Public and Commercial Services Union

Safety representatives can easily see, during an inspection, when something is wrong in the workplace - but it is far more difficult to find out how work might be harming the bodies of our colleagues.

We do not tend to be very open at work about our health and some people dismiss aches and pains as ‘part of growing older’, not realising (or not wanting to admit) that it might be work that is causing the problems.

What is body mapping

Body mapping is a way of overcoming this and identifying common patterns of health problems amongst workers in a particular workplace or doing the same job. Whilst it is not certain that any such common ailments are work-related, it highlights areas for further investigation.

How to do it

There is nothing difficult in body mapping. You start with the front and back body outlines. You could provide everyone with a small body map or, alternatively, you could enlarge it either for use in a meeting with several members or for display on the union notice-board.

Members are then asked to put a sticker, or a coloured mark onto the body map to show any symptoms that they may have.

It is a good idea to use different colours to identify different symptoms, for example:

• red - aches and pains
• blue - cuts and bruises
• green - illnesses
• black - anything else

By comparing the different symptoms of members working in the same area, or doing the same tasks, you can identify common themes.

Causes of complaint

Once you’ve found the symptoms, you then need to look at possible causes - remember that these may not be work-related: but the more members reporting the same symptoms, the more likely it becomes that the work or working environment is a factor.

The table below offers some possible explanations for common complaints.

 

Table showing symptoms and possible causes of problems in different parts of the body.

Body area	Symptoms	Possible work causes
Head	anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, irritability	stress, some solvents
Eyes	redness, irritation, dryness, watering	dust, air quality/humidity, VDUs (lack of eye tests or breaks)
Ears	hearing loss	noise - especially through headsets
Nose and throat	sneezing, coughing, dryness, soreness, hoarseness	air quality/ humidity, dust, voice loss (overuse in e.g. call centres)
Neck and back	soreness, pain, stiffness	strain injury, stress, poor posture, poor furniture or job design, inadequate breaks from VDU work.
Chest and lungs	wheezing, shortness of breath	asthma, through dusty environment or other allergies
Arms, wrists and hands	pains, stiffness, soreness, pins and needles, loss of sensation in fingertips	strain injury, poor ergonomics, poor work routine and breaks vibration white finger, strain injuries
Blood and heart	palpitations, poor circulation, high blood pressure	stress, strain injuries, solvents, shift working
Legs and knees	stiffness, aches and pains	walking/standing for long periods. see also back problems, for referred pains.
Feet and ankles	pins and needles, numbness, pain	rapid, repetitive foot movements, vibration

 

These are only a selection of possible symptoms and causes - your colleagues are likely to identify many more.

Further information

Further assistance and advice can be obtained from the equality, health and safety department of PCS. Contact Phil Madelin, 020 7801 2683, email: phil@pcs.org.uk

You could also contact the Employment Medical Advisory service - part of the Health and Safety Executive.

Hazards Magazine, issues 60, 61 and 71 provide further information and background. To order visit the Hazards website.