High musculoskeletal risk for road workers

Road workers are 16 times more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal disorders than workers in most other industries.
The Health & Safety Executive's Occupational Statistics Bulletin 2003/04 shows a total of 196 musculoskeletal disorder cases were reported per 100,000 road workers each year between 2001 and 2003.
Only metal plate workers, shipwrights, riveters and typists suffered a higher incidence rate.
The all-occupation average was just nine cases per 100,000 workers each year.
The bulletin also reveals that 1,862 people died as a result of mesothelioma in 2002 (the most recent year for which data is available). The number of mesothelioma deaths is expected to reach an annual peak of between 1,950 and 2,450 some time between 2011 and 2015.
"Deaths occurring now reflect past industrial conditions; deaths in males aged under 45 have been falling since the early 1990s," the bulletin stated.
Intriguingly there were 217 cases of contact dermatitis caused by personal protective equipment between 2001 and 2003. Exposure to cements, plaster and masonry caused 46 contact dermatitis cases in the same period.
n The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has released a factsheet advising on asbestos risks and outlining basic good practice to minimise such risks. Go to www.agency.osha.eu.int.