Repetitive Strain Injury Statistics UK

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a term used for pain associated with repeated movement. It is not a single uniform category in national workplace statistics.

HSE publishes figures for work-related upper-limb and neck disorders within the broader MSD category. Those figures help describe the occupational burden, but they are not a count of all RSI or proof that repetitive work caused every case.

Reviewed 15 October 2026. HSE workforce estimates cover Great Britain in 2024/25; cost estimates use the 2023/24 reference year. Population surveys and other periods are labelled separately.

Key facts & figures (overview)

  • 211,000 workers had a work-related MSD mainly affecting the upper limbs or neck in Great Britain, 2024/25.
  • 41% of work-related MSD cases were in that category.
  • 34% of MSD-related working days lost were due to upper-limb or neck conditions.
  • About 2.4 million days is the rounded equivalent of that 34% share of 7.1 million MSD days lost.
  • 11.4 days were lost per upper-limb or neck case on average in 2024/25.
  • New and long-standing cases are included in the 211,000 total; it is not a count of new cases.
  • No standalone RSI total is provided by this HSE series; its broader category should retain its correct label.

What is RSI? Definitions and conditions covered

The NHS describes RSI as pain caused by repeated movement of a body part. Symptoms can occur in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand or fingers. Work and activities outside work can contribute.

Conditions with a specific diagnosis

A clinician may identify a condition such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow. These conditions have different causes and management needs.

Non-specific symptoms

Some people have pain or other symptoms without one of these diagnoses. A simple “type 1/type 2” label should not be treated as the classification used to produce HSE’s national figures.

How many people in the UK have RSI?

There is no current standalone national RSI count in the HSE series. Older estimates such as “one in 50 workers” are not interchangeable with current upper-limb and neck statistics.

  • HSE’s 211,000 estimate concerns work-related upper-limb or neck MSDs in Great Britain in 2024/25.
  • It includes new and long-standing conditions reported by people who worked in the previous year.
  • It excludes conditions people did not regard as work-related and is not a count of all people with RSI.

RSI and upper limb disorders: the HSE data

Upper-limb or neck disorders represented 41% of the 511,000 work-related MSD cases in Great Britain in 2024/25.

  • The 211,000 cases are a prevalence estimate, not new diagnoses during the year.
  • The category includes several conditions and causes.
  • The case share cannot be used as the share of days lost; HSE publishes a separate 34% measure for days.
  • The figures do not establish that hybrid working caused an increase in RSI.

Which conditions fall under RSI?

Upper-limb symptoms can have different explanations. Seek clinical advice where symptoms persist or worsen rather than self-diagnosing from an occupational label.

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome: involves pressure on the median nerve at the wrist.
  • Tendinitis or tenosynovitis: can involve painful tendons or their surrounding sheaths.
  • Tennis elbow: causes pain around the outside of the elbow.
  • Shoulder disorders: can affect reaching and other arm movements.
  • Hand-arm vibration syndrome: is linked to exposure to hand-transmitted vibration and requires specific exposure controls.
  • Non-specific pain: also deserves assessment even when a particular diagnosis has not been established.

Working days lost to RSI and upper limb disorders

In Great Britain in 2024/25, upper-limb or neck disorders accounted for 34% of the 7.1 million days lost to work-related MSDs. That is approximately 2.4 million days using the published rounded figures.

  • HSE reports 11.4 days lost per upper-limb or neck case on average.
  • The 14-day average relates to all MSDs, not this subgroup.
  • These are self-reported work-related absence estimates, not a recovery timetable or an RSI-only total.

Jobs and Tasks with Upper-Limb Risks

Repetitive and forceful tasks can occur across many jobs. HSE highlights risks in assembly, construction, food processing and computer work.

  • Check the frequency and duration of repeated movements.
  • Consider force, posture and recovery time.
  • Assess vibration exposure separately where powered tools are used.
  • Consult the people doing the work.

HSE’s all-MSD industry rankings should not be relabelled as RSI rankings. Job content is more useful for an individual risk assessment than an unsupported league table.

RSI and Office Work

Computer work can involve prolonged postures and repeated hand movements. This does not establish that most office workers have RSI or that computer use alone caused a particular condition.

  • Assess the whole workstation and the pattern of work.
  • Provide suitable equipment and instruction based on the assessment.
  • Plan breaks or changes of activity.
  • Review reported symptoms and any changes in tasks or equipment.

Hybrid Working and DSE Assessment

Relevant DSE duties also apply to home and hybrid workers. HSE’s DSE guidance covers workers who use screens daily for continuous periods of an hour or more.

  • Assess each regularly used workstation, including the home setup where relevant.
  • Consider whether additional equipment is needed for sustained laptop work.
  • Review the assessment after significant changes or reported discomfort.

National MSD data does not quantify a causal increase in RSI from hybrid working. Home working is a setting to assess, rather than a diagnosis.

Who is most affected?

Symptoms and tolerance for particular tasks vary between individuals. Exposure, health, work organisation and equipment can all matter.

  • Do not assume a worker is protected because they are young or have done the task for years.
  • Avoid assigning a national sex or age distribution to RSI from a survey of a different condition.
  • Support should be based on the worker’s symptoms and job demands.

The cost of RSI to UK businesses

Upper-limb problems may lead to absence, changes in work and support costs. The HSE absence figures establish a burden but do not supply a current RSI-only business cost.

  • Use actual absence and cover costs for local planning.
  • Do not turn a general MSD cost estimate into an RSI estimate.
  • Recovery and return to work after treatment vary; a single surgical average is not a guaranteed absence period.
  • Clinical advice and suitable adjustments can guide an individual return-to-work plan.

RSI and the law: employer duties

In Great Britain, employers must assess and control relevant health risks, including repetitive work, DSE use and vibration. Northern Ireland has separate corresponding legislation.

RIDDOR requires reporting of certain diagnosed conditions only when specified work-related criteria are met. It does not make every episode described as RSI reportable.

Preventing RSI: what the evidence shows

Control exposure and respond to symptoms rather than relying on one workstation product or a fixed break interval.

For employers

  • Reduce unnecessary repetition and force through task design.
  • Provide suitable changes of activity and recovery opportunities.
  • Assess DSE and tool use and select equipment for the actual task.
  • Inform workers how to report symptoms.
  • Arrange vibration health surveillance where the assessment requires it.

For workers

  • Follow the assessed method and report discomfort.
  • Discuss changes to duties or equipment with your employer.
  • The NHS advises keeping active, while reducing activity initially if necessary and increasing it gradually.
  • See a GP if symptoms are not improving or are getting worse.

Written by workplace safety experts

This guide was produced by the team at Manual Handling Training, a UK provider of RoSPA-approved and CPD-accredited online health and safety training. While our core specialism is manual handling, RSI and upper limb disorders develop in the same workplaces, affect the same workers, and are prevented through the same culture of risk awareness and early intervention that underlies all effective workplace health practice.

Sources & references

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Health & Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace health & safety, manual handling and accredited online training for Manual Handling Training, part of Online CPD Academy.