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Health and Safety: Erskine Building

OOS Information

Please remember that only a doctor can reliably advise you about your health - and you should be careful in your choice of doctor.

In the context of computer usage, OOS is just about any pain in your muscles or tendons which you regularly notice during or after using a keyboard and/or mouse, or even just sitting at your workstation. Initially, you might feel the pain after a long period of work (eg: 4 or more hours), but chronic sufferers feel pain very soon after sitting at a keyboard, or in the worst cases are never free of pain.

There are a raft of causes of OOS which often occur together:

• Long periods of maintaining the same posture at your computer workstation, even if it's a "recommended" posture. Of course, if your computer monitor and keyboard/mouse are poorly positioned you'll never be able to maintain a comfortable or even a "recommended" posture.
• Extensive use of a computer mouse, especially for exacting tasks such as computer drawings.
• Typing quickly for long periods with few breaks - this can lead to actual overuse injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• "Hunt and peck" typists suffer from posture-related problems.
• Not taking breaks from using your computer - you should be taking frequent short breaks of 10-30 seconds and interleaving computing and non-computing tasks where possible.
• Being tired, tense and "stressed out" when using your computer, eg: when trying to meet a deadline.
• Typing with the telephone receiver cradled on your shoulder.
• And many others ...

In the long term, OOS problems can lead to physical deterioration of muscles and bones, especially in your neck and spine.

If you're starting to notice regular OOS-type pain then seek help, because the best cure is early intervention. As a start, contact the CSSE safety officer.

More information about OOS

If you want to find out more about OOS and how to avoid it, try these links:

• An extract from Paul Marxhausen's RSI page.
• Dennis Ankrum's Research suggesting an unconventional approach to workstation setup.
• Information from the Mayo Clinic about workstation ergonomics, eyestrain and stress.

Moderated by the CSSE Safety Officer

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To the main page for CSSE Health & Safety.