An ergonomic evaluation of VDTs

Abstract Eight VDTs of different trademarks were analysed in relation to the following properties: ( a) Contrasts of luminance between the screens on the one hand and source documents, as well as other surfaces of the VDT, on the other. (b) Oscillation degree, sharpness and stability of characters. ( c) Face and legibility of characters. ( d) Dimensions, mobility and reflection degrees of the keyboards. Special equipment was developed and standardized conditions were applied to the measurements. The eight VDTs showed essential differences for all the parameters, which might be partially responsible for eye strain and postural complaints. It can be concluded that customers should pay more attention to ergonomic qualities when choosing a VDT. But such an endeavour remains useless if the customer does not, at the same time, look for a proper design of the whole workstation including the working environment.