Musculoskeletal problems and driving in police officers

Abstract

The Occupational Health Department of a rural police force in the UK had concerns regarding sickness absence levels due to musculoskeletal problems, particularly in officers who drove as part of their job. It was decided to conduct an interview survey comparing two groups of police officers with differing levels of exposure to driving, recording sickness absence and prevalence data related due to musculoskeletal troubles. The results indicate that exposure to car driving, both in terms of distance and hours driven, had a significant effect on self-reported low back trouble. Officers whose job mainly involved driving also experienced more low back trouble over the last 12 months than those whose job primarily involved sitting (not driving), standing and lifting tasks. Police motorcyclists had significantly higher prevalence figures for reported shoulder trouble than police car drivers.