Occupational Medicine 1982;32:26-31
© 1982 Society of Occupational Medicine
Sickness Absence Due to Back Lesions in Coal Miners
National Coal Board Whitburn, Sunderland
By way of establishing some notion of the extent of the sickness absences due to back lesions among miners, a medical record survey was carried out at twelve collieries in the South Yorkshire Area of the National Coal Board. The study group comprised 12 125 men, 9414 of whom were underground and the rest were surface workers. The period covered by the study was from 1 February 1976 to 31 January 1977.
It was found that 1795 men (14.8 per cent) out of the total work force of 12 125 were absent due to back lesions at one time or another during the study period. Among these 1795 men, there had been 2310 new spells of absence due to back lesions which accounted for 19.1 new spells of absence for every 100 men employed.
For the entire twelve collieries, the total working days lost due to back lesions amounted to 48 870 days, averaging 4.03 days per man employed per year which accounted for 119 per cent of the total certified absences from any cause. The significance of the various factors that influence the incidence and severity of back lesions among miners is discussed.
Accepted 1 July 1981
Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Dr A. S. Afacan, Area Medical Officer (North East Area), National Coal Board, Doncaster.