Now that our national papers have got bored with RSI scare stories it would be tempting to assume the problem had gone away. In fact, it could be that mobile technology and the trend for people to work outside working hours on trains or in other locations will put the issue back on the news agenda. IT giant Microsoft has put out a survey today showing there is an epidemic of 'blackberry thumb' and that Work-related RSI cases are at an all-time high with sprialling business costs. OK, admittedly this is from a company that wants you to buy its ergonomically designed hardware.
For years, HR and occupational health specialists have had an uneasy feeling about home-working and health and safety. The increasing use of mobile technology such as laptop computers, blackberrys and mobile phones with or without internet access means that risk management and health surveillance may have to extend beyond the home office into the car, the train and even the local Starbucks.
Microsoft want to publicise this to sell their ergonomically designed hardware but this issue goes beyond this into work design and practices, including working hours. Maybe now is the moment to dust off the policy on home-working and make sure your organisation is covered against absence costs or a potential costly tribunal claim. If you're old enough to remember the early days of RSI then you'll know that the condition does seem to be catching too (if one person in a department gets it, others will follow) and it is notoriously difficult to get an accurate diagnosis of the cause.