Causes of Upper Limb Disorder
All these conditions may occur independently of the workplace.
They may occur in the workplace as a result of:
- Repetitive finger, hand or arm movement which occurs during typing, squeezing, hammering, pushing or pulling.
- Excessive force required to undertake an activity.
- Poor posture because of badly designed work stations
- Awkward movements because of poorly designed tools.
Work related upper limb disorders (WRULDs) are widespread across a range of industries and jobs. Any type of work that involves an individual using their arms to carry out tasks can potentially lead to WRULD. Computer use and assembly work are frequently associated with WRULD but there are many other tasks that have high risks (e.g. using power tools, meat and poultry preparation etc).
Amended November 2009
