Shop worker, 4ft 9in, sues Co-op for chip-and-pin machine .

A
4ft 9in cashier has successfully sued the Co-op supermarket chain after
she suffered a repetitive strain injury reaching for a chip and pin
machine.
Reaching for a chip-and-pin machine caused Mrs Hyndman repetitive strain injury

Jill Hyndman, 51, developed a tendon injury in her right arm after the tills
were revamped to include a pole-mounted credit card reader.

But the company failed to take her small stature into account when it
redesigned the tills, causing her to over stretch for each card transaction.

An investigation found the new layout breached health and safety guidelines
because the chip and pin machine was 23cm too far from her reach.

Mrs Hyndman filed a county court claim for damages against the Co-op and has
won an undisclosed settlement. The Co-op has not admitted liability.

Her solicitor Julie Roberts said the case should be an example to others who
suffer repetitive injuries at work.

She said: "Most workers don't like to make a fuss and just get on with
things even if they are in pain. But this just proves that you don't have to
suffer in silence."

Mrs Hyndman has worked part-time at her local store in Cinderford, Glos, since
1990.

In 2004 the store was redesigned and the number of checkouts increased from 10
to 15, with touch screens mounted above the scanning belts.

Chip and pin readers were added in May 2005 and the cashiers found themselves
stretching out of their chairs to reach them

Within a month Mrs Hyndman developed Tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the
tendons caused by repetitive straining.

Several staff complained, but Mrs Hyndman took her case to her union, USDAW,
the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, when the company did not
alter the tills.

Forest of Dean District Council discovered that the touch screens and the chip
and pin readers breached guidelines set by the Health and Safety Executive
in 2004.

They set out a "zone of convenient reach" whereby till units must be
no further than 300mm from the edge of the work surface.

However, the chip and pin machines at the Co-op in Cinderford were 535mm from
the edge and the touch screens were 430mm away.

This made the till machines outside the comfortable reach of 95 per cent of
women.

Mrs Hyndman still works at the store, which has now redesigned the layout of
its tills.

The Midcounties Cooperative, which operates the store, declined to comment.



What is the saying "where there is blame there is a claim" :)

when will this nonsense end!