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Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Your Staff
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the bane of the office worker and if an employee gets it from repetitive motion work in front of the computer, the employer can end up with a costly workers’ comp claim on its hands, particularly if doctors call for surgery to remedy the injury.
That’s why it’s important that companies focus on prevention by making small changes to how their employees work in jobs that involve repetitive motions, like working on a computer, a cash register, a restaurant and in many manual labor and manufacturing occupations.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is triggered when the nerve that runs from your forearm to your wrist gets pinched at the wrist. This muscle controls a few of the small muscles in the hand and fingers as well as all sensations, and it is a common workplace injury that is caused by repetitive motions, particularly among people who are frequently using a keyboard and mouse.
Here’s a look at this all-too-common affliction and how you can help your employees avoid it.
Symptoms
There are several symptoms that usually occur when an employee has carpal tunnel. The first is a frequent burning, itching or tingling feeling in the palm of your hand. Often people say their fingers feel swollen when there is no visible swelling.
Signs of carpal tunnel syndrome often occur at night and can wake the sufferer up with the need to shake out their wrists as if they have fallen asleep. Another common symptom is decreased strength in your hands that may make it difficult to get a tight grip on something or to pick up tiny objects with your fingers.
Prevention
Train all of your employees who spend long hours behind a desk or typing on a computer in the following preventive measures for carpal tunnel:
Provide chairs with sturdy back support that promote sitting up straight and prevent workers from slouching.
Good posture is key. Employees should adjust the height of their chairs so that their arms and wrist are level. Do not bend your wrist all the way up or down when using a keyboard. A relaxed middle position with the wrists parallel to the floor is best. Keep your keyboard at elbow height or slightly lower.
Replace old keyboards and other desk tools with ergonomically designed ones. For example, alternative geometry keyboards (Microsoft Natural Keyboard, Apple Adjustable Keyboard) allow the user to adjust and modify hand positions, as well as adjust key tension. Most have a split or slanted keyboard that places the wrists at an angle.
Employees should make sure that their computer mouse is comfortable to use and doesn’t strain their wrist.
Provide wrist rests, which fit under most keyboards and can help keep the wrists and fingers in a comfortable position.
Helping sufferers
You should caution your susceptible staff that curing carpal tunnel syndrome is a lengthy and painful process and many cases require surgery that can be performed on an outpatient basis. If they develop the condition on the job, it may be considered a workers’ compensation insurance claim and could involve medication and, in serious cases, surgery.
After surgery, the employee will need to wear a brace and not use their hand(s) for a significant period of time. And rehabilitation may also be in order to ensure their hand(s) heal properly.
If you are starting to see dollar signs reading this, you are right. The process will cost your company time, lost productivity and money. If the claim includes surgery, it could affect your workers’ comp experience as well and possibly result in a rate increase.
Cal/OSHA’s Indoor Heat Illness Regulations Take Effect
Cal/OSHA’s indoor heat illness prevention regulations took effect July 24, requiring employers to implement safety measures when indoor workplace temperatures reach or exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
The new rules apply to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and require employers to provide water, rest, cool-down areas and training when temperatures exceed the threshold.
The standard requires employers who have indoor worksites with higher temperatures to take immediate steps to ensure they are in compliance with the new rules.
Under the standard, most requirements for additional protections start at the 82-degree trigger, but additional ones kick in at 87 degrees. At that point, businesses would be required to take additional steps, when feasible, including cooling down the work areas, implementing work-rest schedules and providing personal heat-protective equipment.
Where workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high-radiant-heat areas, the additional requirements apply at 82 degrees.
Employers whose indoor workplaces may exceed the 82-degree threshold will need to create, maintain and make available to employees a heat illness prevention plan (HIPP), which all affected employees should be trained in and read. The plan covers all of the below.
When temperatures in an indoor workplace reach 82 degrees, employers must provide:
Access to water — You must provide access to potable water that is fresh, suitably cool and free of charge. The water shall be located as close as possible to work areas and cool-down areas.
Access to a cool-down area — You must provide access to at least one cool-down area, where the temperature must be kept at below 82 degrees.
The cool-down area should be blocked from direct sunlight, be shielded from other high-radiant heat sources and be large enough to accommodate the number of workers on rest breaks so they can sit comfortably without touching each other. The area should be as close as possible to work areas.
