NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only.
Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 260-8519
January 8, 1997
Results of an exploratory study by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggest that computer keyboard
design is not a significant factor for user comfort.
Over a two-day period, test subjects reported no significant differences
between the levels of discomfort and fatigue they experienced
when using conventional video display terminal keyboards and three
alternative keyboard designs, the study found. In all cases, reported
levels of discomfort and fatigue were low.
Additional research is needed to determine whether alternative
keyboard designs have benefits for users over longer periods,
or for workers who previously have reported symptoms of discomfort
or fatigue, NIOSH said.
"The findings of this study provide a vital ingredient for
the further research needed to protect keyboard users effectively
from upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders," said NIOSH
Director Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H.
NIOSH has conducted pioneering studies on VDT safety issues for
several years, including a landmark 1991 study that resolved long-standing
questions about potential effects from VDTs on reproductive health.
The institute also has led research to find practical, effective
ways to protect workers from job-related musculoskeletal risks.
Some scientists have theorized that changes in keyboard configuration
can protect users from musculoskeletal disorders of the wrist,
arm, and back. Within the past five years, as public concern over
musculoskeletal disorders has grown, manufacturers have begun
to market keyboards based on alternative designs. However, few
studies have examined actual performance on alternative keyboards
to evaluate whether they are more beneficial than standard designs
in preventing discomfort, fatigue, and strain.
The NIOSH study involved 50 female clerical workers, each of whom
typed on either a conventional keyboard or one of three alternative
keyboards. The alternative units all featured a split design --
keys for the left hand and the right hand were on separate panels
-- but differed in other ways. The study will be published soon
in the peer-reviewed technical journal Applied Ergonomics.
Results of the study, conducted by NIOSH researchers Naomi G.
Swanson, Traci L. Galinsky, Libby L. Cole, Christopher S. Pan,
and Steven L. Sauter, are available from NIOSH by calling toll-free
1-800-35-NIOSH. For further information
on other NIOSH research on VDTs and musculoskeletal issues, contact
the toll-free number or visit the NIOSH home page on the World
Wide Web, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage/html.
or to the CDC home page.
