International RSI Awareness Day
February 28th, 2006 | Published in RSI in the News
February 28th is International RSI Awareness Day. RSI Awareness Day evolved from an idea by a Canadian injured worker. The first RSI Awareness Day was February 29, 2000, because it was the only non-repetitive day of the year. In non-leap years, like this year, it is observed on February 28.
RSI Day is organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and is an opportunity to promote injury prevention and raise awareness about the prevalence of RSIs and their harmful affects. RSIs affect workers forced to do monotonous, repetitive jobs, who work too long or too fast and with too few breaks. Often, workers are forced to work in awkward positions or spend too long standing. Bad work organization (e.g., forced and unnecessary overtime, staff cutbacks and layoffs, poorly maintained equipment) contributes to RSIs. Workplace stress and lack of control over work also have a hand in RSIs.
