Employees ‘should be encouraged to take breaks to prevent RSI’

Workers should be encouraged to take plenty of breaks during the day in order to combat the risks of repetitive strain injury (RSI), an expert has said.

RSI is a general term which is used to describe a range of conditions that stem from activities that require high rates of repetition or exertion, prolonged maintenance and awkward or static postures.

According to Bronwyn Clifford, a chartered occupational therapist and director of Physio at Work, employees should "get up and move around frequently", as such activity is crucial in the fight against the problems associated with RSI.

She stated: "[Workers] should change their tasks so they are not just typing all day – alternate between writing, reading, going to do some photocopying or filing and going to meetings, so that they are not just sitting in front of a computer screen eight hours a day."

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According to RSI Awareness, RSIs are a significant workplace problem and cost industry an estimated £20 billion each year.