Ergonomic Myths
A Letter to the Editor of Computer Currents
By Deborah Quilter
First published October 6, 1998

I always read the Ergonomic Office column with interest. As a computer systems manager, I'm often asked how to avoid and treat ergonomic health issues. I've noticed more and more people complaining about their RSI trials and tribulations since it became fashionable several years ago. What is not stated nearly enough in my industry is how often problems can be avoided simply through common sense. For example, people shouldn't type at full speed after a vacation or other lengthy absence from the keyboard. And they should position their bodies in line with the center of the alpha portion of the keyboard. Instead, some people try to avoid disorders by suddenly changing their keyboards to new "ergonomic" ones, not realizing that the new hand positions will cause pain unless they break into them gradually. Other users complain that they can't type as fast on a Dvorak keyboard. But it's to be expected that if they can type more than 100 words per minute on a qwerty layout, a sudden change will result in slower typing speeds and potential tendon pain. Also, recently retired word processing staff may experience pain if they abruptly cease high-volume typing rather than tapering off before their last day of work.

So many insurance claims and excessive sick time are taken due to ergonomics-related issues. It should be stressed that just because something is ergonomically superior to an existing product, change may not be necessary if the user isn't experiencing a problem. Worse, making unnecessary changes may actually cause an injury.

--Joseph Hardegree, San Francisco, Calif.

Mr. Hardegree brings up several important misconceptions about repetitive strain injury (RSI). First, RSI is not a "fashionable" disease. It has become the leading occupational injury in the United States because more and more jobs require repetitive hand movements. Furthermore, these workers may not have the option of slowing the pace of their work after a vacation--or at any other time--because of job demands. Many people cannot position their body well, either because they don't know how, or because their workstations cannot be adjusted.

Changing keyboards will not necessarily put your hands in positions that will cause pain, and there is no need to "break into the new hand positions gradually." In fact, the sooner you get your hands out of awkward positions the better. Mr. Hardegree is correct that one should reacclimate to the computer after time away. But the pain high-volume typists experience after retirement is far more likely due to their daily repetitive work, not because they did not "taper off" before retirement.

Fast typing adds to the risk of RSI because you are making more repetitive movements. Contrary to Mr. Hardegree's assertion that ergonomically superior products are unnecessary if the user isn't currently experiencing a problem, every computer user should use the best products at the outset. Making changes after the fact is frequently futile.

--Deborah Quilter

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