The last day of February was declared International RSI Awareness Day back at the start of this century by Canada's national center for workplace health. This day was chosen precisely because it is the least repetitive day of the year. RSI stands for Repetitive Strain Injury and is an injury caused by using muscles or joints in the same way repeatedly.

TU/e's Occupational Health & Safety organization uses the more medical term KANS, which stands (in Dutch) for Symptoms of the Arms, Neck and Shoulders. “RSI is an old name,” says Occupational Health & Safety officer Marcel Vliex. ”The onset of KANS is related to doing screen work for long periods of time. It is not usually possible to identify a specific cause. But it is generally accepted that a work environment in which people do not move much and instead spend much of the time sitting takes its toll on the body. Physical problems can arise if a person's posture is incorrect or their work station is incorrectly adjusted.”

A golden rule for preventing KANS is, says Vliex, the following: “Take a break, away from your computer, of five minutes every hour, and ten minutes every two hours. You could perhaps walk to the coffee dispenser or restroom, have a chat with a colleague or go for walk around the block.”

Under the Working Conditions Act, TU/e is legally required to inform new employees about risks inherent in the work environment, such as KANS. In order to comply, with respect to KANS, the Occupational Health, Safety, Environment and Radiation Protection department (AMVS) holds six meetings per year: three in the spring and three in the fall. On average, sixty-five people attend each session. “Employees are required to participate at least once.” In addition, almost every department and service has screen consultants. You can drop in on them if you need advice about your work station or have any questions.

Are you sitting comfortably?

“The introduction of flexible work stations means you are more likely to have make adjustments to your screen-based work space. Think, say, of the optimal height of the desk, the chair seat and the like,” says Ankie van Steen, Innovation@Work program manager, and the person responsible for the transition to the planned working style in Atlas. “Employees need to become more aware of this optimal height, as well as the variety of work stations. It goes without saying that all Occupational Health & Safety work stations are adjustable in height, and fifteen percent of them are sit-stand work spaces.”