Keytools are specialists in ergonomic and assistive technology and have helped many thousands of computer users. Below are published articles that can help to guide you to making the right decisions for your users.

A Pain in the Neck for Police

Being a bobby has always been a risky business but now they face another threat – from mice!

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors visited seven forces in England and Wales in recent months, where they heard numerous complaints from officers of pins and needles in their fingers and pain in the lower arms or the neck. In each case, the sufferer blamed long hours spent at a computer.

All seven forces have been told by the HSE to check the computer workspaces their officers use in order to cut the risk of developing problems. The health concerns have arisen despite repeated pledges by the Government that the burden of administrative duties will be shifted away from officers and on to civilian police staff.

Toni Drury, the public services inspector for the HSE, said: "Display screen equipment is not an issue that immediately jumps to mind when thinking of risks to police. Yet consider the time spent report-writing and some of the work stations used, and it is not surprising that in some forces officers are starting to show symptoms which, long-term, may affect their operational abilities."

Chief Superintendent Graham Cassidy, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "It's a growing issue that we need to be aware of. A number of our staff have developed illnesses to do with screens, and repetitive strain injury from working on keyboards."
The full extent of health problems linked to computer use is not recorded officially, as employers must report cases to the HSE only where "chronic" pain is suffered. A spokesman for the HSE said that the checks on police forces found "a lot of feedback of very early symptoms".

The reports of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) from the police force display a prime example of the risks now faced by anyone using a computer on a daily basis. Whilst curing the symptoms can be difficult, looking towards preventing RSI is a good place to start. As recommended by the HSE, assessing a user’s workstation can often highlight potential areas of risk which can then be addressed by investing in ergonomic devices.

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