ABSTRACT
When computer technology permeated society, few envisioned that it would disable rather than enable the workforce. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor has concluded that musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, “have been the largest single job-related injury and illness problem in the United States for the last decade,” disabling workers in epidemic proportions (OSHA, 2000). This has led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an Ergonomics Program standard (29 CFR 1910.900) “to address the significant risk of employee exposure to ergonomic risk factors in jobs in general industry workplaces.” A proactive approach might have minimized such risks, and those venturing into virtual environment (VE) technology applications can learn from this experience.
