1. The Hazards of Being a
Nerd…
Graham Pengelly`

2. –noun Slang.
1. a stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or
unattractive person.
2. an intelligent but single-minded person
obsessed with a non-social hobby or
pursuit: a computer nerd.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v
1.1)

3. –noun
1. A chance; an accident.
2. A chance of being injured or harmed;
danger: Space travel is full of hazards.
3. A possible source of danger: a fire
hazard.
4. Games A dice game similar to craps.
5. Sports An obstacle, such as a sand trap,
found on a golf course.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of
the English Language, Fourth Edition

5. Eye Strain
• Visual fatigue
• Blurred or double vision
• Burning and watering eyes
• Headaches and frequent changes in
prescription glasses

6. Prevention
• Avoid glare on monitors from
windows, ceiling lights etc
• Lower monitor contrast and brightness
• Keep your monitor as far away as possible
(25in)
• Avoid prolonged focus on the same thing
• Adjust the monitor to a comfortable height.
• Avoid old flickering monitors
• Choose a monitor that allows height
adjustment

7. Musculoskeletal Problems
• Repetitive Strain Injury
• Back and neck pain and discomfort
• Tension stress headaches and related
ailments

8. Repetitive Strain Injury
• Adhesive Capsulitis • Rotator Cuff Syndrome
(Frozen Shoulder) • Cramp of the Hand
• Epicondylitis (tennis / (Writers’ Cramp) *
golfer’s elbow) • Tendinitis
• Bursitis * • Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• Ganglion Cyst • Tenosynovitis *
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* • De Quervain’s Syndrome
• Peritendinitis • Trigger Finger / Thumb
• Cervical Spondylosis • Dupuytren’s Contracture
• Vibration-induced White
Finger *

10. RSI – Warning Signs
• Recurring pain or soreness in
neck, shoulders, upper back, wrists or
hands.
• Tingling, numbness, coldness or loss of
sensation.
• Loss of grip strength, lack of
endurance, weakness, fatigue.
• Muscles in the arms and shoulders feel
hard and wiry when palpated.
• Pain or numbness while lying in bed.

11. RSI Numbers
• 1 in 50 workers has RSI (TUC)
• As high as 1 in 4 computer workers (RSIA)
• 60% of children suffer discomfort using
laptops (Curtin University of Technology)
• Last year 12.3 million sick days in 2000/2001
(HSE)
• Ill managed RSI can cost an employer up to
50% of an employee’s salary
• £5 to £20 billion annually

12. RSI Prevention
• Stop using the computer before you begin to feel symptoms.
– Workrave (http://www.workrave.org/)
– Break Reminder (http://shrinkster.com/lz2)
– AntiRSI (http://shrinkster.com/lz3)
• Posture
• Breaks
– Desk-Trainer (http://www.desk-trainer.com/)
– YouTube
• Variety of input devices
• Exercise & hydration
• Relaxation
– Diaphragmatic breathing (http://shrinkster.com/lz1)
– Qigong
– Progressive muscle relaxation (http://shrinkster.com/lz4)

14. RSI Treatment
• Partial or complete cessation of hand
activity might be necessary
• Orthopaedic hand braces
• Medications:
– Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory e.g ibuprofen
– Anti-convulsant medications e.g. gabapentin
• Cold compression therapy
• TENS therapy
• Soft Tissue Therapy
• Biofeedback
• Massage
• Stretches
• Strengthening exercises
• Surgery
• Mind/Body approach

16. Employer’s Responsibilities
• The Health and Safety (Display Screen
Equipment) Regulations 1992
– Analyse workstations, and assess and reduce
risks
– Ensure workstations meet minimum requirements
– Plan work so there are breaks or changes of
activity
– On request arrange eye tests and provide
spectacles if special ones are needed
– Provide health and safety training and information

17. Precedent Cases
• Kathleen Tovey and Kathleen Harris vs Inland
Revenue (£82,000 and £79,000)
• Kath Watson vs Benefits Agency (£38,000
out of court)
• Others… £60,000 £30,000 £72,000
• Mughal v Reuters (Mughal lost, Judge
Prosser – “quot;RSI does not exist“)
• Most compensation awards aren’t
sufficient to warrant the risk of paying
costs

18. Suing your Employer
• you have an injury
– Medical evidence
• the injury was caused by your work
– Accident reports, medical evidence etc
• there was a known risk of injury
• the employer should have known of the risk
• the employer could reasonably have done
something to prevent the risk
• the employer failed to do anything to prevent
the risk

19. Take breaks
Watch your posture
There isn’t always a cure

20. Resources
• Health & Safety Executive
(http://www.hse.gov.uk)
• HSE Advice (http://shrinkster.com/lzv)
• Repetitive Strain Injury Association
(http://www.rsi.org.uk)
• Eye Strain Info (http://shrinkster.com/lzw)
• My Blog
(http://goingspare.wordpress.com)