One might think that working in an office environment on computers and at workstations is an activity that is about as risk-free as they come. Just because the relative hazards of sedentary work in front of the computer may be limited, this should not undermine recognition of the real physical hazards that can arise from repeated work of this form particularly in the form of Keyboard RSI.
Perhaps the key physical ailment that may befall the worker who uses computers and workstations is repetitive strain injury which occurs when muscles are subjected to repeated or prolonged periods of tension in ways that are unnatural to the body. Indeed, naturally the muscles are constructed to work in a variety of ways on a variety of tasks. It is unsurprising that their use when sitting at a computer can cause problems over time.
If you already suffer from keyboard RSI there are steps you can take. Your doctor or occupational therapist can prescribe appropriate medication and stretching and strengthening exercises, while massage therapy and soft tissue therapy may also be helpful. For repetitive strain injury specific to computer use, consider the use of adaptive technology – modified keyboards and mice, or even speech recognition software to prevent the sufferer engaging in prolonged periods of typing. Doctors may even prescribe orthopaedic hand braces if the case suggests it would benefit from them.
Repetitive strain injury is an umbrella term: it covers a variety of conditions affecting different parts of the body, yet the parts of the body of interest to the computer-user will be the hands and wrists and the back. Repetitive strain injury can affect these body parts profoundly. The symptoms will be pain and sometimes tingling and numbness in the muscles of the upper body, and they will deteriorate in their capacity to provide strength and endurance. You may feel the condition flare up while lying in bed at night and mistake it for awkward positioning for sleep, but it may in fact be owed to your daytime activities. Since the introduction of light touch fast equipment keyboard RSI is a matter of particular concern which afflicts thousand of regular workstation users.
Remember too that employers have a legal duty to ensure you are kept healthy and safe at work. There are ergonomically designed apparatus and workstations available to help prevent this condition, and it is possible your employer is shirking his or her responsibilities if you and perhaps your co-workers develop an RSI condition. If your case is particularly severe or debilitating and you think it might be your employer’s fault, consider obtaining legal advice.
If you would like to speak to a specialist solicitor who only deals with personal injury claims you can either use the 24/7 helpline or complete the form or just email us. Compensation is paid in full with no deductions. You do not have to fund or finance your claim. Our claims are guaranteed to be totally risk free. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further then you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged for our advice.
