Poor typing skills are responsible for many
cases of RSI, said the TUC, and these cases would be avoided if
children were taught to type properly in school.
"Despite the reality that most people are more
likely these days to use a computer to write a document than a pen,
school children are not routinely being taught how to type," said
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber. "Keyboard skills are not a
statutory part of the National Curriculum, although individual
schools can decide to introduce them."
"This means that millions of children are
missing out on a life skill that could help protect the workforce
of tomorrow from this painful and chronic illness," said Barber.
"The Government should introduce touch typing and keyboard skills
into the National Curriculum as soon as possible."
The TUC said that 375,000 people in the UK
suffer from some kind of musculoskeletal disorder in their upper
body that has been worsened by their working conditions.
"One of the causes of RSI is the large number
of two-fingered typists who use computers for a considerable part
of the working day without any proper keyboard training," said the
TUC statement. "The extra force and position of the hands when
employees type using only two fingers makes the degree of strain
worse, yet few employers even think of providing training for their
staff on this very important workplace skill."
The TUC has produced a set of guidelines on
how best to avoid falling victim to RSI. They are:
- you should have enough space to work;
- the top of your screen should be at eye level and at a
comfortable distance away from you;
- your forearms should be horizontal;
- your feet should be flat on the floor or on a foot rest if you
need one;
- wrist or palm rests should be provided and there should be
space in front of the keyboard to support the hands during pauses
in typing;
- if you do a lot of typing then make sure your employer offers
you touch-typing training. Two finger typists are far more likely
to get pains in the hand wrist and forearms; and
- you are legally entitled to have your computer equipment and
workstation assessed to make sure that it meets your own individual
needs.
