Health & Safety Risk Management System

H14 - Work Related Upper Limb Disorders

The term upper limb disorder encompasses a variety of musculoskeletal problems, affecting the tissues of the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder. Such problems are relatively common in the general population. Regarding the workplace, WRULD is an umbrella term for conditions thought to be caused by exposure in the workplace. Alternative terms for this are overuse syndrome, repetitive strain injury (RSI) and cumulative trauma disorder (CTD).

As an employer, you have a legal duty to prevent work-related upper limb disorders or to stop any cases getting worse. If you do not manage the risk of upper limb disorders to workers you run the risk of legal action and possible compensation costs.

This procedure will help you undertake a risk assessment that identifies the risks in your workplace and offers some guidance on simple control measures you can put into place.