The authors directed their attention to the problems of the carpal tunnel syndrome in two similar electric mounting plants and examined a total of 317 women. A subgroup of 210 women at the average age of 40.3 (± 8.9) years worked in occupations meeting the criteria of excessive and unilateral load for upper extremities, their average exposure being 17.7 (± 10.2) years. The remaining 107 manual female workers at the average age of 36.5 (± 10.6) years were placed in the control group. The average duration of their occupation in the electric mounting plants was 15.6 (± 10.7) years. The authors have shown statistically significantly more frequent incidence of the carpal tunnel syndrome (P = 0.0016) in the group exposed to excessive and unilateral load. A possible role of other factors participating in the development of the syndrome was also suggested: higher age, duration of exposure, obesity and partly also hormonal changes. The authors suggest that these factors should be considered as relative contraindications in personal placement to jobs representing the risk of excessive and unilateral load of upper extremities (repetitive strain injury).

        Key words: carpal tunnel syndrome, risk factors