Cool-down rest periods — You should encourage workers to take preventive cool-down rest breaks and allow those who ask for a cool-down rest break to take one. Workers should be monitored for symptoms of heat-related illness when they are taking such cool-down rests.
Also, the standard requires employers to:
- Provide first aid or emergency response to any workers showing heat illness signs or symptoms, including contacting emergency medical services.
- Closely observe new workers and newly assigned employees working in hot areas during a 14-day acclimatization period, as well as all employees working during a heatwave.
- Provide training to both workers and supervisors in the HIPP and prevention measures.
The takeaway
The solutions for many businesses will be installing air conditioning that ensures that temperatures never exceed the 82-degree threshold in an indoor workspace. While costly, it can reduce the need for employers to take any additional steps to protect employees against heat illness.
However, while this may be a good option in smaller locations, it may not be feasible in larger facilities like warehouses and production operations due to costs and difficulty in cooling a large area.
How Landlords Can Avoid Mold Liability Lawsuits
Mold is a serious problem in a number of older homes, apartment buildings and commercial buildings.
It’s often caused by poor maintenance and unchecked water leaks that over time create conditions that are ripe for the growth of the fungus.
The problem is that this mold can aggravate tenants’ allergies, and there are plenty of cases where they sue landlords over being sickened by mold. And juries round the country have awarded large settlements (sometimes in the millions of dollars) to tenants after they claimed they were sickened by mold in their homes, apartments or offices.
Worse, it’s difficult to make a claim on your landlord’s policy if you are sued by a tenant over mold issues, as many of the policies exclude pollution.
Fortunately, there are steps a landlord can take to reduce the chances of being sued by a tenant for mold issues.
While most states do not have mold-specific laws, they do have negligence laws. And most often, mold growth is the direct result of poor maintenance or just pure negligence as some landlords may detect a leak and not bother fixing it. Leaking water and moist conditions are the breeding ground for mold.
In order for a landlord to be considered negligent in a premises liability lawsuit, they must be aware that the problem exists or should have been aware that the problem existed.
When the issue is toxic mold exposure, it’s easy for a landlord to be held liable for having allowed a toxic environment to fester.
Steps you can take to avoid being sued
You can take steps to reduce the chances of being sued by a tenant. It may take some extra time and upfront expense, but it will be worth it if you can avoid being targeted with litigation.
Require tenants to immediately notify you about water damage, broken dehumidifiers, condensation or related problems — In your lease you should require that your tenants notify you about a leak or other water issue that they become aware of. This will allow you to remediate the problem once they call and also provide you with a strong defense if they later try to sue, claiming you are liable for damages.
Some sample language that you can include in the lease could include advising tenants to keep their dwellings clean, remove visible moisture on windows, walls, ceilings, floors and other surfaces as soon as possible, and notify landlords — in writing — about any signs of water leaks, water infiltration or mold.
Require tenants to carry renter’s insurance — Your insurance will cover the structure itself, but renter’s insurance will cover any mold damage to your tenants’ property and belongings.
Stay to a strict maintenance schedule — You should schedule times with your tenants so you can regularly inspect for leaks in pipes, windows and roofs, as well as water staining, and moisture and condensation (including in the HVAC system). Leaks are usually where mold starts.
During inspections, besides looking for those obvious issues, you should look out for mildewy, musty odors, and look for mold and fungus. If you find any issues, remediate them promptly.
Respond quickly when a tenant complains — Proactive landlords that fix problems their tenants raise, have a much less chance of being sued. Therefore, if one of your tenants reports a mold or moisture problem, you should immediately have the property inspected by a professional.
If they detect any mold, mildew and/or leaks that may be causing it, you should hire professionals to remove the mold and repair any problems that were causing the growth in the first place.
Make sure to document any inspections you conduct, as well as any repairs, cleanup and remediation.
Finally, you should make sure to follow up with your tenants to make sure the problem hasn’t recurred. A good idea is to check with them a week later, a month later and then six months later. But before that six-month mark, you may want to have the property reinspected for mold.
Insurance
The typical landlord’s insurance policy covers:
Property damage — From fire or other natural catastrophe.
Lost rental income/rental default — Should something cause your property to be uninhabitable (severe mold, termites, a rat infestation or a sinkhole), this provides temporary rental reimbursement to cover the income you’d otherwise receive if tenants could be occupying the property. It also covers lost income from a tenant’s rental default.
Liability — This is coverage for the medical or legal costs that might ensue if the tenant or a visitor suffers injury due to a property maintenance issue.