An office at home has been one of the enduring trends of the past decade, with 3.
5 million people in the UK choosing to ditch the daily commute in favour of working from home.
In the past year alone, over half a million people have swapped the office for their home office.
The increasing use of laptops, blackberries and mobiles by people working at home had increased the potential for suffering from Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI).
Repetitive Strain Injury can be caused by incorrectly adjusted work equipment, such as chairs, keyboards and computer monitors.
Many "mobile" devices are not designed ergonomically, as they are not meant for extended periods of use and therefore the risks of Repetitive Strain Injuries could be much higher than for office-based staff whose workplaces will have been ergonomically assessed as part of health and safety procedures.
Employers should be aware that the very same legislation that covers health and safety in the office also applies to people who work from home, and not carrying out an ergonomic assessment on a home office or workstation could lead to that person being at risk from injury.
Incorrect seating posture, desk height and monitor setups can all place strain on the muscles and joints which can cause Repetitive Strain Injuries.
The responsibility for making sure that a work environment is safe rests with the employer, and the cost of not putting health and safety at the heart of a business can be very heavy, with Repetitive Strain Injury type claims costing UK companies £300 million a year.
In a recent case a woman whose RSI prevented her from returning to full or part time work was awarded £484,000 after taking her employer, the RAF, to court.