8 tips to prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries in Labs

Published:

Laboratory staff is often engaged in manual work that causes repetitive strain injuries (RSI) over time. RSI symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling in the hands and fingers that limit your ability to grip everyday objects. This can unfortunately have a long recovery period, affect your life quality, and work ability.

One of the most common causes of injuries in laboratories is manual pipetting. It is therefore important to follow the right ergonomic procedure.

Tips to prevent repetitive strain injuries

Here are some of the things you can do to take better care of your body when performing manual pipetting:

Tip no. 1

Do not rotate your wrist but keep it in a neutral angle (handshake posture)

strain related injuries - don't rotate
Tip no. 2

Keep elbow near a 90° position to minimize stress to the elbow, shoulder, and neck

how to avoid strain related injuries
Tip no. 3

Keep forearm in a 45° rotation angle to minimize carpal tunnel pressure

avoid injuries from pipetting
Tip no. 4

Stand/sit up straight

pipetting injuries
Tip no. 5

Shift your weight regularly

strain related injuries in laboratory
Tip no. 6

Use as little pressure as possible when handling the pipettor

RSI symptoms and how to avoid them
Tip no. 7

Use a pipettor that fits your hand size

right pipettor size
Tip no. 8

Avoid long sessions and take breaks if possible

avoid RSI

If you are diagnosed with an RSI, there are several treatment options, including medication, physiotherapy, and even surgery in some cases. At the very minimum, it is necessary to modify the work activities that led to the injury.

Avoid repetitive strain injuries altogether

Fortunately, there are also many automation solutions on the market that can free you from manual pipetting altogether, or maybe just take over part of the workload if you prefer. Either way, it will increase the throughput overall without any RSI safety hazards.

Aside from improving health and safety, lab automation will reduce human errors, increase accuracy, and make sure that operations are not put behind schedule due to injuries.

Today, there are automation solutions to fit almost any laboratory, enabling everybody to take better care of their staff and put welfare on top of the agenda.

One solution for user-friendly and flexible automation is the flowbot ONE. Discover its unique features, that will improve laboratory safety.