Oakland, California - 13th June 2013 - Pipetting is a forceful and repetitive activity, and there is a strong association between pipetting and the occurrence of repetitive motion injuries. In fact, pipetting for just over an hour a day over the course of a year is enough to put researchers at risk, and the chances increase exponentially with workload and age.

A new white paper about “The Ergonomics of Pipetting” has now been published by METTLER TOLEDO. It draws on recently published papers by ergonomic scientists and discusses various aspects of pipetting; the ergonomic risks involved and best practice for either avoiding or mitigating them. By ensuring researchers are using the safest pipetting methods, labs are not only protecting staff but also avoiding costly delays and downtime that may be a result of injury or less efficient working practices.

The white paper investigates the sources of repetitive motion injuries. Tip loading and ejection, as well as plunger forces and the force required to change the aspiration volume, are found to contribute to repetitive strain injuries (RSI). The white paper gives advice on how to reduce the risk of RSI, and what to look for when buying a pipette by ergonomic standards.

METTLER TOLEDO was the first manufacturer to focus on user safety and repetitive stress injury, incorporating an ergonomic design into all of its pipettes. The white paper can be downloaded at: http://glo.mt.com/global/en/home/supportive_content/White_Papers/Pipe_Ergo_WhitePaper.html