Posted By Sheelagh
Hi,

I wonder if anyone has any information regarding Repetative Strain Injury. Briefly I was first diagnosed problems one month after working in a dry cleaners. My job role is a laundry assistant, I am spending around 8 hours a day constantly ironing, shirts and bedding. My bosses expect 15 shirts an hour minimum. I told them of my injuries to my hand, arm, elbow, shoulder and neck. They refuse to recognise such a condition can happen doing ironing. I use a hand held commerical iron and I spend an added 1 hour filling washing machines and driers. Now after being off on my first 2 weeks sickness and attending physio at the hospital they are questioning why i want a health and safety risk assessment. I explained all my symptoms and what my physiotherapist had advised me to do. My employer told me that I could not do any of my physio exercises unless the time spent doing them is deducted from my salary. The next thing to come from this was that they have put me onto another 6 month trial which the first one ended over 1 month ago and they never even said anything about the first trial period until after I came off from being sick. Now they have told me that they have evidence that one of my co-workers will testify that I told her that I had RSI in a previous job which is nonsense and can prove it through medical records. Also I had been asked by my employer to get a letter from the doctor regarding my condition and previous medical history. My employer was constantly telling me that I am rude, confrontational, antisocial. Before going on holiday her husband/partner was praising my work. I was so distressed after 2 hours of constant grilling by my employer that I went to my doctor to get the letter she required. My doctor said I was to be signed off again for another 2 weeks and to go to Citizens Advice and that the doctor would support me all the way. I now have to go through the awful ordeal again when I get back and I fear the loss of my job. Has anyone got any advice for me? Please.

Posted By Sheelagh
Hi Ken,

Thank you so much for your response. I read the leaflet and found it helpful. Initially I was told RSI but I am still under investigation & treatment for joint pain & neurological symptoms. My doctor has written a letter to my employer saying this and has told them that I am to follow the physiotherapists management plan. I am now off to Citizens Advice for basic advice on the way I am being treated and am I to continue doing what is hurting me with no assistance from my employer.

Once again many thanks.

Posted By Lee Mac
I agree with Seamus on this, a solicitor would be best to advise on this as it appears employment law as well as H&S law is involved on this occasion.



Lee

Posted By Sheelagh
Yes Mark your dad certainly is a hero in my books. You know the other girls especially the manageress who is just 27 and another young lady of 17 long to rotate jobs. We are all so repetative in our actions and the manageress is a mouse excuse the pun to the boss because she hates to be confronted at. She has been with him 6 yrs and cannot wait for the day of her marriage and to have children to escape the misery. Poor girl is so sweet and he makes her do over and above what a normal person would expect. We had bad electric currents flashing from the press that she operates. Our boss was on holiday in europe and she was so scared to phone him about it. She just kept pulling the trip switch back into position, pressed for 2 minutes and flash again it went. I made her move away from it and turn down the system. After her speaking to him on the phone and him blaming her for it, she asked me what shall I do. Sigh! Yes not only health & safety issues, occupational health but more so fire risks are needed. I have no escape route from my work room should a fire occur from the presses up the corridor. I am told to climb onto the step ladder, swing over the safe and self, climb up the window to the only small opening in it and jump 10ft. At my age I would break my neck!! COSH, have asked him remove a tank blocking access out of the building inside the toilet. He is ignoring it, hoping no one comes back!!

Ok I need to focus on help. Thanks guys for your help.

Posted By Sheelagh
Hi Ted,

Yeah nice one huh. What do us people do to earn a living is beyond me too!!

Posted By Sheelagh
Hi Ian,

I have an update on my news which is I have now been sacked. When I was told that I would be on another 6 month trial, 2 days later I received a letter in the post sacking me while I was off sick. Oh its been a roller coaster of emotions for me as you can imagine. Now I am just trying to see what help I can get from Incapacity Benefit at the moment.

I did go to Citizens advice and apparantly they are within their legal rights to dismiss anyone who has been working for them less than a year and they can say whatever they want in order to dismiss me. So for now I have to accept my position and carry on looking for other employment in the meantime.

With reference to you starting an ironing business and any ideas on reducing RSI injuries, I have a few from my own personal experiences.

1. Make sure that no one is constantly ironing for longer than 2 hours at a time without either taking a break or doing a job completely different to ironing. I would suggest maybe tagging clothes, washing, drying, hanging garments or even just taking a 10 minute break (this is something my employers overlooked and insisted that when we were busy, breaks were out of the question. This lasted 7 months of no breaks at all only my 1/2hr for lunch).

2. Provide seating for that person, I say this because I had to stand the whole time and seating was not allowed.

3. Encourage the person to do some exercises during their break maybe some basic back exercises of stretching and pulling back the shoulders, twisting of the waist, expanding the chest etc. I say this because I am developing an old ladies hump on the top of my spine which was caused by being slumped over in a standing position for as many hours as I had done.

4. If you employ someone maybe go for 2 part-timers rather than 1 whole time person. I say this again because it would reduce that person from getting RSI if the hours are reduced. Frankly 9.5 hours a day doing the same job day in and day out would have damaging effects on anyone.

5. The iron itself was a big problem for me. The reason being is that the weight alone of it was too heavy for my hands. It was an industrial iron but I think this guy must of had it for donkey years because everything he had on his premises looked well past its sell by date. Look into the weight and dont just judge the weight by your own hands but use a females hands to pass judgement too. My boss never understood that my hands are much smaller, I have muscle wasteage and my joints now hyper extend. He has good muscle in his hands and he obviously is a lot stronger than me to which I may add, I am 50yrs old and he is a healthy 40yr old.
Another thing about the iron itself is, mine had a steam button to press with my thumb which protruded to the left of the iron. I would recommend finding one with a button on top of the iron like a domestic iron. Because I was constantly steaming whilst ironing, my thumb protruded to the left and was pressing all day long. It was uncomfortable because my thumb was not resting on a handle or anything, so the joint became really inflamed and painful.

6. Try introducing a press, it doesnt have to be a big press especially if you are setting up for yourself to begin with until business establishes. You can buy an industrial press with a stand etc for an estimate value of £400. The press is ideal for bed linen. This is something else my boss had no intention of buying for me. So all bed linen was done by hand. Its hard work when you have cotton, crinkled fabric and they are king size beds. The pain was also felt in my left thumb and forefinger because of pinching and pulling action in trying to straighten out items in order to iron.

Lastly the only advice I can give on any RSI injuries, is please believe your employee and help them to reduce whatever it is that is injurying them. Be sympathic because they would be in a lot of pain even when they have left the premises. My boss was too money orientated to even consider anyones health. He thinks that because he is ok, that everyone else should be too!!

If my hands were better, I too would consider going self employed doing ironing because I know it can be a very lucrative job. I look back on how much he charged and what I got paid and he made a profit of just ironing alone, a good £20 per hour + my wages, making it £26 per hour.

Hope this helps you Ian. Good luck on your new venture.

Sheelagh

Posted By Mark Eastbourne
I am so sorry, I cannot believe that employers like your ex-employer stil exist. Stay strong, definitely seek further advice, you have been treated so unfairly with potentially an upper limb disorder which may affect your future employment.

Really sorry I can do nothing else for you.

Mark