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Visual Symptoms and Risk Assessment Using Visual Ergonomics Risk Assessment Method (VERAM)

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Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021) (IEA 2021)

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Abstract

A visual environment impaired by e.g. glare can cause eyestrain, visual symptoms and musculoskeletal strain. A Visual Ergonomics Risk Assessment Method (VERAM) consisting of both a subjective questionnaire and an objective risk assessment, have been used at 217 workplaces, mainly computer work. VERAM can be used to examine and prevent deficiencies and increase wellbeing as well as detecting risks in the visual work environment and suggest measures that can be used to reduce the risks. The questionnaire showed that eyestrain, visual symptoms and musculoskeletal strain are common among Swedish workers. The overall risk assessments for glare and amount of illuminance on work surface are divided into three categories, green – no risk, yellow – risk, and red – high risk. Risk of glare and insufficient illuminance was present at 66% and 49% of the assessed workplaces, respectively. When the risk of glare and illuminance levels was rated as red, the frequency of the subjective strain was higher.

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Correspondence to Hillevi Hemphälä .

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Hemphälä, H., Heiden, M., Lindberg, P., Nylén, P. (2021). Visual Symptoms and Risk Assessment Using Visual Ergonomics Risk Assessment Method (VERAM). In: Black, N.L., Neumann, W.P., Noy, I. (eds) Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021). IEA 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 220. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74605-6_92

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74605-6_92

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74605-6

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