RSI problem for baristas?

admin

Wondered if anyone has any knowledge of this area [posted on behalf]:

I run a cafe in Sydney and have just had a couple of team members suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury in the last few months.

john

Jane via Admin RSI is a growing problem amongst espresso coffee makers. There are a number of factors that could contribute to your staff experiencing RSI related problems. In our training sessions we outline what could contribute to RSI problems for espresso coffee makers and explain how to avoid the problem. Your problems are ones that are not easily identified in a forum. It would need an assessment of the workers involved and also your work place setup. Feel free to contact me for further details. John

askthecoffeeguy

I have recently developed a ganglia on my left wrist from coffee making, through (I think) constantly steaming the milk. Have had considerable success in treating this with acupuncture and I now wear a funky blue support bandage to work around my wrist, which makes me look like a tennis player! The bandage has not helped a lot, but it hasn't made it any worse, and the swelling was reduced by more than half after one visit to a Chinese Doctor! This is something that I think Western medicine often dumps in the 'too hard' basket. But I can also recommend good solid rubber mats to reduce back and leg ache. And if all else fails, consider investing in a 'Swift" grinder, which automatically doses and tamps the portafilter! Hope this helps, Pat

nzroaster

It is definately a result of poor technique. Get a consultant in to look at how it could be caused. Pinot would be the man to contact for you.

One-a-day

I spent 6 years fabricating then welding up long range fuel tanks and had a few minor RSI's develope, I found changing work position or hands (if your lucky to be ambidexterous) fixed things. The height the work is at can be a big influence, so look at where your machines are at/your bench heights. Like atcg said soft rubber anti fatigue mats are great as the effect of tired feet can end up effecting your entire body and they only cost about $90 for a 1.5 square metre mat which is nothing compared to the cost of staff developing fallen arches/heel spurs/ torn ligament from constantly standing on rock hard floors. I don't think poor technique is 100% to blame the working enviroment is just as important especially if its not at all ergonomic.  

Unknown

Hi RSI is a definite problem obviously caused by doing something repetitevely for anything up to 9 hours a day.  In my cafe there are two of us working in tandem during our peak and primarily I pull the shots.  We have an Azkoyen automatic grinder which means we don't have to keep flicking the grinder so that eliminates one cause.  Tamping doesn't pose a problem if you have the bench at the correct height and you are mindful of your technique.  However, I have pains in my wrist and in the soft tissue below my left thumb area as a result of twisting the group handles in hundreds of times during the day, 300 days in a year.  As the owner of the cafe I am not imagining these pains but you just seem to live with it after years on the job.  Pain goes away when we go on holidays for 3 weeks at Xmas. Possibly the best way to help your staff is to ensure they have a few minutes break every hour, or swap roles (ie) one pulling shots, one preparing milk for say 2 hours then swapping over. Rgds LOL

admin

Hi guys - it was a bit of a moot point, but there was some question as to whether this thread would be better under 'Trade' than 'have your say' so have moved. -A

Coffee_Gusto

There is an amount of RSI probs amongst baristi but we have been able to address the issue in our training school, and roastery outlet via simple measures, and also by looking at what can be as precautionary factors before the metter becomes too serious. When I teach tamping technique, I find that so many folks tamp with bad alignment in wrist and forearm line it's amazing. Also, whilst you may disagree with this, there is the simple idea of backing off on tamping pressure for some time and fining off your grind a tad to compensate, and then checking to see over a period of time whether the RSI is chronic or not. Carlos.

askthecoffeeguy

Well... as an update, I have found acupuncture to work wonders on my sore wrist, but I have now developed mussel stiffness under my left arm, again from inserting the group handle 700 times per day - although, admittedly, I do not work all day, or even 5 days a week! But I am often the person behind the machine pulling shots, during our busiest periods. I've found the problem with my shoulder area has become exacerbated since we began 'up-dosing,' as, if the grind and drop are not just right, you have to apply a bit more pressure to ensure a tight fit with the group handle to the group head. Have endeavoured to address this problem by attempting to hire another qualified barista, but, after well over 100 applications, we're still searching for one! There are plenty of coffee maker out there, it seems, but few with the experience, wherewithal, and know how, to keep up with the volume, whilst maintaining consistency. The saga continues.... ACG

john

RSI!!!!! Maybe before starting a shift the barista should do a few limbering up and/or stretching exercises! Also would not hurt to repeat them during the day! Before I do a training session I spend about 15 minutes stretching! Try it. JD

askthecoffeeguy

hmm... good advice my wife is, among other things, a qualified yoga teacher and exercise physiologist, and has suggested various stretches to relieve / prevent RSI, including salute to the sun, cat pose, and hands placed against the wall for a supported forward bend certainly, applying these techniques has aided my cause no end, providing relief from my symptoms, and enabling me to put in the hours, so to speak, in my workplace still, the base cause, as i see it, is a lack of suitably qualified staff to provide relief on the machine (no pun intended), as despite job ads across a variety of media, over a 2 month period, I am yet to find a suitably qualified and experienced, let alone one with the right disposition, to cover me on the machine and i know that training someone up is all good and well in theory, but not when you're serving 700 coffees per day! oh well, may have to wait until the end of semester to find some relief / train up a new staff member! Cheers, ACG

askthecoffeeguy

I am pleased to report that attention to technique, and some Chinese medicine