ABSTRACT
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continue to be a major cause of disability and lost work in many
industries involving hand-intensive activities (BLS, 2003). MSDs are “multifactorial,” which means
that they may be caused or aggravated by multiple factors. Factors that pertain to the individual, such
as weight, age, and leisure activities, are referred to as “personal” factors. Factors that pertain to the
job, such as work posture, force required to handle materials and use tools, and recovery time, are
referred to as “work-related” factors. There is a growing body of literature that demonstrates exposure
to work factors results in an increased risk of MSDs (NRC, 1999; NRC and IOM, 2001). MSDs that
result from exposure to work factors are referred to as “work-related” MSDs or “WMSDs.” This
chapter describes the American Council of Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value (ACGIH
TLVw) for monotask hand work and reviews the basic concepts underlying general development of
TLVs. It discusses specifically some of the studies on which the TLV for monotask handwork was
based and some studies of the TLV that have been reported since it was proposed. The chapter concludes
with the concepts and methods that are used to apply this TLV.
