PROCID: un Progetto della Comunità Europea per lo studio e la prevenzione dei disordini muscolari in operatori di videoterminale.

This paper presents an EC funded concerted action aimed at studying the prevention of muscle disorders in the operation of computer input devices. About 40% the today's working population use computers in their daily work. This percentage is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. At the same time health statistics indicate an increased incidence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among computer users. A deeper knowledge in this field may improve the health risk assessment approach, the design of computer input devices and the revision process of existing standards, norms and guidelines concerning computer work. Specific research objectives include: the development of intramuscular techniques suitable for mapping motor unit recruitment under operation of computer input devices; the evaluation of muscle fatigue and motor unit recruitment in dynamic tasks in normal subjects and in patients with pain syndromes; the experimental evaluation of stress induced muscular tension at the motor unit level, in operation of computer input devices; the formulation of recommendations for work with computer input devices.