Ombudsman account for AECOM wrote:
>
> Dear Fellow Sequencers:
>
> I am wondering if any of you are suffering pain in your fingers, hands,
> wrists and arms? Do you experience numbness and weakness in the hands?
> How long have you been sequencing?
> Does the pain and numbness increase when you are loading the gels?
> What ergonomic measures are you doing to help alleviate the pain? i.e..
> electronic pipetman or other gadgets
Two technicians here have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
If you have not yet had it, be very glad. It is very painful and quite
crippling (personal experience, unrelated to sequencing).
Each of the affected technicians has been in this job for more than 6
years. Their repetitive motion injury is mostly likely the result of
their daily pipetting (loading gels, spin columns, reaction tubes).
Their problems were significantly reduced (but *not* eliminated) by
(i) switching to electronic pipettors whenever possible [less finger
movement = less injury], (ii) parallel pipetting whenever possible,
and (iii) switching to spin columns that were pre-hydrated. Periodic
"rest" days are also necessary. Other ideas are currently in experiment
or are planned.
In my opinion, CTS is a major problem in a sequencing lab, and as such
is a major source of technician dissatisfaction and turnover, not to
mention decreased productivity.
Bob Lyons
Univ of Michigan
-----------------------------
Robert Lyons, Ph.D.
Director, DNA Sequencing Core
University of Michigan
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