This month on board we’re promoting good musculoskeletal health, supporting our ships’ company to be comfortable, healthy and happy.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) relate to any injury, disease or problem with your muscles, bones or joints.
Did you know?
- On average, each year we see around 120 members of ship’s company disembarked with conditions affecting their musculoskeletal health.
- Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the leading causes of sickness absence in our organisation.
There are two general areas that contribute to poor musculoskeletal health, our working environment and our human behaviours but here are a few ways you can focus on improving them…
- Working Environment
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High task repetition – Lots of the tasks undertaken onboard can be repetitive like luggage operations on turnaround day, where we receive hundreds of pieces of luggage and manually move them all over the ship. By following your manual handling training, you’ll be able to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury and putting excessive pressure on your body.
Forceful exertions – Many work tasks require high force loads on the human body, from moving furniture in Guest cabins or even simply moving a box of paper to reload a photocopier. By using the correct techniques to lift and move items, you’ll be helping yourself to stay fit and well.
Repetitive or sustained awkward postures – Working in tight or confined space puts excessive force on joints and overload the muscles and tendons around the effected joint. By using warm-up exercises and staying well hydrated, you’ll reduce the risk of aches and pains.
- Human Factors
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Healthy Work practices – by following best practice advice and your manual handling training, you will be reducing your risk of injury.
Lifestyle factors – by adopting a healthy lifestyle, eating healthily, exercising regularly, not smoking and drinking lots of water, you’ll help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal aches and pains.
Rest and recovery – allowing yourself time to rest and recover, will help your body to sufficiently recover between periods of heavy lifting or working in confined spaces.
What I can do to support my musculoskeletal health?
Look out for tips and techniques to help you improve your musculoskeletal health – over the next 4 weeks, we’ll be focusing on:-
- Lifestyle
- Posture
- Manual Handling
- Exercise & Prevention
You’ll see more information on posters and Crew TV slides around the ship.
We understand that some of your daily duties can be physically demanding on your body, so keeping your body in top condition will help rid you of those aches and pains. If you’re currently suffering with an issue relating to your musculoskeletal health, take the opportunity to speak with your medical team onboard, who are there to support you.