upper limb disorder

[koalachan]

Hi,

im currently working as a longterm locum in an establishment and recently have persistent shoulder/neck pain (upper limb disorder) related to work....what should i do? i wanted to let my employer aware of this but i got a very very strong feeling he is going to disregard this or does not take my complaint seriously.. ? as im a locum, i dont want to risk losing my job...any advice on this or any relevant health and safety website regarding this issue? thanks very much for any advice..will greatly appreciate it...

[DavidS]

My feeling is that if you are a self-employed locum then the employer is only responsible if negligent in keeping up their side of the contract.

That's unlikely.

Go and see a physiotherapist if it's a current debilitating problem.

Otherwise I will stick my neck out () and suggest that you find an Alexander Technique therapist. S/he will teach you how to maintain some semblance of good posture for the rest of your working life, which will be excellent value.

[Defblade]

Alter your working environment.

I'm tall, and carry a folding bar-stool type thingy, as perching on that often puts me down to a level I can use the computer happily.

Once place I worked regularly, the worktops were low, and I knocked up a piece of wood about 2 foot square with legs maybe 6" high and worked on that.

If you can identify the cause of the problem, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a solution.

As DavidS says, as a self-employed person you've got very little H&S pull, I'm afraid.

[koalachan]

thanks for ur reply.......so that means i couldnt do anything but to leave my workplace? .....i dont think i can do that considering it's really tough out there at the moment...got two kids here as well........i was also thought that any employer ought to have the obligation to make the workplace a safer/healthier environment as long as there are people working there.... regardless of full time employee or self employed......im not asking for any compensation or sick leave though

[DavidS]

Go and see a physiotherapist if it's a current debilitating problem.
find an Alexander Technique therapist.

Alter your working environment.
carry a folding bar-stool type thingy, as perching on that often puts me down to a level I can use the computer happily.
I knocked up a piece of wood about 2 foot square with legs maybe 6" high and worked on that.
If you can identify the cause of the problem, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a solution.

thanks for ur reply.......so that means i couldnt do anything but to leave my workplace?

I think you should have your eyes tested as well.

Incidentally, Defblade, if you ARE reading what we've typed, I use a basket, standard, plastic, dispensing, for the use of, and put my ringbinder file (diary, notes) on top. Inside the basket goes all the things I need: cd scripts to be entered, keys, mobile phone, sweets, etc etc, and the height is then more helpful to retaining my Alexander induced perfect posture lol.

[Pharmanaut]

Pharmacy computers are notorious for this.
They are incorrectly placed for the amount of time we spend on them.
In the place where I used to do regular days, I would put the monitor on top of two old textbooks.
The regular pharmacist came in and didn't like the idea, until they found it stopped their neck ache.
Try looking in office world for some sort of printer/monitor stand and carry it round with you.
Printer and Monitor Stands, Computer Accessories, Peripherals & Accessories , Technology - Staples
If you are self-employed put it through your accounts.

[mhb08112]

Hi,

im currently working as a longterm locum in an establishment and recently have persistent shoulder/neck pain (upper limb disorder) related to work....what should i do? i wanted to let my employer aware of this but i got a very very strong feeling he is going to disregard this or does not take my complaint seriously.. ? as im a locum, i dont want to risk losing my job...any advice on this or any relevant health and safety website regarding this issue? thanks very much for any advice..will greatly appreciate it...

What actually is the nature of your problem?

[LeftArm]

Yes, Please can you tell us how the condition is "related to work". I've done some dispensing where my neck shoulders ached due to the monitor being too low. Is this the case.

I think your employer should do something about this.

[DavidS]

I would put the monitor on top of two old textbooks.
Try looking in office world for some sort of printer/monitor stand and carry it round with you.

Hi Pharmanaut,
I also work with a dispensing assistant who is 5'1". This can be very dangerous for me when she's rushing around with a pair of scissors. So I'm thinking of taking some customisable platform shoes around with me for the other dispensary staff to wear, so that they can see the screen from where they are standing. I should be able to manage those with my monitor stand, bar-stool, deck chair, anglepoise lamp, coffee machine and bread maker. Thank goodness I don't need to carry around my certificate any more.

Or alternatively, do you recall those periscope affairs that americans used to be fond of using on sporting occasions (not to mention when piloting submarines - but you would know more about that than me) -- perhaps sellotaping those to her forehead would be a more practical alternative. (It would stop her texting for ten minutes, as well).

Or, if its the pharmacy computer that's the problem, let's really think outside/standing-on-top-of the box. What about using a customisable Iphone. Have cegedim developed an Iphone app so that the staff can do their work in between texting/facebook updating.

Come to think of it, the patients could bring their scripts with them on their Iphones instead of all this tiresome etp - it certainly would be less time consuming, cheaper, and more likely to work. They could just then transfer it to the Iphone of their choosing for dispensing. An apple a day, hey! Then, there's Blackberries. But I'm going off-topic now. Mind you, in fifty years time people will look at this thread and think that DavidS was bloody prophetic, wasn't he? What a shame he was murdered by that pre-reg. The only thing he didn't foresee was the hover-shoes and crash helmets.

I'm having a day off. I don't think it's good for me. Nurse!

[LeftArm]

I've been looking at these LCD arms:

ErgoMount Monitor Arm

Do you think this would help?