Repetitive strain injuries in the information age workplace

The transformation of many office and white-collar jobs into ones primarily dealing with managing information has brought about problems that previously had been associated mostly with assembly-line and blue-collar work. Specifically, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), such as carpal tunnel syndrome, are a growing health problem in a number of office jobs. The extent, definition, costs, and legal implications of the problem are discussed. Examples of steps many organizations are taking to combat RSI are presented. Finally, recommendations for human resource and other managers are offered based on the experiences and evidence from the collected studies and articles.