Yes, in the 14 years I have been doing fragment analysis, I have had 2
technicians with carpal tunnel syndrome. In fragment analysis, there is a
lot of controlled pipetting to load gels as in sequencing, but 10 times as
much pipetting to prepare trays of multiplexes. Both techs had it to a
minor degree such that when it gave them pain we could switch to another
duty and it would go away within the week. When I requested two small
pipetting robots (Robbins' Hydras) I specifically used preventing CTS as a
justification for the purchase.
I think it is a very serious problem because the injuries can be permanent.
I have a daughter who has CTS because of repetitive keyboard motion and she
has become functional in her career again without surgery by paying
attention to various exercises and changing her keyboard technique. There
are a lot of books about carpal tunnel syndrome, but they usually address
this keyboard problem. Does anyone know of exercises or ergonomic measures
to relieve pipetting CTS?
Linda Ballard
Genomics Core Facility
University of Utah
> ----------
> From: Robert Lyons
> Reply To: boblyons@umich.edu
> Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 11:11 AM
> To: Recipients of ABRF List
> Subject: Re: DSEQ : carpal tunnel syndrome (fwd)
>
> 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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