Musculoskeletal Disorder

This study assessed the effectiveness of an office ergonomics training program for video display terminal (VDT) users. Worker compensation costs and injury rates for the VDT-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were examined before and after implementation of training at two company locations. A greater number of claims were filed in the post- (n ¼ 18) versus pre-intervention period (n ¼ 12), but the average cost per claim was considerably reduced ($1553 in the post- versus $15,141 in the pre-intervention period). This reduced cost per claim is consistent with the program’s emphasis on seeking early treatment for MSD-related symptoms. The average injury rate also was reduced in the post- (6.94 per 1000 employees) versus pre-intervention period (16.8 per 1000 employees). These results suggest that selfdirect office ergonomic interventions may be effective in reducing the MSD-related worker compensation costs and injury rates