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Microsoft Study Says Repetitive Strain Injury Costs $600m

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the still-free-to-me-just-painful dept.

4roddas writes "Work-related RSI cases are at an all-time high and the cost to businesses is spiraling, new Microsoft research reveals. Repetitive strain injury cases have soared by over 30 percent in the last year, costing businesses over US$600 million in lost working hours — and causing pain and debilitating discomfort to over-worked staff. Microsoft claims the rapidly emerging trend of 'mobile working' — with office-based employees now working on the move for an average of an hour more per day than they did two years ago using laptops and mobile devices — is behind this alarming climb in work-related injury. The company arrived at its conclusions in a poll among over 1,000 office workers, HR managers and office managers. This showed that 68 percent of office workers suffered from aches and pains, with the most common symptoms including back ache, shoulder pain and wrist/hand pain."

16 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. I hate to sound cynical, but ... by querist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate to be cynical, but why would Microsoft fund this study? They sell ergonomic keyboards. I wonder if they're coming out with some new ergonomic device, if they are trying to prop up sales of their current line of ergonomic devices, or if their funding of the study was simply an act of generosity (otherwise known as a tax write-off).

    Also, first post?

    1. Re:I hate to sound cynical, but ... by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 5, Informative
      why would Microsoft fund this study?

      Dont you read /.?

      Yesterday they announced MicroSoft "Touch" - today they announce a reason to want it.

      Plus ca change...

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    2. Re:I hate to sound cynical, but ... by will_die · · Score: 4, Informative

      Correct.
      Here is the original article from Microsoft, most of it is an ad for thier products.
      One thing to note, Microsoft did not release this as a press release it is just part of the normal "Here is a way Microsoft can help you" marketing.

    3. Re:I hate to sound cynical, but ... by Macthorpe · · Score: 4, Informative

      Here is the original article from Microsoft, most of it is an ad for thier products. What, you mean the one line that says "Microsoft led the way in ergonomic design, having introduced the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard in 1994, and more recently the Natural Wireless Mouse 6000"?

      How on earth did that transform to 'most of the article' when you decided to point it out?
      --
      "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
  2. In other words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    From the article: The research suggests that one of the main factors behind the high number of injuries is because not enough companies are replacing their existing office equipment with ergonomic hardware that can significantly reduce the risk of RSI.

    Translation:

    "...not enough companies are replacing their existing office equipment with ergonomic hardware that can run Vista."

  3. I don't think Microsoft wants to go there... by Dancindan84 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Next they should do a study on how much extra "Your computer wants to do something mundane and we need to you click another box. Confirm or Deny?" clicks contribute to RSI.

    --
    "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
  4. Seems to be the opposite of what I thought by nauseum_dot · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have to say that this is amazing, when you give your employees the ability to work at home, they over work themselves.

    That seems the opposite of conventional wisdom, and I remember reading another story here, some time ago, that said that in the office employees think that telecommuters appear to be doing less work.

    --
    Crap! I just kissed my karma good-bye.
    1. Re:Seems to be the opposite of what I thought by CensorshipDonkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No one seems to be commenting on what I consider to be an obvious theory: mobile hardware is not ergonomically designed.

      We went through this in the 90's on desktop hardware. There was a rash of repetitive strain injuries, and almost every office made some concession to ergonomics. Keyboard trays that could be precisely positioned, wrist pads and adjustable chairs became the norm. Every office seemed to offer courses on how to avoid RSI's at your desk including how to sit properly, how to position your keyboard properly, etc.

      However, all that training and equipment remains in the office. The Microsoft study points to the rising use of mobile hardware. People work on their laptops holding them hunched over their knees, balanced on books on a couch, etc etc. How many times can you get your laptop positioned at just the right angle for your wrists? How much different is your laptop keyboard's size and aspect ratio from the desktop keyboard? Once your at the optimal distance for typing, do you find yourself bending over to see the smaller, dimmer screen more easily?

  5. Conspiracy theory one: by Icarium · · Score: 3, Insightful

    1. Write software that requires the grunt of a desktop machine to run.
    2. Discredit mobile computing (where you aren't doing so well) by blaming it for a medical condition.
    3. Profit!

    Seriously though, how is it news that performing more of a repetitive action that causes RSI causes (wait for it!) more incidents of RSI?

    I'm more interested in the phenomenon whereby technology that is supposed to make our working lives easier and faster is actually making us work more. (I know, it's not *making* us work more, but why on Earth would anyone want to do more work in more time? Doing the same work in less time, or more work in the same time I can understand).

  6. We have treatment options at work by bunyip · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My employer (Sabre Holdings) offers Active Release Therapy (ART) for RSI and similar problems. The doctor that does this comes into the office two mornings a week and does 15 minute treatment sessions. No complex insurance forms and the associated cost of running around and taking time off to get it treated. It's a nice benefit to have :-)

    I've had ART done on me for running injuries (repetitive strain) and it's worked really well, I recommend it.

  7. Known cure by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 3, Informative
    The only known cure for "repetitive stain injury" is to take up embroidery (hand, not computer).

    The underlying cause of RSI is that you dont need to be very accurate to hit keys on a keyboard, and so you can be fairly indiscriminate about which keys you hit. The nerves all activate together, and, over a long period, you lose the ability to distinguish between nerve fibres.

    Enbroidery requires you to be very accurate, and you re-learn the use of the individual nerves.

    I leave google as an exercise for the reader, while I get back to my needlework.

    --
    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    1. Re:Known cure by ozbird · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Do not stick needle in remaining eye."

  8. It's the opposite in the Netherlands by Killjoy_NL · · Score: 4, Interesting

    According to this article from may 16th

    http://www.nu.nl/news/1569649/36/rss/RSI-klachten_weer_op_niveau_van_10_jaar_geleden.html

    (sorry it's in dutch) our RSI numbers are down to the same as ten years ago. So we don't see to have the problem that MS is warning us about.
    I wonder why that is?

    --
    This is the sig that says NI (again)
  9. Ahh that explains... by Splab · · Score: 3, Funny

    why Microsoft insists on changing user interface on each and every release - they are doing it to protect us! My heroes!

  10. I imagine by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 3, Funny

    this is from people continuously having to press CTRL + ALT + DEL

    Thank you, I'm here all night! Try the veal!

    --
    Summation 2
  11. pffft by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    most of these injuries are due to the poor ergonomics of stooping over a laptop placed on your lap

    what i've done is devoted my eating regimen to ice cream, fast food, and sugary sodas, thereby establishing a nice shelf space, massive rolls of belly fat, on which to perch my laptop. now that my laptop is securely nestled close to my face, my wrists assume a natural curvature during typing, my back is straight rather than stooped over, and i've even reduced my eye strain

    therefore, i heartily (cough wheeze) endorse a high calorie regimen to decrease RSI via belly perching your laptop for better ergonomics. its a dramatic improvement in joint health

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it