| Under the Health & Safety at Work Act published | | | | 4. Make sure your desk is the right height for you |
| in 1974 and the Health & Safety at Work | | | | and not your chair. Just heightening it with |
| Regulations published in 1999, your employer is | | | | something under the legs or lowering it by |
| required to prevent any work-related injury that | | | | shortening the legs with a saw will do if the desk |
| could have been avoided. Employers are also | | | | isn't adjustable itself. |
| responsible for making sure that any existing | | | | 5. Getting a fully adjustable keyboard will make a |
| aren't made worse by working conditions or | | | | huge difference, once you try one you'll realise! |
| working environment. Repetitive strain injury is a | | | | 6. Have a few different mice! If you rotate |
| term that encompasses a wide array of ailments | | | | between the different designs will reduce |
| and caused by repeat exposure to an activity | | | | repetitive movements. There are many different |
| that puts and undue amount of stress on a | | | | options including trackballs that take a bit of |
| certain part of the body. | | | | getting used to and vertical mice that reduce |
| It is much easier to try and avoid the root causes | | | | pronation and twisting of the wrist. Both will help |
| than it is to adjust and recover once it's too late, | | | | avoid RSI. |
| after all the repeat activity that's causing the | | | | 7. Having a document holder at head height behind |
| problem is no doubt a major part of your | | | | your keyboard and next to your monitor helps |
| day-to-day working life. Often caused by being | | | | you keep your posture and your head upright. |
| sat at a computer or workstation all day, here | | | | 8. Make sure your monitor is at the right height |
| are some easy to follow tips to help you avoid | | | | and distance for you, in line with your eye line and |
| the pain and impact of repetitive strain injury: | | | | far enough away for your arms to be almost |
| 1. Move your working area around to suit your | | | | straight with a slight bend when typing. If using a |
| position and posture; don't let it dictate how you | | | | laptop, try a stand. |
| arrange yourself. | | | | 9. Enquire about RSIGuard Software, it will give |
| 2. Alter your equipment if it is not ergonomic! | | | | you essential information about how your |
| Don't put up with it, replace it. | | | | everyday behaviour is damaging your wellbeing. |
| 3. Make sure your posture is correct; an | | | | 10. Don't hang about! Your body will put up with |
| adjustable chair can definitely help. Although they | | | | the strain you put on it for quite a while but once |
| are expensive they're much less costly then a | | | | it stops holding up, recovery can be long and |
| bad back and constant discomfort. | | | | painful. |