Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) is a term used to describe a class of soft tissue injuries and disorders that are caused, precipitated or aggravated by a number of occupational activities. These disorders are frequently observed among workers who perform hand intensive jobs 1) . Occupational exposures such as highly repetitive hand exertions, vibrations and localized mechanical pressure are considered to be factors contributing to the occurrence of CTD 2) . CTDs develop over time due to repetitive stress applied to a joint, typically the upper extremities 3,4) . The association of CTDs with various industrial works has been found in the UK. The study revealed that upper limb disorders rank second only to back complaints in various work organization in the UK. It was also reported that among workers, who were exposed to repetitive work for a long time, the occurrence of CTD was found to be very high 5) . In developing countries like India, no attention is given to the health and safety of the workers in unorganized sectors. No previous study on CTD has been performed in India by the government or any private organization, so that these people in unorganized sectors, working in highly repetitive job, remain deprived of the opportunity to work in better environmental conditions. According to Silverstein 6) an activity is said to be repetitive if 50% of the work cycle involves similar motion patterns.In the present investigation, an attempt was made to determine the prevalence of CTD among workers in hand intensive jobs in unorganized sectors in India and to highlight the unsafe working conditions to which these workers are being exposed for years.Received Dec 24, 2002; Accepted Sep 4, 2003

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