Upper Limb Disorders, also know as ULDs, are conditions which affect the muscles, tendon, nerves, ligaments and other soft tissues and joints in the upper limbs; i.e. the arms, shoulders, wrists, hands, fingers and neck. They are also known as Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). Upper limb disorders can commonly be caused, or made a lot worse by the work that we do, hence their other names; Cumulative Trauma Disorder, or Occupational Overuse Syndrome.
ULDs can arise from all kinds of employment, not just those jobs that instantly come to mind. Any type of work that involves employees using their arms to carry out tasks has the risk of leading to a ULD. Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in addition to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to manage and control the risk associated with work-related ULDs.
There is a range of factors that increase the risk of employees developing ULDS including:
- Uncomfortable working posture
- Sustained or excessive force
- Poor working environment
- Repetitive work
- Lack of breaks
By performing a thorough risk assessment a lot of these issues can be dealt with before injuries or illness occurs. It is worth looking into previous issues that may have occurred to employees in the past, as well as looking into how issues can be avoided in the future. Changes do not necessarily need to be expensive; simple and low cost changes can often be very effective.
It is unlikely that you can eliminate all risk of people developing ULDs, because different people respond in different ways to risks and situations, but by fostering an approach that involves good reporting from employees about any issues they may have, companies are more likely to be able to deal with signs and symptoms before they develop into something more serious.
If you have developed a ULD through your employment the first person you should contact is your doctor; they may be able to help minimise ongoing pain and distress. After that you should contact one of our solicitors. They have years of experience in handling these kinds of cases and will swiftly be able to talk you through the claims process and identify the best way that they can help you. It won’t cost you anything to find out if you are eligible for compensation, so contact us today.