By: Penney Kome

  If you use the computer more than two to four hours a day, then what you don't know about posture and work pace could cost you the use of your arms.
  According to OSHA, the [US] Occupational Safety and Health Administration, one in six computer users gets injured within five years. Put it another way, on the basis of a survey sample of more than 83,000 people, StatsCan estimated that two million Canadians have some kind of strain injury, sometimes called RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries). Half of those surveyed said that their injuries started at work or at school.
  Mind you, computer work does not have the highest injury rate for all workplaces. Manufacturing, meatpacking, retail work, garment sewing, lab technologists, dental hygienists and electronic assembly all have higher rates. But computer work is the fastest growing segment of strain injuries paralleling its increase as a segment of the workforce.
 

The people who get really hurt are those who push themselves to produce at all costs

  Strain injuries usually start as aches and pains during the work day. At the earliest stages, the aches build up during the day and ease off as soon as you leave work. That's the time to take remedial action: review your workstation and work schedule so you can continue to work in comfort.
  The people who get really hurt are those who push themselves to produce at all costs. They skip coffee breaks, take lunch at their desks, and volunteer for overtime. They're the folks the company relies upon for the big push to finish the big projects. They push themselves right past the warning signals and don't slow down until one day their arms or hands don't work.
  Japan has strict guidelines for computer work. So does Europe. In fact, one of the first treaties signed by all member nations of the European Union was to set workstation standards for working with VDUs (video display units). For the year 2000, the European Trade Union Congress (ETUC) has organized its first ever continent-wide safety campaign: Europe Under Strain, raising awareness that computers and other kinds of light but repetitive work can be crippling.
 

On average, a worker who suffers amputation on the job returns to work sooner than one who develops Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Protect yourself
  Take a stretch break every 30 minutes. Make sure your keyboard is low enough that your hands are lower than your elbows. DON'T plant the heels of your palms on the keyboard to work; instead, keep your wrists straight. Tilt the keyboard away from you if you can. Hold the mouse lightly - don't squeeze - and use it as little as possible. The top of the monitor should be at your eye level. Got a laptop? RESIST the urge to work slumped in an easy chair with your feet up. Put the laptop on a thick book (a phone directory perhaps) on a desk, and attach an external keyboard.
  Computers can enhance our work and quality of life. But they can also lead to devastating injuries, requiring years of rehabilitation. On average, a worker who suffers amputation on the job returns to work sooner than one who develops Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Protect your hands. Treat the computer as your tool, not as your boss.

Penney Kome is an award-winning journalist and author based in Calgary.

Tips for Safe Computing

• Shoulders relaxed
• Forearms and hands straight
• Forearms level
• Lower back supported
• Thighs horizontal
• Top of screen at eye-level
• Screen positioned to avoid glare
• Feet flat