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Chapter 6: Organising to prevent RSI in the workplace - what workers can do

Sample questionnaire for repetitive strain injury

Name (optional)

Department

Do you suffer from swellings, numbness, tingling, pins and needles, stiffness, aches or pain in any of the following parts of your body? (Tick appropriate boxes)

1. Have you visited your doctor about any of these complaints?
2. What diagnosis or treatment did the doctor suggest?

Diagnosis

Treatment

About your job

1. Do you have any of the following types of movement in your job?

1. repetitive movements of the arms or shoulders
2. repetitive movements of the feet or legs
3. frequent use of awkward wrist positions or bending of the wrists
4. a twisting, clothes-wringing motion of the hands and wrists
5. keeping parts of your body in a fixed position, with your muscles tense eg holding your arms above your shoulders; holding your elbows out
6. repeated stretching or reaching movements
7. repeated squeezing, screwing, pressing or twisting movements

2. Is your workstation well designed for the job you do?

1. can you sit square to do your job?
2. does your chair have good back support?
3. is your chair easily adjustable?
4. is your bench or desk too high or too low?
5. do you have difficulty in reaching the controls, levers, pedals etc?
6. do you have to stretch or reach repeatedly in a particular direction to carry out your work?

3. Does the machine/process-line/management/etc determine the speed of your work or can you control it?

4. Is your output measured/is there a monitoring system in operation?

5. What work-rate/piece-rate do you have to achieve?

6. How often do you take a rest break?

7. Can you think of any obvious and immediate improvements that could be made to your job?

8. Have you ever raised any of these problems with your boss/management?

9. Do you take painkillers in order to keep on working?

10. Are there any other comments you would like to make?

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