RSI Handbook: Health and Safety Committees
Associations should consider forming Health and Safety Committees to monitor conditions in the work environment, negotiate or develop policies to address health and safety language, and meet with supervisors and administrations to have health and safety issues taken seriously. The committee could advocate for:
- worker training to promote early recognition and quick reporting of injuries/illnesses to the administration.
- a system for collecting and reviewing injury/illness reports
- careful check-up of injured workers by medical personnel
- conservative treatment (ice, massage, splints, medication), instead of early surgery
- follow-up medical evaluation within a week by specialist familiar with RSIs if condition does not improve
- conservative return to work, including:
o following all work restrictions from doctors
o adequate recovery time
o real work opportunities on jobs with no “risk factors” for the worker’s injury - staffing and adequate facilities, including medical personnel who know about job-related risk factors
Administrations must not discourage workers from asking to see a doctor. Actions which discourage injury reports include warnings, write-up or harassment of injured workers, contests based on days-without-injury reports, or discrimination against injured workers.
Association representatives who learn of such actions should discuss alternatives and propose correct policies to the administration.
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