Miners carry safety gear on a back belt

Hello

I am brand new to this site (and to my current post). What better way to get involved than to ask some advice?

I work in an underground coal mine in the North Island of New Zealand. We have an aging workforce (me included) and they all seem to have lower back pain to some degree or another.

I think one of the contributing factors is the safety gear worn on a "back belt". The total kit weighs 10kgs (for emperical users this is 22 lbs), plus a hat weighing about 1kg (2.2 lbs). I would appreciate any comments, ideas or experience with dealing with this issue. The gear includes light battery, self rescuer, radio so cant just be abandoned. The men (an all male workforce) do not seem to like the idea of wearing a back pack!

Regards

Heather Cunningham