Think of me. Love, your back. A prevention campaign for the reduction of occupational back stress Hands-on activities Risk assessment Events Press and radio Surveys Work-life balance Posture tips Social media Examples of good practice OSH prizes Health days Brochures Co-ordination Guides for drafting work instructions Website Checklists Training Research Trade fairs Exercise break Competitions with prizes Consulting
Introduction In Germany, companies and public institutions, the statutory accident insurance institutions and OSH professionals share the task of ensuring occupational health and safety. The German Social Accident Insurance Institutions have the mandate of preventing occupational accidents, occupational diseases and work-related health hazards. This mandate includes training persons with responsibility for OSH, conducting research and providing information and advice to persons with responsibility for OSH at companies and institutions. For over ten years, the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions have conducted joint campaigns lasting two to three years and focussing on key prevention topics. The German Social Accident Insurance Institutions fall into three groups: those for trade and industry, those for the public sector, and those for agriculture, forestry and landscaping. The DGUV is the umbrella association for the institutions in the first two groups. It represents the common interests of its member institutions and supports their tasks in the interests of both the companies and the insured individuals. It co-ordinates the prevention campaigns spearheaded jointly by the accident insurance institutions.
Background More than two-thirds of people in Germany suffer back pain at least once in their lives. Not infrequently, these complaints lead to longer periods of incapacity for work and to early retirement. Working people, schoolchildren and students are exposed to a range of back stresses. These include heavy lifting and carrying, working in a constrained posture and repetitive movements, as well as a lack of movement and mental stress. However, it is possible to avoid, reduce or compensate for many of these stresses. This is the philosophy of the Think of me. Love, your back prevention campaign, which is being spearheaded by the statutory accident insurance institutions for trade, industry, the public sector, agriculture, forestry and landscaping in cooperation with the Knappschaft (a Germany statutory health and nursing care insurance institution). Germany: facts and figures Almost 23 % The muscular system is responsible for over of all back pain 90 % of gainfully employed persons are frequently required to move heavy loads at work of gainfully employed persons frequently work in a constrained 15 % posture Almost 25 % Every year, about 24,000 of all working days lost owing to incapacity for work are a result of musculoskeletal disorders people in Germany take early retirement as a result of musculoskeletal disorders All numbers refer to Germany
Targets and core message The subject of the Think of me. Love, your back campaign, launched at the beginning of 2013 and running to the end of 2015, is the prevention of back stresses. Its goal is to improve the conditions at workplaces while also having a positive influence on individuals behaviour. The campaign s core message is that a healthy back requires the right amount of stress: the back must be neither excessively nor insufficiently stressed. Excessive stresses are taxing upon the back, whereas insufficient stress weakens the muscles. Mental factors such as time pressure and monotony may also have adverse consequences for the back. The campaign s preventive approach does not generally focus on back pain or the avoidance of it in its communicative elements. Instead, the eye-catching element is the yellow Post-it note containing a gentle reminder from the back itself that we should think of it. Structure and measures The prevention campaign consists firstly of an umbrella campaign conducted jointly by all participating institutions. The second element includes campaigns geared to specific groups and sectors, conducted by individual statutory accident insurance institutions for trade, industry, the public sector, agriculture, forestry and landscaping and by the Knappschaft. Home carers poster and advertising image Intensive public-relations work is conducted under a common umbrella. Design rules ensure that the campaign has a consistent image. Cross-sector media, such as brochures for different target groups, presentation slides and video clips, are made available. All participating institutions produce and distribute the shared media and materials as well as those for specific target groups and sectors. They hold events and supplement their activities with press and media work of their own. Direct communication with the target groups is particularly noteworthy for its effectiveness and sustainability. Communication is facilitated by the institutions previous direct contact with the target groups during consultation with companies and institutions and over the course of OSH training measures and other events.
Selected cross-sector measures as part of the campaign The diverse range of measures as part of the campaign stretches from information on ergonomic solutions at the workplace to video clips showing remedial exercises for the back. The Think of me. Love, your back campaign differs from the back campaigns conducted by other bodies in that it specifically targets companies and institutions. Besides advice, employers, managers and all individuals responsible for safety and health (such as OSH professionals and occupational physicians) also receive support in ensuring self-help, allowing them to act and implement their own preventive measures against back complaints. They are provided with comprehensive materials, enabling them to raise workers awareness of the topic, organise workplaces so as to prevent back injuries and take a host of additional steps. Portal for employers on the campaign website The website: All materials and media developed as part of the campaign are hosted centrally at www.deinruecken.de. The site features a portal for employers that supports them in identifying and assessing back and joint stresses among their employees at an early stage. It also explains specific preventive measures.
Events that can be organised (such as campaign and health event days): Event modules and branding materials are lent free of charge to companies. These include: CUELA back test: The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IFA) of the German Social Accident Insurance has developed a module that illustrates effectively the back stresses associated with a range of tasks. Wearing a jacket fitted with sensors, an individual simulates typical everyday situations, such as lifting loads. The resulting compressive forces on the intervertebral discs are displayed in real time on a screen and explained by an advisor. Equilibrium test: This test is a straightforward form of training and diagnosis that assists in preventing back complaints. It provides a quick way of raising awareness for the topic of physical fitness (behaviour) while enhancing health skills and attentiveness (knowledge). Campaign images on panel displays Flags and banners in the campaign style The CUELA back test in use Balance training at a trade fair
Publicity materials: Publicity materials draw attention to the campaign s prevention messages. Some, like the football and the frisbee, have a stimulating function. Selected examples: Digital campaign box for companies: The campaign box helps companies to take active preventive measures to assure back health. The box contains numerous media and information materials, together with a number of concepts for health days and weeks. The contents of the box meet the needs of a range of companies (of different company sizes and involving different forms of back stress) and can be combined selectively. Resistance band set with poster/booklet describing the exercises Keyring Back massage spider Digital media in the campaign box for companies Luggage strap
Comprehensive video material: Video clips on remedial exercises (a compilation of videos showing a number of limbering-up, strengthe ning and stretching exercises; tips on the correct posture for lifting loads; and exercises with a resistance band) Examples of good practice (video showing various measures implemented by companies such as FRAPORT and SAP for reducing work-related back stresses) Communication on social media: XING group on health during training and at work: in this group, individuals with responsibility for OSH have a platform for pooling information and are able to discuss their own particular issues with experts from the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions (such as musculoskeletal disorders and mental stress or back health in the nursing professions) Facebook presence: Deutschland bewegt Herbert (a moving experience for Herbert in Germany). This measure is intended to motivate young people and young adults to get more exercise Video clips showing remedial exercises Facebook: motivation for more exercise
Evaluation The impact of the campaign is evaluated comprehensively on multiple levels, including awareness, acceptance and rating. In other words, an assessment is made of whether the target groups are aware of the campaign, and how well it is received and rated. For this purpose, the target groups are consulted directly, such as on health and campaign days and at key campaign events. Actual changes to the conditions and behaviour at workplaces are evaluated by surveys of the target groups before and after the campaigns.
Think of me. Love, your back is a prevention campaign spearheaded by the German statutory accident insurance institutions for trade, industry, the public sector, agriculture, forestry and landscaping and by the Knappschaft. E-mail: deinruecken@dguv.de Website: www.deinruecken.de Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.v. (DGUV) Mittelstrasse 51, 10117 Berlin, Germany As from 20 October 2014 our new address is: Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.v. (DGUV) Glinkastraße 40, 10117 Berlin, Germany