Hi,

I'm helping a client with an IIDB claim and I'm trying to see if she can claim under the A8 prescribed disease - 'traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm, or of the associated tendon sheaths'. She has those symptons, but she is an administrative assistant, so her job entails typing, sorting through post, using a mouse etc. This does not fit into the occupation for A8, which is 'manual labour, or frequent or repeated movements of the hand or wrist'.

Does anyone know what kind of tasks fit into the manual labour criteria? Could her kind of job fit into it at all? I presume it can't but would like some advice on this! Does anyone know of any claim or appeal where some occupation that was not obviously manual labour but was repetitive was accepted as being under this particular occupation criteria?

She can't claim under A4 prescribed disease (cramp of the hand or forearm due to repetitive movements) which has the correct occupation because she doesn't suffer from cramp.

Thanks very much

Emma P

I've claimed for A8 for clerical workers. Never had any problem with them accepting that typing, writing, using a mouse, etc., involves "frequent or repeated movements of the hand or wrist".

Thanks for the quick reply!

I'm glad to hear you've been successful in claiming A8 for clerical workers. Is there anything in particular you emphasised? Or was there no debate about it?

Emma

I don't remember it being an issue, client put the claim in and gave brief description of work, and it seemed to be accepted A8 was prescribed.

if you think about what a typist actually does, it IS frequent or repeated movement of the hand and wrist and IS manual labour (since it is done with the hands).

Therefore, on basis principles of statutory interpretation, she does fit.