Pressure is mounting for the European Union to introduce a strain injuries law after one of its own advisory committees issued a report making such a recommendation. The case is also being argued for a directive on repetitive work. The Facilities Business surveys the current scene.
What does RSI mean?
RSI stands for repetitive strain injuries, also known as Upper Limb Disorders (ULD), which in turn are called WRULD (Work Related Upper Limb Disorders.

What is a ULD?
Upper limb disorders affect various parts of the limbs, usually the soft tissue (for example tendons and muscles). They have ranging symptoms, the most noticeable being pain, restriction of movement and soft tissue swelling. In the beginning symptoms are slight or not visible but, over time, chronic injury can occur and can seriously affect the health of employees who suffer these injuries through working practices.

What are an employer's duties regarding ULD?
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require an employer to assess health and safety risks. Therefore the risk assessments must consider the possible risks from upper limb disorders.

In helping identify ULDs in a workplace there are a number of indicators such as:

  •  staff complaining of, or seeking medical attention for persistent pain or actual injury
  •  poor product quality, poor output
  •  high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover or recruitment difficulties
  •  a rise in compensation claims.

Who is vulnerable to ULD?
ULDs can occur throughout industry and are not specific to one sector although there are specific industries which have identified ULDs such as RSI associated with keyboard operators.

Ordinary movements that are forceful and repetitive such as gripping, twisting, reaching, pulling and lifting are associated with the onset of ULDs. Insufficient recovery period from the task linked with intense repetition can increase the risk of ULDs.

Identifying the risks
To identify whether ULDs are a risk in the workplace, a number of criteria can be used, such as:

  •  Organisational factors including organisation of tasks to give adequate breaks, how stressful the work is for employees, speed of the production line, and bonus schemes, which can affect the work rate

  •  task and equipment design factors including the level of force required by the operator, frequency and duration of movement or repetition of a single element. Also consider whether the position of the hand, wrist, arm or shoulder is awkward. Any of the factors singly or linked together increase the risk

  •  personal or anthropometric factors such as anxiety or stress, possibly from factors outside work, or whether an individual's body size is different from the norm, for example if they are very tall

  •  environmental factors in the worplace, including noise, lighting, temperature and chemicals.

    Conclusion
    Identifying the risks and making changes to a task can have a significant effect in reducing the risk of ULDs.

    Guidance on carrying out assessments are detailed in HSE guidance HSG (60) Work Related Upper Limb Disorders, A Guide to Prevention.

    • Source

    The Facilities Business

    Postscript

    Sherryl Cousins is principal consultant at consultants Perry Scott Nash Associates Tel: 01438 745771
    Fax: 01438 745772
    Email: info@perryscottnash.co.uk
    Website: perryscottnash.co.uk