One of the fastest-growing and most serious health problems in the modern workplace are the injuries caused by repetitive motion and the resulting pressure on nerves. Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) now account for one-third of all disabling work-related injuries in America. They can plague anyone whose work is repetitious, involves awkward postures or requires heavy lifting and are especially common among nurses, computer operators, assembly line workers, meat cutters, construction workers, garment workers, truck drivers and stock handlers. (See Fact sheet on RSIs.)

Stop the pain

Workers and unions are mobilizing to stop the epidemic of crippling RSIs and back injuries by fighting for an OSHA ergonomics standard to reduce the hazards in the workplace. After a decade-long campaign to Stop the Pain, OSHA finally issued the nation's first federal ergonomics rule in November 2000—requiring employers to reduce workplace ergonomic hazards, which injure and cripple more than 600,000 workers each year.

But while Big Business is looking for ways to undo the new ergonomics standard, union activists are working to strengthen and improve the rule—and the campaign continues. You can find out more about the AFL-CIO's Stop the Pain campaign at our Ergonomics webpage and get the latest news on how "Unions Gear Up to Protect Landmark Ergonomics Rule."

Resources on RSIs and related injuries

Information on the different types of RSI injuries and their care and treatment has been compiled by the New York Online Access to Health (NOAH).

Additional facts and details about repetitive strain injuries also has been collected by a student action group at Harvard University.

CTD News Online provides updates on government action and other developments concerning cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) injuries and workplace repetitive stress injuries. More resources can be found at the Association for Repetitive Motion Syndromes, a not-for-profit organization for sufferers of repetitive motion syndrome injuries.

A compendium of books, research materials and web links also can be obtained at Computer Related Repetitive Strain Injury. Specific information on RSI injuries related to keyboard work is available at the Typing Injury FAQ website.

Working on equipment designs and work practices to reduce these disorders is the Ergonomics Program at the University of California's San Francisco and Berkeley campuses.