Three-quarters (78%) of bus drivers say their occupation has caused musculoskeletal (MSK) problems, according to a union survey.
Almost a quarter (23%) of the 400 bus drivers polled by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said they had taken time off in the previous year due to back, neck or shoulder pain.
Ninety-four per cent said their working conditions could be improved by the introduction of adjustable seating, steering columns and driver dashboards, while a similar proportion felt the driver’s cabin could be designed more ergonomically.
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Ninety-four per cent also felt they were not given equal treatment to office workers when it came to asking for workplace adjustments. It is a legal requirement for employers to make reasonable adjustments to ensure staff with disabilities or physical or mental health conditions are not disadvantaged when doing their jobs.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the results of the survey were deeply concerning.
“It is unacceptable that bus workers are having to take time off for injuries sustained at work when there is technology available that can easily assist them ergonomically,” he said.
MSK conditions are among the most common causes of sickness absence in the UK. According to the HSE, musculoskeletal disorders represented 27% of the new and long-standing cases of work-related ill health reported in 2022-23, and transport operatives were in the occupational groups with higher than average rates of work-related MSK conditions.
Last year research by the charity Versus Arthritis found that one in 10 employees has a MSK condition, of which one in three have kept it hidden from their employer.
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