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Can Pipetting Damage Your Health? The Art of Ergonomics: Making the Work Fit the Worker

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What is an RMI / RSI?The term “Repetitive Motion in jury” (RMi) or “Repetitive Strain injury” (RSi) describes generally painful movement disorders resulting from stereotypical movement patterns. They are among the most com­mon – and therefore the most expensive – workplace­induced illnesses. The hand, forearm, elbow, shoulder and neck area are usually affected, and typical symp­toms include impaired sensitivity, feelings of numbness, non­localised pain and swelling. Often, specific treatment or even surgical intervention is required. in many industrialised countries, RMi is a recog­

In a working environment, use of ergo nomic principles reduces levels of physical and mental stress while reducing the risk of illness due to accidents or over working. However, if these principles are inade quately follo wed and a person proves

physi cally unable to meet some of the demands of day-to-day

tasks, then it is only a matter of time before workplace accidents or

occupational illnesses occur. And, as “mouse arm” – a painful inflammation

of the forearm – shows, this needn’t involve physically de man ding work. Caused by the rapid,

small movements of the mouse occurring during regular, long periods of computer work, mouse

arm is a recognised occupational illness in many countries. Mouse arm is an illness that is classi fied

within the Repetitive Motion Injury (RMI) group – i.e. complaints caused by repetitive movements of the body.

nised occupational illness – and it is the leading complaint of its kind in the USa. RSI is subdivided into two types:Type 1: a doctor has been able to diagnose a medi­cal cause for the symptoms – typically in the form of swelling or inflammation of mus­cles or tendons.

Type 2: no medical cause for the symptoms has been diagnosed. There is no identifiable reason for the pain. Type 2 RSi is also referred to as “non­specific pain syndrome”.

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ry What are the key risk factors involved in pipetting?

First of all, pipetting is one of the most repetitive tasks in the laboratory, and is usually performed for several hours a day. Evidence shows us that these kinds of repe­titive muscle contractions and tendon move­ments are predestined to be the cause of disorders of the arm and neck area.

The second risk factor involves the forces that must be applied to hold and operate a pipette. To avoid risk of injury, the force applied during the frequent, repetitive per­formance of a dynamic activity should be no more than 30 % of the person’s maxi­mum physical strength. For the thumb, this amounts to about 2.1 kg for women and 3 kg for men. With many conventional pipettes, this value is often greatly exceeded – with corresponding repercussions for health.

The use of an innovative and ergonomic pipetting system (such as the Rainin Lite­Touch™ system) can make a significant con­tribution to reducing these pipetting forces.

Posture is of course another decisive factor in working with pipettes. Taking regular breaks is also important, so as to give hands, arms and shoulders a brief period of relaxation – specialised stretching exer­cises are especially effective here.

Examples of clinical syndromes covered by Type 1 RSI include:Carpal tunnel syndrome: Pressure on the median nerve that runs through the wrist.Bursitis: inflammation and swelling of syno­vial fluid sacs in joints such as the elbow.Tendinitis: inflammation of the tendon, e.g. at the thumb.

What leads to the development of RMi / RSi? Primary causes include the repetition of a procedure over a long period of time without rest, tasks involving physical effort, poor posture, low temperatures and – last but not least – stress.

RMI/RSI from pipetting?Many studies on workplace ergonomics have shown that a daily one­hour session of pipetting over the course of a year can significantly increase the risk of developing an RMi

illness. as employee age increases and workloads

grow heavier, this risk increases exponentially. The first symptoms that typically appear are feelings of fatigue in the thumb and fore­arm: these can then develop into actual pain, inflammation or stiff­ness. Other possible symptoms in­clude feelings of numbness, plus burning or stabbing pains in the fingers, elbow, shoulder or neck area. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually temporary. neverthe­

less, they can still result in perma­nent injury.

Stretch!Order your free Stretch Poster

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With your fingers interlaced and in front of you, gently rotate your hands and wrists clockwise and counterclockwise 10 times.

Next, separate and straighten your fingers until you feel the gentle tension of the stretch. Hold 10 seconds, then relax.

It ’s good for your mind and great for your body. This Hands, Arms

and Shoulders routine by stretching authority Bob Anderson is

perfect for shaking off stiffness and stress that accumulates after

long hours at the lab bench.

Stretch!Hold 10 seconds, then relax.

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Bend your fingers at the knuckles and hold for 10 seconds. Now, relax.

With your arms straight out in front of you and fingers pointing upwards, bend your wrists toward you to stretch the back of your forearms. Hold 10-12 seconds. Repeat.

Next, bend your wrist with your fingers pointing downward to stretch the top of your forearms. Hold for 10-12 seconds. Repeat.

Interlace your fingers behind your head and pull your shoulder blades together to create tension in your upper

back. Hold for 4-5 seconds then relax.

Turn your chin toward your left shoulder to create a stretch on the right side of your neck. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Stretch to each side twice (and breathe!).

Gently pull your elbow across your chest toward your opposite shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds and relax.Do this for both sides.

Interlace your fingers out in front of you at shoulder height. Turn your palms outward as you extend your arms forward. Hold an easy stretch for 15 seconds, then relax and repeat.

Lean your head sideways toward your left shoulder. At the same time, use your left hand to pull your right arm down and across, behind your back. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Do both sides.

Interlace fingers behind your back and slowly turn your elbows inward while straightening your arms. Hold for 5-10 seconds.

Interlace your fingers above your head and, with palms facing upward, put your arms slightly back and up. Hold for 15 seconds (and breathe!).

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This “Hands, Arms & Shoulders“ routine is excerpted from Stretching, the definitive guide to understanding and leveraging the power of movement, ©2010 by Bob and Jean Anderson. Reprinted with permission. Shelter Publications, Inc., Bolinas, California U.S.A.

5Gently raise your shoulders toward your ears until you feel a slight tension

in your neck and shoulders. Hold for5 seconds, then relax.

Here’s a Good Pipetting Practice from Rainin: Get up from the bench every 20 or 30 minutes to move around. And try to do all or part of this routine several times each day.

Subject to technical changes© 03/2012 Mettler-Toledo AG Printed in Switzerland 17700769Marketing RAININ Europe