Although there are many different ways in which you can injure your back at work, it is not commonly known that you may injure your back over time in the workplace rather than through a single accident. An injury resulting from a single incident is known as a ‘specific injury’ whereas an injury resulting from many instances over time is known as a ‘repetitive injury’ or a ‘cumulative trauma’ injury. These types of injuries occur during a course of repetitive action. In the case of back injuries, it can be a gradual developing of back pain as a result of continuous heavy lifting at work. Cumulative trauma injuries can exacerbate existing injuries or conditions; for example, a person’s previous back injury can be made worse or recur as a result of repetitive lifting at their current job.

You are just as eligible for compensation as a result of this kind of injury as you would be from sustaining an injury from a single accident. Employers have a duty to their employees to ensure that any employees who are expected to carry out any lifting are adequately trained and that all equipment including work stations are assessed to ensure that they are safe and as risk-free as possible. Employers are expected to do all they can to avoid accidents in the workplace, and should be carrying out risk assessments to ensure that they are aware of any situations in which an accident could occur.

If you feel that you may have sustained a cumulative injury at work and you wish to discuss your personal situation further with experts in the field of industrial diseases, contact us today for professional help and advice. You can call us and speak to a member of our team on 0800 1123 256, text ‘contact’ to 80011* or select ‘Make a claim’ above.