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Work Related Upper Limb Disorders
(WRULDs) are know by many names, with acronyms to match. Other names include,
"Repetitive Strain Injury" (RSI) and "Cumulative Trauma Disorders" (CTD's).
The common factor is that these disorders are generally related to repetitive
work and the longer term (cumulative) effects of overuse of a part of the
body. Many WRULDs are specific clinical conditions, well-recognised in
the medical community, for instance:
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
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Tenosynovitis
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Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis (tennis and golfer's elbow)
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Trigger finger
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Supraspinatus (rotator cuff) tendinitis
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Thoracic outlet syndrome
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Others are less specific (for instance
"diffuse RSI"), but are none-the-less incapacitating and painful. We give
more information about RSI in the office in our section Office
Ergonomics. |
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Do you have a problem with high
absenteeism from these types of musculoskeletal injuries? Are some of the
disorders named above familiar? Are your staff complaining about their
workplaces or tools? Do they complain of aches or pains at the end of the
day, or is their work rate reducing? |
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Ergonomics can help to prevent WRULDs
by understanding the factors that cause them, and by making changes to
tools, workstations, working environments, and working patterns. Very often
there are simple, cheap solutions to some of the problems which are causing
WRULDs, or which might do so in the future. |
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Like back injury, the costs to industry
and commerce from these conditions are high. WRULDs are often responsible
for high absenteeism (often long term), reduced efficiency and productivity,
and compensation claims. Once these disorders have progressed past initial
symptoms is it often hard to "cure" them, and the person affected may no
longer be able to do the same job in the future. A more hidden cost is
the detrimental effect on quality - people who are uncomfortable, or have
reduced mobility, rarely perform at their best. |
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If your staff are doing receptive
work, or work in the same posture all day, it is worth considering whether
they are at risk from WRULDs. If you are already beginning to see the possible
effects - increased absenteeism, reduced productivity and quality, staff
complaints, then now is definitely the time to act. Ergonomics in Practice
can perform risk assessments of jobs and workstations, we can suggest solutions
where risks are found, and we can train your engineers so that future workstations,
tools and jobs are suitable and safe. |
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Please feel free to contact
us if you feel the way we work
can be of benefit to you. |
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"Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad
memory"
- Albert Schweitzer |
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