PC User, Heal Thyself

I don’t smoke, I avoid fats and sugars, and I try to stay away from known carcinogens. But I worry that my computer may be hazardous to my health.

I’ve long been concerned about eye strain, backaches and neck pains. Now I’m coping with a sore wrist and the nagging fear that I’m being bombarded with electrical and magnetic radiation.

My radiation concern was fanned by a recent article in MacWorld magazine that suggests that “extremely low frequency” (ELF) electromagnetic fields, emanating from computer monitors, might increase one’s risk of cancer and threaten fetuses of pregnant women. MacWorld is aimed at Macintosh users, but the warnings apply to all computer display screens that use cathode ray tubes (CRTs).

The article, “The Magnetic-Field Menace,” was written by Paul Brodeur, whose book, “Currents of Death,” goes into even more detail about health problems associated with electric and magnetic radiation.

Part of Brodeur’s case against CRTs is circumstantial, but it’s definitely worth considering. He cites three studies that show an increased cancer risk for children who live near high-tension electric distribution wires.

The incidences of cancer, according to Brodeur, are associated with 60-hertz magnetic fields--the same frequency emitted by computer display screens. Brodeur also cites studies that link CRT use among pregnant women with miscarriages and birth defects.

Magnetic field strength is measured in units called milligauss (mG). Exposure levels of 2 to 3 milligauss, according to Brodeur, have been associated with increased incidences of childhood cancer. Several monitors tested by MacWorld exceed that level when measured from a distance of 12 inches or less.

The good news is that ELF radiation drops dramatically as you move away from the source. MacWorld measured ELF from an AppleColor monitor at 22.73 mG at 4 inches from the front, 4.93 mG at 12 inches and only 0.64 mG at 36 inches. The Compaq Video Graphics Color Monitor Model 420 measured 31.13 mG, 6.5 mG and 0.62 mG from those same distances. I now position my monitor an arm’s length from my body.

ELF radiation, by the way, emanates from all sides of the monitor. The exposure rate, from a given distance, is actually higher from the back and sides than from the front. Those who share offices with other computer users would be wise to sit as far as possible from the back or sides of other monitors. Unless I’m using my PC and Mac at the same time, I turn off the monitor that I’m not using.

The Swedish government has non-binding standards for VLF (very low frequency) radiation and will soon issue standards for ELF. Sigma Designs Inc., a Fremont, Calif.-based monitor company, has announced that it is selling monochrome monitors here in the United States that meet Swedish VLF standards and that it plans to meet Sweden’s ELF standards once they are available. International Business Machines Corp., Digital Equipment Corp. and Philips are among the companies that also meet Sweden’s VLF standards.

Magnetic fields, by the way, are emitted by many electrical devices. A coffee maker, for example, emits 0.1 mG when measured at a distance of 1 meter (39.37 inches), according to a graph published in a 1989 congressional Office of Technology Assessment background paper.

Concern about radiation hasn’t kept me away from the computer, but computer-related hand and wrist pain has recently caused me to take a lot more breaks. Like many other journalists, I suffer from what is sometimes referred to as a “repetitive motion disorder.” My hands and wrist occasionally hurt even when I’m not using the computer.

My condition is fairly mild, but if I don’t take care of it, my chiropractor fears that it could lead to a full-blown case of carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is the space within the wrist that contains tendons and the median nerve that passes impulses to the hand. Repeated stress can cause the tendons to swell, which puts pressure on the nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be crippling and sometimes requires corrective surgery.

Fortunately, several relatively easy things can be done to alleviate my problem. I’m temporarily wearing a wrist brace, and I recently began using a keyboard wrist rest that prevents me from excessively flexing my hands while typing.

The device, called the Daisy Wrist Rest 1, consists of a padded wrist rest attached to an acrylic platform that slips under the keyboard. The pad elevates your hands so that your wrists remain straight while typing. This takes pressure off the carpal ligaments and, therefore, the median nerve. The device costs $44.90 (plus shipping) and is available from Daisy Wheel Ribbon Co. at (800) 266-5585 or (714) 989-5585. One of my associates uses a wadded up towel to serve the same purpose.

Your furniture can have a big impact on your health and comfort. Dinner tables and standard writing desks, for example, are too high for computers or typewriters. Many chairs offer very poor support and are often too high or too low.

Pacific Bell recently launched an $8-million program to “prevent stress and strain” for its employees who work at PCs and terminals. I visited its newly renovated directory assistance office in Concord, Calif., where all desks, chairs and keyboards are fully adjustable to meet the individual needs of each operator.

Operators can work sitting or standing and can even do stretching exercises while talking on the phone. Lighting is all indirect, and walls and floors are covered with noise-absorbent carpeting. In the long run, the program will more than pay for itself in reduced health claims and employee productivity, according to Pacific Bell safety director James Stout.

Sometimes the computer deserves only part of the blame. Talking on the phone while you type can lead to severe neck strain. An operator-style headset that attaches to just about any phone can alleviate that problem.

You don’t need to spend several million dollars to improve the safety of your computer environment. But you do need to know how to set up your work area.

The University of California’s Labor Occupational Health Project will send you a free information packet that includes lots of practical recommendations. Write to LOHP, 2521 Channing Way, Berkeley, Calif. 94720.

Companies needing detailed information about setting up a workstation can purchase a 90-page book, “American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations,” for $25 from the Human Factors Society, P.O. Box 1369, Santa Monica, Calif. 90406. Phone: (213) 394-1811.