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Standing at the Workplace

Standing at the Workplace. Andrew J. Krum November 19, 2002. Who cares about standing?. Retail Cashiers Ryan (1989): Australia, 90% of shift High rate of standing fatigue symptoms Lift-truck operators Growing population; 4 hour periods. Who cares about standing?. Hairdressers

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Standing at the Workplace

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  1. Standing at the Workplace Andrew J. Krum November 19, 2002

  2. Who cares about standing? • Retail Cashiers • Ryan (1989): Australia, 90% of shift • High rate of standing fatigue symptoms • Lift-truck operators • Growing population; 4 hour periods

  3. Who cares about standing? • Hairdressers • Assembly line workers • Healthcare professionals • Doctors, nurses, hursing home aides • Estryn-Behar (1990): 84% of women healthcare workers stand 4 hrs/day

  4. Who cares about standing? • Janitorial services • Many hard workers in our classrooms and offices • Nemecek & Buchberger (1987): 80% of large-scale laundry workers’ days are standing

  5. Who cares about standing? • Construction workers • Professors and teachers • Restaurant chefs and waiters • Laboratory techs and scientists • Farm laborers

  6. Who cares about standing? • Denmark • 40% and 12% of workers have back and feet problems (Orhede et all, 1992) • Groth et al. (1988): 1/3 work standing without physical strain

  7. Who cares about standing? • Switzerland • 39% of workers experience back problems • 23% experience leg problems • Buchberger 1993

  8. What’s the cost ? • Standing has been proven to cause back, leg, and foot pain; and leads to cumulative musculo-skeletal disorders (MSD’s) • Spengler (1986): 85% of people

  9. What’s the cost ? • Estimates for the cost of back injuries at $11.1 Billion per year Webster & Snook (1990) • Cumulative effects unknown • Insurance, loss productivity, absenteeism, and well-being

  10. Vast Market of Solutions • Floor mats • Shoe insoles and soles • They’re everywhere • Central theme: keep the body moving

  11. Vast Market of Solutions • Mat dimensions to consider • Thickness • Compressibility • Surface friction • Don’t forget temperature

  12. Vast Market of Solutions • Insoles • Provide mobility and cushioning • Floor mats that follow the worker

  13. Vast Market of Solutions • Insoles • Provide mobility and cushioning • Floor mats that follow the worker

  14. Floor Mats

  15. Insoles

  16. Do these solutions work?

  17. Where is the pain? • Feet • Legs • Lower back

  18. What’s the cause? • Oedema • Joint inflammation • Muscle fatigue

  19. Objective Measures • Foot volume: water displacement, chalk on paper markings • Skin temperatures: circulation • Heart-rate: standing versus sitting

  20. Objective Measures • Electromyographic (EMG) muscle response • Marras (1994) power spectrums reliable • Lower median frequency = higher fatigue

  21. Objective Measures • Pain-Pressure Threshold (PPT) • Pressure points on base of foot • Threshold increases as pain increases • Internal spinal fixator (Rohlmann et al., 2001) • Difficult to collect data • Focus on back in motion

  22. Subjective Measures • Participant ratings of pain and comfort levels are easy to apply • Can be unreliable; placebo condition needed • King (2002); requested precise ratings; successfully distinguished conditions

  23. Advice for Standers • Keep mobile • Wear comfortable shoes • Floor mats help the back • Take breaks and change positions

  24. Advice for Standers • Elevating one foot helps • Research is promising; need to further investigate

  25. What’s this mean for HF ? • Need to learn more • Experimental • Collaboration needed • Determine physical causes and reliable measures • Industrial • Particular work environmental standards • Lifestyle information about participants

  26. Thank You

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