Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-89-299-2230: US West Communications; Phoenix, Arizona, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Denver, Colorado

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hales, Thomas R. ; Sauter, Steven L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from US West Communications (SIC-4813) and the Communications Workers of America, an evaluation was undertaken of the effects of the use of video display terminals on the musculoskeletal systems of Directory Assistance Operators. A cross sectional study was made of 533 workers employed by the company in Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Denver. Information on the type of workstations, job requirements, and worker health was gathered. Two types of musculoskeletal outcomes were identified for analysis: potential work-related upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders defined by physical examination and questionnaire, and upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms defined by questionnaire alone based on a cumulative score of symptom duration, frequency, and intensity. The authors conclude that there was a high prevalence of potential work-related musculoskeletal disorders and symptoms. Factors associated with these disorders include demographics, prior medical conditions, work practices, psychosocial aspects of the workplace, and electronic performance monitoring. Most of the physical workstations observed were of high ergonomic quality. The psychosocial work environment may be related to the occurrence of work-related upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders. The authors recommend specific measures to improve working conditions and possibly prevent and control musculoskeletal disorders.
• Subjects:
  Computers Cumulative Trauma Disorders Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological
• Keywords:
  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Computer-equipment Cumulative-trauma-disorders Electronic Performance Monitoring Ergonomics Hazard-Unconfirmed HETA-89-299-2230 Job-stress Keyboard-operators Keystrokes Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Musculoskeletal Disorders NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Office-workers Office Automation OSHA Region 5 OSHA Region 8 OSHA Region 9 Psychosocial Telecommunications Tendinitis Video-display-terminals Video Display Terminals Work Stress

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA892992230
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; Minnesota ; Colorado ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  66 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Cocchiarella, Linda ; DiGiaccomo, Marile ; Haussler, B. J. ; Hinnen, Urs ; Douglass, Steve ; Ochs, Troy ; Putz-Anderson, Vernon ; Schutte, G. Robert ; Watkins, Joan ; Dainoff, Marvin ; Silverstein, Barbara ; Smith, Michael ; Rockefeller, Kathy ; LeGrande, David
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00210212
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB93-119329
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, Ohio: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 89-299-2230, 1992 Jul ; :1-64
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1992
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  4813 - Telephone communications, exc. radio - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:09af6a534a0a3465f3420099d49ff65cd565447fcc57f5447c54ad822c634a0575a86cc98d34bb3e62a206eca791242190f81d423d4c01b1b4379c63e4a236ab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171552/cdc_171552_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 282.67 KB ]