Repetitive Strains
Repetitive strains are one of the most common ergonomic injuries Industrial Athletes™ experience. What exactly they are can be confusing, as are the ways to prevent them. We’re here to help. The SafeWork System recognizes where and how repetitive strain injuries occur, before they can, giving you the tools you need to prevent them and keep your Industrial Athletes™ proud, protected, and productive.
The term repetitive strain or a repetitive strain injury (RSI) refers to an ergonomic, work-related injury to the muscles, tendons, nerves, and soft tissue in the upper limbs. Most often, these affect the neck, shoulders, forearms, elbows, wrists and/or hands. Repetitive strain injuries can range from mild to severe and usually develop gradually.
The most common symptoms of RSI include:
Pain, aching or tenderness // Stiffness // Throbbing // Tingling or numbness // Weakness // Cramps
Symptoms can be hard to notice at first – workers may only notice them when carrying out a specific repetitive task or action. Nevertheless, they should be taken seriously.
Over time without treatment, the symptoms of RSI can increase severely. They could cause swelling in the affected area which can last several months, or become constant and cause longer periods of pain.
What Causes Repetitive Strain Injuries?
As the name suggests, repetitive strain injuries are related to the overuse of muscles and tendons in the upper body.
Most frequently, at the root of this overuse is repetitive movements, high-intensity activities for long periods of time without rest, and/or poor posture or activities that involve working in an awkward position.
Other contributing factors can be cold temperatures and vibrating equipment, which are also thought to increase the risk. Additionally, stress can be a contributing factor.
Any job that incorporates repetitive motions can lead to repetitive strains, but Industrial Athletes™ are especially at risk. In industrial environments, the constant pushing, pulling, twisting, and lifting of supplies or materials can push the limits of the human body. If employees do not take care of their bodies, over time they can deteriorate, leading to career-ending injuries and/or lifelong pain.
How StrongArm Prevents Repetitive Strain Injuries
Warmups and stretching can be effective ways to mitigate repetitive strain injuries, but their effectiveness only goes so far. More than anything, it’s essential that Industrial Athletes™ use the correct form of lifting and moving in order to keep their bodies healthy and safe. Nevertheless, when working for long periods of time, proper posture can be easily forgotten, leading to repetitive strains, one of the most common ways warehouse workers are injured on the job.
At StrongArm, our objective is to keep Industrial Athletes™ safe. The way that we achieve this is through our SafeWork System. Our wearable technology monitors the bodily movements of each Athlete, providing immediate feedback to alert them of dangerous and potentially harmful actions.
Our safety wearables are calibrated to detect bad bends and twists. Sensors help ensure Industrial Athletes™ are using their bodies in a safe way so they don’t have to think about it, recording these data points while they work to be used to help create a safer workplace environment.
The SafeWork System incorporates real-time data collection into your employee’s workday.
- Devices are simple, intuitive, and familiar
- Support multiple languages
- Multiple users across multiple shifts with the same device
The collected data is uploaded to our centralized risk management software where safety managers can determine the areas that need improvement. This information makes it simple to create a safe warehouse or working environment, and it is all accessible through our easy-to-use SafeWork dashboard. With our wearable devices and safety technology, some of the largest names in manufacturing have seen a 45% or more reduction in workplace injuries.
For the Industrial Athlete™
Bring safety top of mind and improve performance over time with wearable sensor feedback and daily performance reminder.
For Your Supervisors
Manage team participation, trends in performance and leverage real-world information for meaningful interventions.
For Business Stakeholders
Analytics to prevent injury, power decisions and provide deep insight to organizational impact and opportunities.
Reduce Employee Turnover with Safety Wearables
Reduce Employee Turnover with Safety Wearables
Safety Wearables Help Keep Employees Safe at Work
Safety Wearables Help Keep Employees Safe at Work