Ten minutes of your time on-line can help alleviate a lifetime of pain - can you afford not to?

Fellowes, leading supplier of workspace solutions, are launching an initiative to encourage both employees and companies to regularly assess workstations, as part of a month long campaign to help prevent work-related injuries like RSI.  The "Ergonomix" campaign takes place during March 2008 following International RSI Day which will be held on 28th February 2007.  

Workstation assessments are a legal requirement and have been proven to help employers by reducing the number of working days lost through RSI related injuries and creating a productive work environment. However, research carried out by Fellowes for the campaign showed that whilst 99% of companies*** claimed compliance with workstation assessments, the reality is quite different with:

- over one quarter of new employees have not received a formal work station assessment***
- one third of workers do not even know if their work station has ever been assessed for potential risks**
- 36% of workers have not had an assessment following an environmental change***

Louise Shipley, ergonomic expert  from Fellowes said  "The fact of the matter is that our research shows that many companies and individuals are simply not carrying our basic workstation assessments which can help identity potential 'hotspots' and therefore correct any problems with posture, layout or equipment.
This is why we have created  a dedicated online resource -  www.ergonomix.info, to offer both employees and employers a one-stop assessment site, offering online workstation assessments, advice, tips, hints and useful guides to help create a safe and comfortable work environment. "

RSI related injuries are a range of painful disorders affecting tendons, muscles, nerves and joints. They cause persistent or recurring pain most commonly in the neck, shoulders, forearms, hands, wrists and elbows. Most importantly, they are preventable.

Shipley also added "With an estimated ½ million British workers suffering from repetitive strain injury, it is an issue which businesses and employees should not ignore and we hope www.ergonomix.info can help to address the problem."

*  Rospa
** Deskdemon survey 2006 commissioned by Fellowes
*** Coleman Parkes 2006 commissioned by Fellowes

About Fellowes UK
Fellowes UK is based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire and is a subsidiary of Fellowes Inc. headquartered in Itasca, USA. Fellowes offers an impressive range of products to equip the workspace, including paper shredders, binders and laminators, desktop accessories and record storage solutions. With subsidiaries in Canada, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Australia, Fellowes employs more than 1,200 people throughout the world and expects global sales in excess of $700 million this year.  For more information, visit www.fellowes.co.uk