibility over their time and more control over their jobs – both are important in helping to make modern life less stressful. But as with any technology, people can experience problems with mobile devices if they don’t take note of simple, practical steps, before they begin to use their equipment.

Recent years have seen an explosion in mobile working, and a demonstration of the benefits including greater productivity and improved work-life balance . There is little doubt that mobile and flexible working has transformed both business and personal lives. But businesses need to be aware of their legal responsibility for the health and safety of employees, wherever they are working.