‘‘
MSDs are preventable. The message for members is clear – challenge unsafe practices, use the available tools and checklists, and push employers to meet their legal duties
Luke Collins, Unite health and safety advisor
National health and safety adviser Luke Collins said, “Unite’s Fight for your Health – Musculoskeletal Disorders Campaign makes clear that this is one of the most widespread and preventable workplace health issues.
“The risks are particularly acute in farming. Work routinely involves heavy manual handling, repetitive movements, awkward postures, prolonged machinery use, and exposure to uneven terrain and harsh environments.
"These factors cause damage over time, often normalised as ‘part of the job’ until it becomes chronic or career- ending. From my personal perspective, there just isn’t enough thought or care put in to managing these risks.
“The Unite campaign emphasises that employers must prioritise prevention, starting with effective risk assessment, eliminating or reducing manual handling, and ensuring workers are trained and consulted. Practical measures such as task rotation, lifting aids, and early reporting of symptoms are critical.
“MSDs are preventable. The message for members is clear – challenge unsafe practices, use the available tools and checklists, and push employers to meet their legal duties.
Says senior Unite H&S and workplace representative Monique Mosley, “Manual stackers still work in my workplace and do a (literally) back breaking job – putting products on a pallet in 12-hour shifts, with a high risk of developing back pain, osteoarthritis in the hips and knees, and repetitive strain injuries.
“We cannot change their jobs because of the competition, so ergonomics are the way forward. We use pallet lifters so the operatives don't have to stoop too low. The strain is removed from their backs, and we swap jobs every 30 minutes to avoid RSI.”
This has much reduced tiredness and stress.
Meanwhile Unite regional convenor Iulian Firea reports, “I’ve been in the meat sector for 12 years. There are two issues nobody talks about; carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger.
“Both are caused by doing repetitive tasks for long periods, with pressure or stress on the same body parts, and no ability to let them relax and recover in a designated way.”
Expert guidelines for avoiding RSI and similar injuries emphasize many short breaks rather than occasional long ones. Harvard RSI Action recommends stretching and loosening joints every half hour, and taking a minimum 10 minutes of breaks every hour.
43 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2026
Conditions like this, caused by processes like trimming chicken carcasses, are often dealt with by working agreements, or not at all.
Iulian believes that, “We’re still looking at good organisation and good agreements, but it’s not enough to cover the needs of the meat sector. We need legal rulings, like the construction sector.”
Unite national health and safety adviser Rob Miguel adds, “It is all too easy to overlook or underestimate the effects that injury or developing strain and illness can have on the worker’s mental health.
“Physical injury and chronic ill health impact mental well-being, triggering depression and anxiety, and resulting in chronic pain, reduced mobility, loss of independence, financial stress, and all too often social isolation.
“It’s very important that all injuries and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) are assessed by a professional medical practitioner, and treatment started quickly. This is critical because it can prevent the issue developing into chronic pain and permanent damage requiring extended recovery or even surgery.
“It is strongly advisable that any work-related injury is reported to your union rep, who can support any adjustments needed at work. Health and safety reps may have powers to investigate. Any potential injury claim enquiries can be dealt with firstly by contacting your Unite regional or district office.
“Unite has put together resources on our United Minds and Unite Musculoskeletal Disorders Campaign websites that will particularly support the reps in their health and safety work.”
FIND OUT MORE
Unite musculoskeletal disorders campaign
https://bit.ly/4uApfuY
The HSE website has extensive advice on agri health and safety
https://bit.ly/4dyR6Wg
Farmwise free health and safety download,
https://bit.ly/4e5DJwT
Details of the HSE MAC (manual handling assessment chart)
https://bit.ly/4vaT9ph The Farm Safety Foundation
https://bit.ly/4tV9o92 United Minds
https://bit.ly/4wNDoX6 Harvard RSI Action
https://bit.ly/49pnpVc
Iulian was working in a room-temperature of 4-5 degrees with meat at 0-2 degrees. Cold exacerbates the risk of RSI. The metal gloves provided to protect hands from direct injury from the working knives can also increase the risk from a cold environment.
After four years, Iulian left that work and became a convenor. Yet now, after 12 years and comprehensive treatments, he still suffers pain in his hands, disturbed sleep and loss of grip strength due to nerve damage.
‘‘
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
