Prevention: lessons from video display installations.

Workers interacting with video display units for periods in excess of two hours per day report significantly increased visual discomfort, fatigue and inefficiencies, as compared with workers performing similar tasks, but without the video viewing component. Difficulties in focusing and the appearance of myopia are among the problems being described. With a view to preventing or minimizing such problems, principles and procedures are presented providing for (a) modification of physical features of the video workstation and (b) improvement in the visual performances of the individual video unit operator.