Occupational Conditions
There are many different occupational conditions that are cause through work related incidents and can be permanent or temporary. If you have a condition that has been diagnosed and you think this is as a result of negligence on behalf of your current or previous employees, then you could have a claim for compensation.
Below is a list of different types of occupational conditions that are work related:
Vibration White Finger
Vibration White Finger Claims are made for an industrial injury caused by hand-held vibrating machinery. Vibration white finger disease is the vascular component of Hand Arm Vibrating Syndrome, known as HAVS. It has been recognised as an industrial disease for many years and is known to affect tens of thousands of workers. As a result, many compensation claims are made for VWF each year.
Causes of Vibration White Finger
Vibration White Finger can be caused by repeated use of vibrating machinery such as chainsaws, pneumatic drills and power drills. It’s not entirely known how the vibrations cause HAVS, but it’s thought that they cause small but repetitive injuries to the nerves and blood vessels in the fingers, which add up over time.
The biggest compensation story surrounding HAVS and Vibration White Finger occurred when the government set up a scheme to compensate ex-miners who had suffered from the condition due to working in the mines with vibrating tools. By 2004, over £100 million had been paid out in Vibration White Finger compensation. It’s now thought that, despite preventative action in place, around 1 in 10 users of vibrating machinery are sufferers of vibration white finger.
HAVS is a secondary form of Raynaud's disease, causing white fingers, numbness and sometimes tingling in the fingers. In persistent cases, the effects of HAVS can be quite severe – affecting a person even during leisure activities, and lasting from minutes up to hours at a time.
Vibration White Finger Symptoms
The symptoms of Vibration White Finger include fingers turning white, a loss of manual dexterity and a lack of grip strength. The effects can be accentuated in cold weather, and are made all the more painful when the blood returns to the fingers, causing them to turn red, and sometimes blue, accompanied by an uncomfortable throbbing. The amounts of compensation for vibration white finger vary significantly depending on the extent of the injury.
HAVS can initially appear as a minor injury, producing symptoms such as numbness when outside in the cold weather. However, with continued use of vibrating tools, the uncomfortable symptoms of Vibration White Finger can start to occur at less extreme temperatures, when the hands get wet, or even in the summer.
Left to continue, Vibration White Finger can affect whole fingers, and even have some permanent numbing effects. Unfortunately, it’s been seen for symptoms to occur months or years after use of vibrating machinery has discontinued. Ironically, the vibrating tools themselves rarely induce the symptoms of Vibration White Finger; it’s usually down to the cold.
It’s thought that smoking, caffeine, some medicines and some drugs can make the effects of Vibration White Finger worse, so it’s recommended to try and give these up. Exercise and keeping warm are good ways to combat Vibration White Finger. It’s also known that women are 9 times more likely to suffer from the disease than men.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist formed by the eight carpal (wrist) bones, which make up the floor and sides of the tunnel, and the transverse carpal ligament, a strong ligament stretching across the roof of the tunnel.
Inside the carpal tunnel are tendons which run down from the muscles in the forearm and work to flex your fingers and thumb. Also running through the tunnel is the median nerve, a cord about the size of a pencil, supplying information back to the brain about sensations you feel in your thumb, index, middle and (occasionally) ring fingers.
In carpal tunnel syndrome the median nerve is squeezed, often because the tendons become swollen and overfill the tunnel. Symptoms, such as numbness, burning or tingling, affect the thumb, index finger, fore finger and inside of the fourth finger, as well as the same region of the hand.
The outside edge of the hand, the little finger and the outside of the fourth finger are not affected.
The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome it is common to experience sensations of numbness, burning or tingling. The symptoms affect the thumb, index finger, fore finger and inside of the fourth finger, as well as the same region of the hand. The outside edge of the hand, the little finger and the outside of the fourth finger are not usually affected although symptoms are occasionally so severe that the whole hand feels affected. Pain may extend up the arm, into the elbow, and as far up as the shoulder and neck.
You may find one or both hands are affected. If you are right-handed the right hand tends to be worse, similarly the left hand if you are left-handed. The symptoms often occur at night. Partial relief can sometimes be gained by shaking or massaging the hands. Numbness and tingling may occur whilst performing everyday activities that involve flexing or bending the wrist.
The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome
The median nerve within the carpal tunnel is very sensitive to pressure and so there are many possible causes including arthritis, fluid retention and diabetes. If the problem comes on during the day it is important to look for a link to regular physical activities at work or home, for example; writing, typing, using a computer mouse, DIY, housework or knitting. Repeated flexion and extension of the wrist, as is common in various work activities, can cause inflammation which puts pressure on the nerve.
Work factors which can contribute to the condition include insufficient breaks and awkward posture. It is also well documented that the prolonged use of vibrating tools can cause carpal tunnel syndrome and it is a recognised industrial injury (A12) for occupations involving the use of power tools.
Your doctor's diagnosis
In the UK, GPs receive little training in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Ideally your doctor will refer you to a specialist who has taken an interest in RSI-type conditions, usually a rheumatologist or neurologist. To confirm a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome you may get referred for a nerve conduction test to measure electrical impulses along the median nerve.
Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome
Most commonly you will be advised to return to work after a period of rest or simply offered painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication. You could be prescribed a splint to restrict movement of the wrist. In some instances a cortisone injection may be administered into the carpal tunnel to decrease swelling.
Though each case has to be considered individually and non-occupational factors should also be investigated, generally some changes will be needed at work. Areas to consider include pacing, rest breaks, reducing repetition and force, posture, and the use of ergonomically designed tools and equipment to reduce the risk of further injury.
The classic treatment for patients with persistent symptoms is surgery to relieve the pressure on the median nerve. However, recovery rates vary and, before undergoing an operation, other alternative forms of treatment should be considered, including physiotherapy (including ANT adverse neural tension).
Repetitive Strain injury
Repetitive strain injury, repetitive stress injury, or RSI is a term that most people have heard of. RSI is really a blanket name that is used to describe many different types of soft tissue injury including carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. It is usually caused by a mixture of bad ergonomics, poor posture, stress, and repetitive motion.
Firstly, what do you need to be aware of?
The symptoms of an injury could be one or more of the following:
Pain, stiffness, swelling, numbness or tingling in the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, back or neck.
Discomfort which is brought on by carrying out a particular task, and then improves when no longer doing it; i.e. if the pain lessens or disappears over weekends, or during holidays.
Discomfort starts in one area, for example neck and back, and then spreads to other parts of the body. Early warning signs may manifest as sore shoulders or neck pain, particularly when travelling home in the car after a day at work. Equally the effects may show up the morning after as aches and stiffness in the limbs and the hands.
If you believe that you may have a problem then you need to do the following straightaway:
Consult your doctor. Most doctors now accept that RSI is a genuine physical problem and do take it seriously. If you are not satisfied with his or her response then see another doctor until you are satisfied.
Stop whatever activities are causing the pain. This is obviously something that is much easier to say than do, as often these activities form a major part of someone's working life. However, by trying to work through it, the problem will just get worse. RSI is very treatable in the early stages, but even a short delay in seeking rest and treatment can put back recovery by weeks, months or even years.
If you have developed a condition and have the details of the your previous or current employer then contact Accident Line and we will then put you in touch with a local Specialist Solicitor who will act on your behalf to make a claim. Alternatively, you can use our ‘Find a Local Specialist’ section and contact your local solicitor directly.
Just remember, if you have developed a condition through the negligence of an employer, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.