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1 Introduction

In 1987, when the London Hazards Centre published the VDU Hazards Handbook there was intense debate about whether ill health caused by VDU work was invented by the workers who reported it, or whether there was some basis for their concerns.

The VDU Hazards Handbook was published to demonstrate that the headaches, eye strain, vision problems, stress and musculo-skeletal disorders suffered by VDU workers were caused by a combination of badly designed jobs, equipment and working environments, and that most of the conditions could be prevented by rigorous attention to the way in which jobs were organised, and by the provision of appropriate equipment and workplaces. The book also called for an extensive examination of the issue of reproductive hazards associated with VDU work.

It would be encouraging to report that six years on, and following the publication of literally hundreds of scientific and technical studies, that VDU workers are no longer forced to work continuously all day at badly designed workstations, with inadequate lighting, insufficient rest breaks and no control over their workloads. It would also reassure VDU workers to know that their concerns about reproductive risks were taken seriously and that the 'right to transfer' for pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant had become enshrined in law.

Unfortunately, the reality is that very little has changed for the average VDU operator working in a wordprocessing 'pool', or for one of the hundreds of 'teleordering' firms that have sprung up during the last few years, or for those working as isolated homeworkers receiving continuous instruction down the phone line. The exceptions are those workplaces where trade unions have negotiated new technology agreements which take account of the health risks and include preventive measures.

The economic and political climate of the late 1980s and early 1990s has led to changes in employment practice which have made it increasingly difficult to secure satisfactory working conditions. Part-time, temporary, contract, homeworkers and shift workers all invariably have inferior employment terms and less bargaining power than their counterparts in permanent, regular employment, who in turn are more likely to enjoy the benefits of union membership and recognition. Surveys of VDU workers have repeatedly shown that poor employment practices - particularly the requirement to spend the whole working day at the VDU - inevitably impact on workers' health. This requirement often goes hand-in-hand with ever increasing production targets as employers try to reduce costs and squeeze the most out of their workers.

In 1992, the Union of Communication Workers (UCW) published the results of one of the largest ever surveys of VDU workers based on questionnaires from 13,300 respondents (Union of Communication Workers 1992). The UCW found a consistent, ten-fold increase in the number of respondents reporting ill health effects such as eyestrain, headaches, painful back and limbs, and stress for operators working more than two hours a day, compared to those who worked less than two hours a day at a VDU.

Unsurprisingly, the worst sufferers from all symptoms were those who worked more than eight hours a day at a VDU. This survey bears out that which most VDU workers have known for years - excessive VDU use leads to a breakdown of health.

In one respect there has been progress - In 1987 there was no legislation specifically concerned with VDU work. Despite resistance from the UK Government and indeed from the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, a European Directive forced the UK into preparing regulations on VDU use, and this legislation came into force as the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations in January 1993 (referred to throughout this book as the DSE Regulations)

Although this legislation is flawed in many respects, it does provide some legal protection for workers and it requires all employers to assess the risks of VDU work and to reduce those risks to the lowest practicable extent.

However, as with all health and safety legislation, its effectiveness is limited by the extent to which it is enforced. A recent survey found that more than half the UK companies questioned had failed to meet the requirements of UK regulations which implement the so called 'six pack' of European health and safety legislation. Far from insisting on vigorous enforcement of this legislation, the UK Government is looking at more ways to 'lift the burden' on industry ie. to deregulate some aspects of health and safety.

This book is for VDU workers, their safety representatives and others working to improve hazardous working conditions. It aims to provide up-to-date information on all aspects of VDU work and its effects on health, including vision, skin, general health and stress.

A chapter on reproductive hazards seeks to re-open the debate which the Health and Safety Executive has sought to close with its patronising advice to pregnant women to 'discuss their concerns with someone adequately informed of current authoritative scientific information and advice'. Information from the latest international scientific and medical studies is provided to allow VDU workers to be fully informed about the range of recent findings - and to decide for themselves whether or not their concerns are justified.

Repetition strain injury - an entirely preventable condition - continues to afflict more VDU workers by the day. A chapter, which incorporates much of the extensive information researched for the London Hazards Centre's Repetition Strain Injuries - Hidden Harm from Overuse, looks at treatment, ergonomics, compensation and how jobs should be organised to prevent RSI from developing.

A chapter on screen technology is included, which seeks to de-mystify the radiation debate, and look at alternatives to the use of the cathode ray tube as the main technology for VDUs (for which it was never really intended).

There is a detailed analysis of health and safety law as it applies to VDU work and suggestions for ways of ensuring that employers comply with the law in providing safe workplaces and safe systems of work.

New technology has the potential to be an extremely valuable tool for workers as well as employers. Used badly, it brings the worst aspects of factory production line work such as machine pacing, monotony, repetition, over rapid work rates, risk of physical injury and overbearing monitoring, into the office. This book aims to provide the counterblast for an individual worker or group of workers faced with such a situation, by setting out the facts, and suggesting manageable solutions.

Note: Throughout this book direct quotes and extracts from regulations and guidance are shown as italic text on a grey background for those who need to be able to cite specific clauses, and which can be skipped by those wishing to gain a less detailed view of the topic.

The language of these laws makes the assumption, which we do not share, that all those who inhabit the world of work are male.