THE FULL-TIME VDT OPERATOR AS A WORKING PERSON - MUSCULOSKELETAL WORKDISCOMFORT AND LIFE SITUATION

The purpose of this research was to explore the situations and activit ies during which video display terminal (VDT) operators' musculoskelet al discomforts arose. The study groups were engaged in highly computer ized office work, consisting of routine, standardized job tasks. A tot al of 36 subjects were chosen from two office departments: 25 people f rom an accounts center where work was dominated by routine data-entry work, and 12 persons from a telephone exchange where data-dialogue wor k predominated. An instrument for in-depth interview was prepared to e xplore how the individual was coping with any musculoskeletal discomfo rt and how this kind of discomfort was related to work and overall lif e situation. An earlier-developed method was used for assessing the su bjectively perceived position of the interviewees in relation to the e ntire course of their paid employment, using four variables. The data underwent a predominantly qualitative analysis. Findings based on the assessment of subjective time perspective of current work and its rela tion to musculoskeletal complaints revealed that people working togeth er, and with very similar tasks, had very different panoramas looking backward and forward at their personal work life and independent of th eir suffering from musculoskeletal discomfort. Most of the workers had decided to stay in the present job and to not demand more of the job than they had obtained until now. One conclusion is that these orienta tions should be considered important factors in planning for ergonomic intervention and organizational change.