ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


March 1992/161

C o p in g  w ith  r e p e titiv e -m o tio n  
in ju r ie s in  a la r g e  a c a d e m ic  lib r a r y

By Richard A. Eissinger

University Librarian 
Texas A & M  University 
Koriyama, Japan

and Thomas W. Ricks

Science Reference Librarian
University o f  Colorado a t Colorado Springs

A re  y o u r  w orkstations user-friendly?

R
e ports from  th e  public a nd corporate 

sectors in re ce n t years have revealed d ra ­
m atic increases in w orker injuries related t

tive actions or m otions. F o r em ployers these inju­
ries translate to lost tim e, re d u ce d  productivity, and 
increased benefits costs. A re ce n t National Institute 
fo r O ccupational Safety and H e alth (N IO S H ) in­
vestigation o f th e  new spaper industry in th e  U.S. 
established a significant relationship b etw een com ­
p u te r term inal usage and th e  incidence o f repetitive 
m otion injuries.1 Som e h ealth care officials are 
p re dicting th at this type o f injury will be th e  n u m b er 
one occupational hazard o f  th e  1990s.2

Libraries are ju st beginning to  recognize and 
acknowledge th e  existence o f th ese  problem s. The 
S te rlin g e . Evans L ibrary at Texas A&M University 
is an exam ple o f a large academ ic library w here a 
good deal o f repetitive w ork is co n d u cted  by staff 
using c o m p u te r term inals. W ith a large centrally 
located facility, holdings over 1.9 million volumes, 
a fully in te g rate d  online system, a nd a  full range o f 
electronic re fe re n ce  services, m ost o f th e  137 clas­
sified staff a nd 57 professionals spend som e tim e 
working w ith co m p u te r term inals.

In  January 1991, p ro m p te d  by increasing com ­
plaints and several re p o rte d  w rist injuries am ong 
library staff, th e  Evans L ibrary Staff Association 
form ed a com m ittee to investigate th ese  incidences. 
T he staff com m ittee was com posed o f professional 
a n d  paraprofessional librarians, w ho set o ut to 
investigate th e  com plaints a nd to form ulate recom ­

o

m endations to th e  library adm inistration on m eth ­
ods to  deal w ith this continuing problem . T he 

 rceopme tmi­ ittee searched the literature o f repetitive 
m otion injury, circulated a questionnaire am ong 
th e  librarystaff, a nd consulted professional occupa­
tional therapists for input.

I n v e s t i g a t i o n  o f  t h e  p r o b l e m

A literature survey revealed expressed concern 
th ro u g h  publishing activity in business and govern­
m en t sectors, w ith little activity re p o rte d  from  th e  
library quarter. N o reports w ere found on how 
academ ic libraries are dealing w ith these problem s. 
O ne re c e n t study d id address repetitive m otion 
injuries in large public libraries through a survey of 
m anagem ent response to incidence o f  these inju­
ries.3

T he com m ittee th e n  designed a nd circulated a 
questionnaire to  th e  Evans L ibrary staff to ascertain 
th e  n u m b er o f w ork-related injuries in th e  library 
and to  establish th e  level o f th e  staffs’ concerns and 
know ledge on repetitive-m otion injuries.

T he questionnaire was d istributed to  194 library 
staff m em bers a nd sought candid response by as­
suring anonymity. Most of those re tu rn e d  (68 indi­
viduals, 35%) included lengthy com m entary. Many 
(43 individuals, 63% o f th e  respondents) identified 
specific com plaints due to  th e ir w orkstation envi­
ronm ents such as neck and backache, sore arms, 
and headache. M ost o f those responding indicated



162 /C & R L  News

th a t th ey  shared workstations with o th er individuals 
and th a t they had only marginally adjustable w ork­
station equipm ent. T hese factors severely lim it the 
ability to properly adjust work conditions to the 
individual, worker. T he majority (35 individuals, 
51% o f th e  respondents) asked for m ore inform a­
tion on repetitive-m otion injuries and on how to  
properly adjust w orkstation e quipm ent. A surpris­
ing num ber o f individuals (7 library staff, 11% of the 
respondents) reported prior or present treatm ent by a 
physician for some type of repetitive-motion injury. 
These responses prompted the committee to seek out­
side professional advice in studying these problems.

