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Author Kirsten Huysamen, Owen McCulloch, Faye Bacon, Jemma Widdows, Barbro Arnes & Paul Leach |
| Abstract Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the leading causes of absence in the UK railway. The data required to address this issue is not readily available. The Rail Safety and Standards Board instigated a study to carry out the first industry-wide MSD survey to understand the prevalence and types of MSDs rail workers are experiencing and why this may be occurring. A railway-specific MSD survey was created using evidence from scientific literature and consultations with UK rail organisations, railway unions and the regulator, and the objectives of the survey. The survey underwent user testing to assess its readability, usability, and applicability to UK heavy rail. The survey was active for a duration of 5 months (July 2024 – December 2024) and open to all job roles contributing to heavy rail operations in the UK. The paper provides details on the survey development and initial findings. |
