Cumulative trauma disorders as a result of poor ergonomic workstation design: a case history of VDT operators

The authors consider the case of 22 VDT (video display terminal) operators who claimed disability after developing job-related cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) caused, in part, by the use of equipment lacking proper ergonomic design features. The keyboards used and the equipment layout in the workstations were such that they were likely to induce undue stress to the upper extremities and unnecessary motions to the operators. It is concluded from this study that, in the absence of any other known contributing factors, the repetitive nature of the job of these operators, coupled with the poor ergonomic design of the consoles, was the primary cause of the various CTDs observed in the population studied. The authors present recommendations for designers, employers, and users of VDT workstations for minimizing the risk of CTD in the workplace