HEALTH RISKS FROM MICE AND OTHER NON-KEYBOARD INPUT DEVICES

摘要

This paper describes research in progress, which is attempting to identify the extent of use and problems associated with non-keyboard input devices (NKID). Details are given of the first two stages of the study, a survey of organisations carried out in order to collect data on NKID used and scale of problems experienced, and in-depth interviews with NKID users at their workplace collecting more detailed individual information. Of organisations responding to the survey 22% reported some experience of upper limb discomfort associated with NKID use. In the workplace interviews, pain and discomfort relating specifically to use of the mouse was reported by 36% of the interviewees, with reports of weakness in the wrists and stiffness and discomfort in the hands and wrist after using the device for long periods.