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health and safety
Repetitive strain injury - How to avoid it
If you work on a computer, or perhaps you are a musician, repetitive strain injury or RSI is something you should be aware of. We spend many hours a day at work, therefore, preventative measures to help avoid this affliction is beneficial. For workers, owners and managers, keeping up the standards and education of workplace safety should include information on repetitive strain injuries. This article is a quick look at precautionary methods to help avoid or prevent the progress of repetitive strain injuries.
Repetitive and continual movements cause RSI; these movements can affect muscles, tendons and nerves. Being educated on posture, ergonomic equipment solutions, stretches, exercises and limiting stress time, are ways to avoid RSI. Taking a look at your job and what activities you do in the day, and being aware of your most “repetitive movements”, will help prevent RSI. For example, assembly line workers will continuously, over an eight hour period, move their bodies in one way and their arms in another. This motion, repeated for many hours over months and even years, will lead to stress on the back, neck, shoulders, elbows, fingers, wrists and even hips.
According to the Canadian Labour Congress, RSI represents about one third of all occupational injuries that affect neck, shoulders, arms and hands. In addition, if lower back injuries are included, RSI represents nearly 65% of all occupational injuries. With these statistics in mind, it is easy to see that RSI is an extremely common occupational injury. These injuries are usually painful and can take a long time to heal. RSI affects all occupations and should not be taken lightly by people who manage staff or a work force.
With comprehensive planning when designing and planning work stations, work duties, breaks, equipment and furniture, RSI can be prevented or at least minimised within the work force. Health and safety acts and education should be uplifted and enforced within the organisation. Ergonomically designed equipment, machinery, furniture and stationery will also help avoid RSI problems. Identifying the obvious RSI hazards, and evaluating the workers more likely to be affected, should be a priority within companies and businesses. Limiting time spent conducting hazardous RSI activities and slowing down work pace is advisable.
Medical professionals struggle to diagnose RSI, as the type of injury is still not fully understood. Because diagnosis is difficult, treatment is often inappropriate and non-effective. Therefore, the best measures to take are preventative measures. Make sure you are aware of RSI, and assess your own work situation. Educate yourself and those around you, to help prevent this painful condition.
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