Repetitive Strain Injury Prevention

The most common injuries sustained in all work forces around the world are repetitive strain injuries (RSI).

Recent figures for one year alone in the UK state that half a million workers suffer from repetitive strain injury. This represents a loss of 5.5 million working days due to RSI sickness, and it is reported that at least 6 workers each day have to give up work completely due to repetitive strain injury.

In the UK employers are legally bound through Safety at Work Regulations to take all possible steps to prevent incidents of RSI in the workplace. It is to the advantage of the employer to ensure that the workplace is ergonomically designed, and that the workers themselves play a role in making suggestions about the working environment, and to the methods used for carrying out the repetitive tasks.

Tags: Compensation, De Quervain’s Syndrome., Injuries, Repetitive Strain Injury, RSI, Safety at Work Regulations, UK Employers, Work Forces, Workers

The only way to deal successfully with repetitive strain injury (RSI) is to prevent the onset of the condition.

Since the disease is commonly associated with repetitive jobs involving the use of the same body parts in the workplace then it makes sense that a program of RSI prevention be instituted for workplaces. Such a program should be formulated by mutual discussion between employers and workers.

There is such an RSI prevention program operative in most provinces in Canada of which the basis is to ‘make and design the job so that it is suited to the worker’ rather than the more traditional practice of ‘making the worker fit the job’. For any successful preventive RSI program then both of these ideals must be considered.

Tags: Prevent, Program, Repetitive Jobs, Repetitive Strain Injury, RSI, RSI Prevention. Employers, Workers, Workplace

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report that in America repetitive strain injury (RSI) is the number one cause of occupational health problems. It affects hundreds of thousands of American workers, and costs as much as $20 billion in compensation payouts.

Reports from OSHA indicate that about 60% of all these occupational health problems are associated with musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive strain injury, and are directly attributed to injuries sustained by repetitive jobs affecting the upper body regions like the wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Repetitive strain injuries are the most prevalent medical conditions in the USA, statistics show the following alarming figures.

-          RSI affects 7% of the adult population.

Tags: America, Canada, Compensation, Computers., Musculoskelatal Disorders, Occupational Health, Ontario, OSHA, Repetitive Strain Injury, RSI, Statistics, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

While working at the computer the muscles of the shoulders, upper back and neck are under tension whether it is realized or not. Also the wrists, hands, and fingers are all involved in speedy repetitive tasks. So it is little wonder that many computer operators complain about suffering from repetitive strain injuries.

Tension in the muscles reduces the flow of blood and interferes with the metabolic processes of the muscle causing pain. Many people say that they don’t have a problem sitting at the computer for many hours.

This is an illusion, since it has clearly been established that unless frequent breaks and short rest periods are taken, then the risk of RSI increases. If it has not already shown its presence, then continually working at the keyboard will certainly aggravate any RSI of which the person may not yet be fully aware.

Tags: Back, Break-Reminder Software, Computer, Fingers, Frequent Breaks, Hands, Muscles, Neck, Repetitive Strain Injury, Shoulder, Tension, Upper Back, Workrave., Wrists

Millions of people around the globe are affected by repetitive strain injury (RSI). This is now becoming a major industrial disease and causes musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs of many people employed as computer operators.

People involved in such an occupation are very vulnerable to RSI by nature of the job.  Sitting in the one position for many hours, using their fingers, wrists, and arms in a repetitive manner, whilst typing on the computer keyboard, all provide an invite for the onset of RSI.

Repetitive strain injury can be avoided by thought being given, to the position of the work station, the position of the PC and monitor, not forgetting the accessories like the keyboard and operating mouse.

Tags: Computer Keyboard, Computer Mouse., Computer Operators, Ergonomics, Musculoskeletal Disorder, Repetitive Strain Injury, Work Station