Repetitive stress injury (RSI) report in a manufacturing facility

Writing a Business Report PROBLEM The manufacturing facility where you work employs three data-entry operators who work full-time keyboarding production, personnel, and inventory data into a computer. This data is then sent via secure Internet connection to the headquarters minicomputer, where it becomes part of the corporate database for financial, production, and personnel management. Last year, one of the operators was absent from work for two weeks for a condition diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, a neuromuscular disorder of the tendons and tissue in the wrists caused by repeated hand motions. Her symptoms included a dull ache in the wrist and excruciating pain in the shoulder and neck. Her doctor treated her with anti-inflammatory medicine and a cortisone injection, and she has had no further problems. However, just last week a second data-entry operator experienced similar symptoms; her doctor diagnosed her ailment as “repeated-motion illness,” or repetitive stress injury (RSI). Because the company anticipates further automation in the future, with more data-entry operators to be hired, your boss has asked you to gather additional information on this condition. Once the extent of the problem is known, she wants you to make any appropriate recommendations regarding the work environment—posture, furniture, work habits, rest breaks, and the like —that will alleviate this problem. PROCESS Compose a few paragraphs describing how you solved this problem. In narrative form, provide information such as the following: 1. The problem statement and subproblems for your report 2. How you gathered the needed secondary data 3. How you evaluated the quality and relevance of any data you collected from online searching 4. How you decided whether to use a direct or an indirect organizational plan 5. The degree of formality you decided to use 6. Factors you used to determine whether to include any visual aids PRODUCT Compose your two to four page report, following the five steps in the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, formatting, and proofreading). Include a bibliography or reference list. Format the final version in appropriate style (refer to the Appendix for formatting guidelines).