Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) is a significant problem both in terms of suffering and cost (e.g., health care, lost productivity, workers' compensation, etc.). The demand for ergonomic intervention is likely to increase, especially when planned federal ergonomics standards are enacted. Ergonomists, Human Factors Professionals, Occupational Therapists, and other professionals working in the field of ergonomics need tools to help make their services more effective and affordable. In the proposed work, existing software will be improved and elaborated to provide a set of ergonomic tools for 1) monitoring keyboard, mouse, and application activity; 2) conducting automated on-site work sampling for job analysis and Active Risk Factor Surveillance; 3) conducting automated on-site Active CM Surveillance; 4) serving as a remote input terminal for objective ergonomic and physiological data; and 5) providing appropriate data reduction, analysis, and reporting assistance. In Phase I, software design specifications will be created based in part on feedback from a group of researchers and clinicians active in CTD. Also, an experiment will be conducted to determine the extent that inferences can be made from key input information. Finally, existing software will be expanded and subjected to a limited field test.
The costs associated with Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) are prompting many organizations to seek help from ergonomics professionals. The proposed ergonomic toolbox will be marketed to such professionals as a research tool and as a clinical tool that can increase their effectiveness, leverage their contact with companies and individuals, and reduce costs.
