OOS a big concern for workers in IT

If working with information technology is becoming a pain in the neck, then it's time to do something about it say employers, insurers, and health and safety specialists.

Along with industries as diverse as dentistry, fishing and manufacturing, people who work with information technology are at high risk of developing an occupational overuse syndrome (OOS) condition.

The physical effects of OOS conditions are varied, but include eye strain; hand, back, neck and shoulder muscle and nerve damage; and overuse injuries to the fingers, hands and forearms.

Remedies range from physiotherapy, massage and moderate exercise, through to rest, medication and surgery. Occasionally, there is no obvious remedy, and sufferers spend the rest of their working life on a benefit.

No wonder then, many IT employers say OOS is their biggest health and safety concern, affecting individual and company productivity and resulting in increased downtime, employment uncertainty and sick leave.

"We recognise OOS as a major hazard, and health and safety-wise, the whole OOS thing is huge for us. Eyesight, hearing and general faculties deteriorate with age and we have a medical scheme in place and codes of practice around the use of equipment like computer screens," says Helen Hassett, health and safety manager for IT firm Unisys.

Officially, OOS is a broad term used to describe the musculoskeletal aches and pains that occur as a result of the unique work environment of an employee. By definition, OOS is a process, not a diagnosis, and this is important; New Zealand's sole accident and injury insurer for employers, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), will not compensate anyone with a doctor's certificate stating they have "OOS". Instead, ACC compensates for specific OOS conditions (see panel for examples). A condition also builds gradually - you can't be OOS-free one day and wake up with it the next.

ACC often comes under fire for making seemingly contradictory statements about what OOS is and isn't. For example, ACC says OOS symptoms "should not be confused with the aches and pains that are a common part of life"; yet goes on to say an early warning of OOS is general discomfort.

ACC also requires sufferers to "demonstrate" an OOS condition is caused by employment-related activities and not by leisure pursuits. If you work in IT this can be difficult - has your OOS condition been caused by crunching spreadsheet numbers all day, or by the hours you spend playing internet games on your home computer? Assuming you know the answer, how can you demonstrate it?

As a result of such ambiguity, many OOS sufferers are not awarded ACC compensation - a good reason to avoid developing a condition in the first place.

For the self-employed IT worker, prevention and treatment may be as simple as conducting online research (see side panel) and printing out a list of guidelines to practice daily.

IT employers can make a small investment in anti-OOS training material and follow Department of Labour recommendations for ergonomic equipment and lighting for employees. Employees are then responsible for using equipment the right way and following anti-OOS policies and guidelines.

As IT employees become less desk-bound through work/life balance initiatives and access to mobile technology, OOS problems may ease.

Until then, employers should remember it is not a new problem. In 1713 Italian doctor Bernadino Ramazzini wrote "What safeguards for those who by incessant writing bring on themselves such serious maladies? Physical exercise will be beneficial, but in moderation and on holy days after due attendance at services in church. Also, frequent rubbing will help."

Some OOS realities

* From July 2002 to June 2003, ACC accepted 2460 new OOS condition diagnoses and paid compensation costing employers $11.6 million. The total number of historical and ongoing OOS claims for the same period was 1200, with compensation at $18.2 million.

* Common contributors to OOS conditions are work organisation (the way the work period is structured, supervised and performed); awkward postures; task repetition and invariability; forceful holding of muscles; overwork.

* The cost of OOS to employers can include employing temporary staff; the overload and resentment of co-workers; downtime associated with incident investigation; loss or inhibition of a valuable and previously productive employee

* Common OOS conditions include achilles tendonitis; carpal tunnel syndrome; epicondylitis - lateral or medial (elbow); low back injuries; rotator cuff shoulder syndrome; prepatellar bursitis; tenosynovitis and tendonitis.

* For more information, case studies and guidelines on preventing and managing OOS conditions, visit the links below.