Mechanical pushbutton designs require considerable physical pressure to start and maintain actuation through a machine cycle. This pressure can result in hand, wrist and arm stresses that may cause harmful tendon, nerve and neurovascular disorders.
Newer designs, in the form of touch buttons, require that the operator place a hand or finger in the "touch zone" to activate the button. These touch buttons are ergonomically designed to eliminate hand, wrist, and arm stresses associated with repeated switch operation.