International RSI Awareness Day 2008
February 27th, 2008 | Published in RSI News
February 29, 2008 is International RSI Awareness Day, a day set aside to highlight the workplace hazards and conditions that can cause Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI). The first RSI Awareness Day was February 29, 2000, because it was the only non-repetitive day of the year. In non-leap years, it is observed on February 28.
International RSI Awareness Day is organized by the International RSI Awareness Day Committee, an international group of dedicated volunteers that includes injured workers, trade unionists, health and safety professionals, health care practitioners, and others who share a common goal. According to the organizers:
“RSI Day is about raising awareness and the need for action promoting prevention, rehabilitation and compensation. By using the principles of ergonomics, for example, we can re-design tools, work stations, workplaces and work organisation to reduce the risk of workers getting hurt. RSI Awareness Day also highlights the need for ergonomics regulations to compel employers to introduce methods to prevent RSIs from occurring.”
Raising awareness through public education - that these are real injuries, they are work-related, they can be prevented, and that when they do occur, early appropriate intervention is the key to preventing permanent disability - is a vital step towards protecting workers from RSI.
On February 29th take action by bringing hazards to the forefront to have RSI recognized for the disabling disease that it is.
More information from: Workers Health & Safety Centre, RSI Action, Occupational Health & Safety, National Union of Public and General Employees.