Office Work in the Context of Rapidly Developing Information Technology: Better Ergonomics Needed to Limit Stress

摘要

Advances in information technology have triggered changes in the way work is done at VDTs. Traditional patterns of office work have also been changing accordingly, with mobile work being a typical example. We conducted a series of studies to examine the current state of VDT work and identify any new occupational safety and health issues. Our results suggest that new patterns of office work, if made to fit the latest information technologies, can lead to mental ill health, but that this downside can be counteracted by adopting organizational and ergonomic improvements.