Investigating Measures To Reduce WRMSDs Among VDU Users

The world has become a global village; promotion of globalization across continents has been immensely facilitated by the use of VDUs. The aim of this study was to investigate the national policies on VDU use, the current situation of WRMSDs in Nigeria and review policies and strategies to reduce WRMSDs in international literature, with a view to making effective recommendations. The situation analysis from a macroergonomic system framework revealed an increased VDU use in Nigeria, no VDU guidelines, presence of a gender predisposition to WRMSDs among other factors such as poor work stations, VDU use duration, individual, and psychosocial issues. There are no incidence reporting networks or surveillance of organisation standards and few OHS with no compensation for WRMSDs. Prevention of WRMSDs using the ILO key principle for VDU use should be incorporated in the Health and Safety Policy and its Compensation included in the Workmen¿s compensation policy with integration of basic OHS into the primary health care. A Physicians¿ reporting Network should be created for OHS providers and a medical inspectorate arm of the Ministry of labour be involved in monitoring of organisations.