Health and safety
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
Repetitive Strain Injury can be a serious issue for many voluntary organisations. It does not only effect typists.
RSI is a serious disease that must be stopped at an early stage before permanent disability is caused.
Even better you can help prevent illness by ensuring that you remove the risk to staff.
RSI covers a wide range of injuries to muscles, tendons and nerves. Usually hands, wrists, elbows or shoulders are affected. However knees and feet can also suffer, especially if a job involves a lot of kneeling or operating foot pedals on equipment.
RSI is caused, or made worse, by work demanding awkward or repeated movements, especially if there is a need to apply pressure has well. If these movements are repeated frequently then the hands and wrists may start to feel painful or numb.
Anyone whose work involves awkward posture or grip, badly designed equipment or workstations, repeated movements, physical force, vibration or fast pace work, could be at risk.
Nearly all type of work carries some risk of RSI. It has been linked to manual work including the use of vibrating machinery. But clerical workers can also have problems caused by typewriters, word processors and computer keyboards.
RSI can be prevented if employers try to design jobs so that they fit workers rather than the other way around.
RSI is another case where management has a duty to conduct risk assessments. This means your have to work out risk factors associated with each job, and if there is any possibility of repetitive strain injury then that risk should be minimised.
Employees should be encouraged to report the symptoms. Many staff will try to treat RSI themselves in the early stage, rather than report it, but working though the pain, or using painkillers, will make the problem worse. It may even lead to permanent damage.
You must make sure you are notified immediately if there is any possibility of RSI developing, and must deal with the cause of the problem by taking any necessary action.
UNISON's guide to RSI is available to download:
Acrobat PDF version
In addition employers may wish to visit the site of the RSI Association at www.rsi.org.uk
If you would like to know more about working in partnership with UNISON, email cvsu@unison.co.uk with details.
Have you got an up to date safety policy?
Do you consult with staff on health & safety?
Do you display the statutory Health & Safety notice in your premises?
For these and other useful reminders see the UNISON health & safety checklist
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