Employers have a statutory duty to carry out a risk assessment of any hazardous task or equipment, and consult their workforce through union-recognised safety reps. This applies to your workstation, also known as display screen equipment (DSE). Equipment desgined to reduce the risk of RSI, such as an ergonomic mouse, or wrist pads, is available.
Employers must follow the advice set out in the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations.
A new downloadable tool to help prevent musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs (such as RSI) has been developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL). The Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) tool is aimed at workplaces where workers carry out repetitive tasks. The HSE says it can help identify where the significant risks lie and suggest how to prioritise improvements.
You are entitled to rest breaks under the Working Time Regulations. Apart from the obligation to provide a minimum rest break of an uninterrupted 20 minutes every six hours, these Regulations entitle you to “adequate” rest breaks where the work pattern puts your health and safety at risk because work is monotonous or the work rate pre-determined.
A new European Commission Directive to cover all musculo-skeletal disorders excluding vibration is expected to be published in 2011. This will replace the current directives on manual handling and display screen equipment.
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