noel@cubsvax.UUCP (08/16/83)
Excerpted from The New York Times, Tues. Aug. 16, 1983 p. C2 (emphasis mine... NSK) By Phillip M. Boffey Washington, Aug 15- The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has rejected a recommendation by eminent scientists that no further research is needed into the effects of video display terminals. Barry Johnson, an agency administrator, disputed recent contentions by a panel of experts assembled by the National Research Council that problems associated with the terminals, known as V.D.T.'s are primarily a matter of "annoyance to workers," rather than a public health problem. Mr. Johnson, who is director of the agency's biomedical and behavioral science division, said in a telephone interview: "We disagree. It's more than annoyance. We don't know the effect of acute, \* reversible */ effects on the eye or the possible musculo-skeletal consequences of prolonged use of V.D.T.'s." .... ... Mr. Johnson said his agency agreed with the council's major findings, namely that the terminals did not cause cataracts or other permanent visual pathologies and \* did not emit significant amounts of radiation. */ ... Mr. Johnson said his agency would continue to support a modest program of research on terminals. The research council's report has previously been attacked by labor unions and individual workers. -- Noel Kropf harpo!rocky2!cubsvax!noel 1002 Fairchild philabs!cmcl2!rocky2!cubsvax!noel Columbia University New York NY 10027 212-280-5517