RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) Claims

Repetitive Strain Injuries are very common in the workplace and can cause on going pain and problems.   The injury varies with symptoms being overworked muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues, which can be caused by poor ergonomics, unsatisfactory procedures, and processes, and awkward confined areas or postures.  A good example of this would be a factory worker using their hands and arms in a repetitive motion for many hours without any staff rotation procedures in place to prevent this common problem of repetitive strain. Please click on the state that you where injured in for information about your State or Territory and limitation periods to claim.

QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA, NT, ACT, TAS

The different types of syndromes that are caused by Repetitive Strain injuries are;

• Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OSS) - This is a term that describes muscles, tendons, and soft tissues being over worked.
• Carpel Tunnel Syndrome - comes from an part of the wrist where a nerve suffers from pressure and causes numbness and tingling in the fingers and hand.
• Tenosynovitis - is common in the hands and wrists, and causes pain and swelling of the tendons.
• Epicondylitis - can be felt around the elbow, and shows symptoms of pain and tenderness around these muscles and tendons. 
• Static Muscle Strain - arises from keeping a muscle or body part still and stiff for a long period of time. This is common pain felt around the arms, shoulders, and neck.

If you feel the symptoms are appearing then you should advise your employer and consult your doctor to take action and control the onset of RSI.  If you leave the injury and continue working with the pain the results can be permanent. 

There are different factors that can contribute to RSI injuries such as;

• Poor Ergonomics including workstations being too high or too low, badly designed tools that maybe replaced and also workstations that require twisting and stretching to perform a particular task.
• Repetitive movement such as factory work, typing, and even constant loading of equipment.
• Long repetitive movements, awkward stations, and standing for long periods of time.

There are many factors that con contribute to these conditions and many can be uncontrollable.  When large amount of one job needs to be done, it is important to rotate with other staff or have breaks every hour to avoid the effects of RSI.  Training staff is very important also as particular tasks may need to be attended to in a certain manner.

If you are not sure what your rights are then it is important to see free legal advice.   

Disclaimer: Nothing on this website constitutes, or is meant to constitute, advice of any kind. If you require advice in relation to any legal matter you should consult an appropriately qualified lawyer.