T he com m ittee consequently approached a com ­
m unity health care provider, Scott & W hite, Inc., 
th at agreed to conduct a thorough library evalua­
tion. A group o f Scott & W hite physical a nd occu­
pational therapists th en  inspected library worksta­
tions and interview ed staff about th eir w ork envi­
ro n m en t concerns. T he therapists’ recom m enda­
tions included a program  to m odify existing w ork­
stations to provide a safer a nd m ore productive 
work environm ent, and outlined suggestions for 
educating the staff in th e  p ro p e r utilization o f the 
existing workstations. T hey suggested th at a p ro ­
gram  o f stretching exercises and provision for fre ­
q u e n t breaks for operators would help to  relieve 
som e of th e  physical stress at th e  c om puter w orksta­
tion. T hey outlined suggestions for providing e d u ­
cational inform ation for staff workers, and provided 
guidelines on the selection o f ergonom ic chairs and 
equipm ent. T hey concluded th eir evaluation with 
recom m endations th at th e  library conduct a p e ri­
odic review o f the program  to include systematic 
data collection (noting lost days, n u m b er o f injuries, 
type o f injuries, and library areas w here injuries 
occurred) and a scheduled assessm ent o f th e  p ro ­
gram by train ed  professionals.

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s  o f  t h e  c o m m i t t e e

T he library com m ittee th en  recom m ended that 
th e  L ibrary Adm inistration consider several actions 
th at w ould have im m ediate benefit. T hese actions 
included altering work schedules to accom m odate 
m ore freq u e n t breaks, rotating job assignm ents to 
m inim ize repetitive motions, providing staff with 
examples o f stretching exercises to  minim ize stress, 
and conducting an inventory o f existing w orksta­
tions to identify specific problem  areas. It was 
stressed th at these efforts involve m inim al initial 
cost and have th e  im m ediate benefit of building 
awareness o f th e  existence o f  these problem s am ong 
library staff. However, th e  com m ittee n o ted th at 
long-term  solutions would require extensive p lan­
ning, m uch g re ater expense, and a long-term  com ­
m itm ent by th e  adm inistration. Purchase o f ergo­
nom ic equipm ent a nd w orkstation enhancem ents 
m ust be accom panied with staff education and

training program s and an ongoing evaluation p ro ­
gram  to  ensure a continual awareness.

Evidence o f how effectively library staff and 
adm inistration can w ork to g eth e r in addressing 
these problem s is evidenced by a re ce n t com m it­
m en t by the library director to purchase several new 
ergonom ic workstations as an initial step in solving 
th e  problem . In addition, a group has b e en  selected 
from  am ong the library staff to begin th e  design and 
im plem entation o f a preventive training program  
based on th e  com m ittee’s recom m endations.

C o n c l u s i o n s

This p a p er can serve as an outline for all libraries, 
regardless o f  size or type, th at seek to  reduce the 
potential for repetitive-m otion injuries am ong li­
brary staff. E ncouraging a cooperative atm osphere 
b etw een library staff and adm inistration is im por­
tan t in recognizing and addressing th e  problem . 
W hen repetitive-m otion injuries are suspected or 
discovered in th e  library, librarians have th e  obliga­
tion to  th eir colleagues in the library, to th e  profes­
sion, and to th eir library patrons to investigate the 
m atter and encourage change w here appropriate 
and feasible. N ot only is th e  health of th e  employees 
at risk, b u t these injuries can be expensive in term s 
o f rehabilitation and loss o f productivity. This p ro ­
cess can som etim es be politically and financially 
unpopular with som e adm inistrators, b u t if ap­
proached systematically and collectively the pro ­
cess of evaluation and recom m endation has a greater 
chance of success. W e should n o t wait for others 
outside the library to  im pose changes.

N ew  technologies will continue to  b e  im ple­
m en te d  by libraries. L ibrarians m ust be aware of 
th e  potential problem s th at com e with these tec h ­
nologies. Some o f  th e  incidents o f repetitive-m o­
tion injury re p o rte d  at Sterling C. Evans Library 
have b een w orkstation related, b u t m any are due to 
lack of education and understanding of the p ro b ­
lem. W orking within a cooperative ra th e r th an  an 
adversarial environm ent has allowed th e  fullest use 
of these new  technologies w here productivity and a 
healthy w ork environm ent can both exist.

N O TES

1Jim Castelli, “Review comm ission stands ready 
to arbitrate OSHA disputes,” Safety & Health (Au­
gust 1990): 32-34.

2P e te r A. Susser, “W ashington scene: Growing 
concern for w orkers’ repetitive m otion injuries has 
m ade th eir prevention O SHA’s issue o f th e  n in e ­
ties,” E m ploym ent Relations Today 16 (Autumn 
1989): 243-48.

3James M. Kusack, ‘T h e  light at the end of the carpal 
tunnel,” Library Journal 115 (July 1990): .56-59. ■  ■



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