Bristol University staff have been told to pull their socks up - carefully.
"The cushioning discs between the vertebrae in the spine fill with fluid during the night, replacing the fluid squeezed out during the day," writes Dr Donal McNally from the department of anatomy in the staff newsletter.
"If the discs are stretched too far - for instance when bending over to put on socks - they are more likely to burst." You won't catch Dr McNally putting his foot in it.