Wellnomics® Risk Management Ergonomics Software Addresses Computer Use Injuries

Press release, 03 May, 2007, Wellnomics Ltd, New Zealand: Wellnomics Ltd, maker of the popular WorkPace® Breaks & Exercises software, has launched a new 'whole health' approach to workplace ergonomics by introducing Wellnomics® Risk Management software to the North American Oil and Petroleum industry.

Wellnomics® Risk Management is the world's first and only scientifically validated ergonomics software for the prevention of computer usage injuries in office workers.

This new solution builds on the success of the company's popular WorkPace® Breaks & Exercises software, which was launched in 1997 and is used by more than 1 million office workers worldwide to enhance productivity and improve their own health and safety at work.

According to Wellnomics Ltd Managing Director Dr Kevin Taylor, Wellnomics® Risk Management is the first scientifically validated product to cover all the known risk factors for MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders).

"It provides a unique combination of direct measurement of computer use and user self-assessment, as well as providing the tools to assist those with existing MSDs," he said.

The Wellnomics software automatically monitors computer use on each employee's PC then combines this information with data from a set of online questionnaires completed by the computer user covering posture and workstation ergonomics, symptoms and stress.

A personalized risk report then provides feedback to each computer user, with a list of recommendations and advice on how to reduce their risks.

The result is accurate identification of high risk employees within the organization, and a list of the top risk factors that need to be addressed to reduce risks to safe levels.

Wellnomics Ltd works with the world's largest Oil and Petroleum companies including Chevron, BP and Shell, and recently appointed an International Sales Director who will focus on the sector within North America.

Trevor Foster joins Wellnomics from Australasian company Adilam Electronics Ltd and is handling direct sales for the Wellnomics Risk Management product in North America. His expertise in international markets and ability to rapidly address the challenges of implementing organizational change around Health and Safety will be invaluable in his new role. As part of his new position, he will be attending the GO Expo event in Calgary as an exhibitor and looks forward to connecting with key players at the event.

The high cost of computer use injuries in the Oil and Petroleum industry is already well documented, as well as the financial and 'whole health' benefits of implementing a preventative approach.

According to the website of oil giant Chevron, the company was seeing the incidence of RSI (repetitive strain injuries) or MSDs growing by 67% over a five year period, despite efforts to reduce injuries among office workers. Over 40% of all injuries in the company were due to RSI.

With the assistance of Wellnomics, Chevron implemented an RSI prevention plan which initially diagnosed 30% of employees as being at high risk of RSI. The results of the program were impressive, with the number of people at risk of RSI dropping 30% across the company between 2000 and 2002. Injuries are also less severe, with the average number of days lost per RSI injury dropping by 50% between 2001 and 2002, and the cost per claim dropping by up to 50%.

Recent research is indicating that "binge computing" is a much more significant factor in the incidence of RSI/MSD than previously imagined. Binge computing is the term coined to describe long periods of intensive computer use, often without breaks of any kind, in order to meet deadlines, produce university level papers, or create business presentations under time pressure. It is compounded by the stress of those situations, which can often eventuate in a serious case of RSI being triggered, which then makes the user far more vulnerable to future overuse injuries.

Dr. Benjamin Amick, from the University of Texas School of Public Health, recently coined the phrase to address one of the problems with computer-related injuries: working at the computer for an extended time without a break.

Results of his research on university students has shown a strong correlation between binge computing and MSD injuries, especially when the semester end nears, along with deadlines for term papers. The impact of mouse usage rather than keyboard usage is also a source of injury.

Coincidentally, many organizations, including those in the Oil and Petroleum industry, are finding their newly minted graduates are suffering from symptoms of MSDs within months of taking on their first job.

Projects, deadlines and intense work periods are the trigger points for MSD symptoms to become apparent or worsen. It is unlikely that the high incidence of discomfort is caused purely by the immediate demands of the new position, but rather by the 'binge computing' habits and patterns developed during university study.

Dr Taylor stresses that the Wellnomics Risk Management tools are not designed to help companies discriminate against staff with computer user injuries, but rather provide all the necessary information to best manage those valuable employees.

"We are in a world where there is a shortage of skilled workers in many sectors, and every step we can take to reduce staff turnover and increase the overall wellbeing of employees is a valuable investment," he said.

The advantages of adopting a Wellnomics® Risk Management work environment include reduced injury rates; increased productivity; reduced stress levels; reduced absenteeism; lowered ergonomic assessment costs and assured compliance with health and safety obligations.

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About Wellnomics

Founded in 1997, Wellnomics Ltd is a leader in the health and safety field, with many thousands of clients across North America, Australasia and Europe and over 1 million software product licenses in use worldwide. Clients include Global 1000 organizations including Philips, Boeing, Chevron, Shell, BP, ING Bank, KPMG, PWC, Pacific Gas and Electric, Cap Gemini, Nike, and Eli Lilly.

Wellnomics® Risk Management is an integrated suite of software tools to enable organizations to effectively manage the health and safety of large numbers of office workers. Our products are designed to prevent injuries, improve productivity, and minimize lost work time, and are underpinned by extensive research, led by Directors Dr Robert van Nobelen and Dr Kevin Taylor.

Wellnomics is an active, contributing member of elite computer industry research organization, the OERC (Office Ergonomics Research Council) which includes IBM, Microsoft, Dell, Apple, Intel, HP, Herman Miller and LogiTech.

At any one time Wellnomics Ltd is involved with numerous scientific studies on computer use in the office environment around the world. These activities allow Wellnomics Ltd to make a measurable improvement to health and safety outcomes and provide clients with tangible returns on investment. For more information visit www.wellnomics.com.

For further information on this press release please contact:

Karen Brown or Shelley Grell
Communicate IT Ltd
Ph + 64 3 381 6655
Mobile: + 27 339 0051
Email: karen@communicateit.co.nz

Ali Wilkinson
Marketing Director, Wellnomics Ltd
US: 1-800 769 7341
Int: +64 3 365 3040
Email: media-enquiries@wellnomics.com