Ergonomics In Computerized Offices

Etienne Grandjean, Former Director of the Department of Ergonomics and Hygiene, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich.

• Foreword 1 The present metamorphosis of offices 2 VDT jobs seen through ergonomic-tinted spectacles 3 Physical characteristics of VDTs 4 Vision 4.1. The visual system 4.2. Accommodation 4.3. The aperture of the pupil 4.4. The adaptation of the retina 4.5. Eye movements 4.6. Visual capacities 4.7. Physiology of reading 5 Ergonomic principles of lighting in offices 5.1. Light measurement and light sources 5.2. Illumination level 5.3. Spatial balance of surface luminances 5.4. Temporal uniformity of lighting 5.5. Appropriate lights 6 Visual strain and photometric characteristics of VDTs 6.1. Eye complaints of VDT operators 6.2. Photometric characteristics of displays 6.3. Equipment and methods to measure photometric qualities of VDTs 6.4. Oscillating luminances of characters 6.5. Sharpness of characters 6.6. Character contrasts 6.7. Stability of characters 6.8. Reflections on screen surfaces 6.9. Size of characters and typeface 6.10. Dark versus bright characters 7 Ergonomic design of VDT workstations 7.1. Constrained postures are long-lasting static efforts for the muscles involved 7.2. Body size and the design of workstations for traditional office jobs 7.3. Field studies on musculoskeletal troubles of office employees 7.4. Postures, workstation characteristics and physical discomfort 7.5. Orthopaedic aspects of the sitting posture 7.6. Ergonomic design of office chairs 7.7. VDT workstation design: preferred settings and their effects 7.8. The VDT keyboard 7.9. Arrangement of work surfaces in computerized offices 8 Noise 9 Occupational stress, work satisfaction and job design 9.1. Occupational stress 9.2. Job satisfaction versus boredom 9.3. Alleged stress among VDT operators 9.4. Job design 10 Radiation, electrostatic fields and alleged health hazards 10.1. Electromagnetic radiation emission from VDTs 10.2. Electrostatic fields 10.3. Skin rashes 10.4. Alleged cataracts 10.5. Alleged reproductive hazards due to VDT work 11 Recommendations for VDT workstations 11.1. Lighting 11.2. Photometric qualities of VDTs 11.3. Ergonomic design of office furniture and keyboards 11.4. Job design for VDT operators

"Ergonomics in Computerized Offices should be required reading for office managers, union representatives, engineers, designers, or anyone employed in implementing a computerized office or improving conditions in an already computerized office...an excellent addition to any personal library." Human Factors Bulletin