In 1989, an international project was initiated known as MEPS (Musculoskeletal, Visual, and Psychosocial Stress in VDT Operators in Optimised Environment). The aim of the MEPS project was to minimise stress amongst VDT operators by creating optimum working conditions through intervention measures at individual workstations. Professionals representing different disciplines were involved in this study to investigate possible factors causing musculoskeletal complaints, visual discomfort and psychosocial stress among VDT users. This paper describes the ergonomic part of the study including the methods that were developed and used to examine prevailing working conditions and how the data was analysed.