A NEW drive to help workers avoid back injuries has been launched after figures showed the problem was losing British firms 4.9 million days every year.
The Health and Safety Executive said employees who have a work-related back condition take an average of 19 days off work.
The cost of back pain to the NHS, business and the economy because of the treatment and lost productivity is £5 billion a year.
The HSE has published a series of tips aimed at workers and employers to help reduce the risk of suffering back problems.
Work and Pensions Minister Lord Hunt said: "It's not only impacting on business profits, it is affecting productivity and stopping employees' enjoying their social life."
About one in every 100 workers suffers from a back problem caused by their job.
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