Repetitive movements are those which are done in the same manner, several times in one time period. Typing on a keyboard, turning one's head to look at different screens, lifting loads in the hands to stack shelves, digging with a shovel, and hammering are all examples of repetitive movements. Repetitive movements arise because efficient work requires reducing tasks to a level of maximum simplicity and minimum complexity or variance as possible. The result of this is that complex work may be broken up into individual jobs whose simplicity allows them to be reliably and repetitively performed by one worker, doing the same thing. Think of a chef commis preparing stock by cutting quantities of vegetables, think of an apprentice mixing mortar, or of a storeperson stocking a shelf. These are simple tasks which may be performed quickly, repetitively, and easily.
As tasks are performed repetitively, the body experiences strain. As that strain accumulates, the body experiences stress, which if applied in excess over a short period of time, or applied in small measure over a long period of time without adequate opportunity to recover, results in damage. The most convenient allegory is that of weightlifting - different physical capacities of strength, power, and endurance are developed by exposing the body to different amounts of weight applied with different vigour, with different recovery periods and in different programs. The arrangement of amount, vigour, and downtime create a specific dose of strain applied to the body - done rightly, this can transform a twiggy Pointdexter into a Pericles. Done wrongly and you end up like Ronnie Coleman.
Repetitive movements expose body structures like the hands, shoulders, legs, and back to doses of load that, in sustained and unmitigated accumulation, can result in such physical injuries as repetitive strain injuries, hand pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and sacroiliac pain. These musculoskeletal disorders arise because these regions of the body accumulate strain at greatest concentration, either because of their involvement in dynamic movements such as carpal tunnel which affects the hands, their anatomy such as is the case with the shoulder, or their stiffness such as the joints of the lower back. Anyone who's felt stiff after a long day of using a keyboard or phone knows this.
The challenge in managing repetitive movements is that repetitive movements are the least complex, most stereotyped action that can be done to complete duties of work as part of a job. The most immediate option to manage the strain imposed on the body from repetitive movements is to change the movement, but this introduces inefficiency, complexity, and confusion into a working process which may lead to decrements in job performance. Rotation of workers may address the concentration of load to which one worker is exposed, but the result of this is that the same dose of load is spread out across several different workers, all of whom may respond differently to the same exposure.
Management of risks arising from repetitive movements should be undertaken according to the hierarchy of controls. Where risk cannot be eliminated entirely, such as through automation or replacement of the task, the task can be substituted for another as in worker rotation. Where this is impracticable, re-engineering of task ergonomics, such as bringing shelves lower or using an apparatus can take strain off workers' limbs and bodies. Administrative controls like job rotation or mandated breaks may be used as well, and protective equipment can be used to mitigate any residual exposure from repetitive load, such as gloves or lifting belts.
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.