An assistive technology specialist at the heart of the battle to prevent office workers suffering RSI has held the first workshop of its kind in the region.

 

More than 20 delegates from public and private sectors across the south took part in a two-hour seminar at Keytools’ new headquarters in Southampton.

 

Representatives attended from local authorities, universities, colleges, the NHS, law firms and private practice physiotherapists. There are now plans to host similar events.

 

Keytools - established in the city 18 years ago and a market leader in the UK - is the only firm in the region to cover both ergonomics and disability.

 

It helps make IT easier and more comfortable for office workers, the disabled and children through products ranging from oversized keyboards to a head-controlled mouse mounted on a baseball cap.

 

Keytools’ sales manager Phil Guest said: “We were oversubscribed with requests to attend our inaugural workshop, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the region and which we intend hosting again due to demand.

 

“The event was borne out of the increased awareness by industry of the costly p

roblems caused by debilitating repetitive strain injury (RSI).

 

“RSI is now a burning issue for companies, especially in these days of health and safety compliance, and our record order books for preventative equipment reflect that.

 

“Bosses ignore complaints from staff at their peril, and companies like us are at the heart of the battle to prevent workers unnecessarily suffering RSI.”

 

“The feedback from the workshop was excellent – it was very much an educational exchange of views and experiences and how to improve matters for a lot of office workers in the south who, we hear from anecdotal evidence, suffer in silence.”

 

According to the Health & Safety Executive, more than half a million workers in the UK suffer from RSI, while the Trades Union Congress cites 5.4 million days lost through sick leave annually.

 

Keytools, which has 23 staff, moved into two-storey Abacus House in Portswood late last year after outgrowing a split-site premises nearby. Clients include Hampshire County Council and Dorset County Council.

 

Meanwhile the firm is gearing up for the UK Safety and Health Expo, at the NEC in Birmingham from May 13 – 15, with a stand illustrating how to combat RSI.