Do ergonomics improvements increase computer workers' productivity?: an intervention study in a call centre

This paper examines whether improving physical ergonomics working conditions affects worker productivity in a call centre with computer-intensive work. A field study was conducted at a catalogue retail service organization to explore the impact of ergonomics improvements on worker production. There were three levels of ergonomics interventions, each adding incrementally to the previous one. The first level was ergonomics training for all computer users accompanied by workstation ergonomics analysis leading to specific customized adjustments to better fit each worker (Group C). The second level added specific workstation accessories to improve the worker fit if the ergonomics analysis indicated a need for them (Group B). The third level met Group B requirements plus an improved chair (Group A). Productivity data was gathered from 72 volunteer participants who received ergonomics improvements to their workstations and 370 control subjects working in the same departments. Daily company records of production outputs for each worker were taken before ergonomics intervention (baseline) and 12 months after ergonomics intervention. Productivity improvement from baseline to 12 months post-intervention was examined across all ergonomics conditions combined, and also compared to the control group. The findings showed that worker performance increased for 50% of the ergonomics improvement participants and decreased for 50%. Overall, there was a 4.87% output increase for the ergonomics improvement group as compared to a 3.46% output decrease for the control group. The level of productivity increase varied by the type of the ergonomics improvements with Group C showing the best improvement (9.43%). Even though the average production improved, caution must be used in interpreting the findings since the ergonomics interventions were not successful for one-half of the participants.     

Trends in approaches to night and shiftwork and new international standards

This paper examines whether improving physical ergonomics working conditions affects worker productivity in a call centre with computer-intensive work. A field study was conducted at a catalogue retail service organization to explore the impact of ergonomics improvements on worker production. There were three levels of ergonomics interventions, each adding incrementally to the previous one. The first level was ergonomics training for all computer users accompanied by workstation ergonomics analysis leading to specific customized adjustments to better fit each worker (Group C). The second level added specific workstation accessories to improve the worker fit if the ergonomics analysis indicated a need for them (Group B). The third level met Group B requirements plus an improved chair (Group A). Productivity data was gathered from 72 volunteer participants who received ergonomics improvements to their workstations and 370 control subjects working in the same departments. Daily company records of production outputs for each worker were taken before ergonomics intervention (baseline) and 12 months after ergonomics intervention. Productivity improvement from baseline to 12 months post-intervention was examined across all ergonomics conditions combined, and also compared to the control group. The findings showed that worker performance increased for 50% of the ergonomics improvement participants and decreased for 50%. Overall, there was a 4.87% output increase for the ergonomics improvement group as compared to a 3.46% output decrease for the control group. The level of productivity increase varied by the type of the ergonomics improvements with Group C showing the best improvement (9.43%). Even though the average production improved, caution must be used in interpreting the findings since the ergonomics interventions were not successful for one-half of the participants.     

Comparison of self-assessment and partnered-assessment as cost-effective alternative methods for office workstation evaluation

A study was conducted in order to determine if anthropometric and office workstation measurements could be accurately collected individually by the employees who worked as those stations, or alternatively by two-person teams consisting of the employee and a co-worker. An iterative process was used to develop a method that would: (1) require a minimum number of measurements to be made by the employees, (2) produce an acceptable level of accuracy, and (3) provide useful information for analyzing employee–workstation fit. Results of the study showed acceptable accuracy when using a combined assisted and unassisted data collection approach.

Relevance to industry

Office workstation assessment can be a challenge for companies with large numbers of employees working in office settings, particularly if those settings are distributed across a country or the globe. Developing a formulaic method for accurately measuring those workstations by someone other than the company's expert (ergonomist or other) has several benefits, including: (1) ability to measure more workstations in the same time period; (2) freeing the expert to perform tasks and analyses that require his/her expertise; and (3) inducing active involvement of employees in the company's health and safety (or ergonomics) efforts.     

A Study of Computerized Offices in Greece: Are Ergonomic Design Requirements Met?

In this study, an investigation was conducted into the extent to which ergonomic requirements for work on computers are met in Greek office workstations. The ergonomic requirements considered were those included in Council Directive 90/270/EEC (1990) of the European Union and the ISO 9241 (1997) standard. 593 office workstations were assessed using an assessment tool consisting of 70 assessment points. The assessment results show that the ergonomic requirements that are independent of the specific characteristics of individual work spaces and environments (e.g., design standards for seats, monitors, and input devices) are adequately met. Ergonomic requirements that should take into consideration the specific characteristics and constraints of individual work content, work spaces, and environments (e.g., requirements dealing with workplace layout, environmental conditions, software, and work organization) are inadequately met. Based on these results, issues are indicated on the effort ergonomists should focus to improve working conditions in computerized offices.     

Intelligent design and planning of manual assembly workstations: A neuro-fuzzy approach

The design of manual assembly workstations, as with most forms of designs, is highly iterative and interactive. The designer has to consider countless constraints and solutions for contradictory goals. In order to assist the designer in design process, it is required to develop a new intelligent methodology and system. This paper develops a neuro-fuzzy hybrid approach to intelligent design and planning of manual assembly workstations. Problems, related to workstation layout design, planning, and evaluation, are discussed in detail. A fuzzy neural network is used to predict the ranges of anatomical joint motions and to design or adjust workstations and tasks. The neuro-fuzzy computing scheme is integrated with operator's posture analysis and evaluation. For training and test purposes, experiment is carried out to simulate assembly tasks on a multi-adjustable assembly workstation equipped with a flexible PEAK motion measurement and analysis system. The trained neural network is capable of memorizing and predicting the joint angles associated with a range of workstation configurations. Thus, it can also be used for the design/layout and on-line adjustment of manual assembly workstations. Thus, the developed system provides a unified, computational intelligent framework for the design, planning and simulation of manual assembly workstations.     

Process improvement satisfies employees

When those of us working for Boeing's Space Transportation Systems organization succeeded in transforming the ad hoc, chaotic development environment into a smooth-running, process-driven environment, a major culture change occurred. Originally, in making this transition, we expected increased quality, reduced cycle time, and improved productivity. However, we achieved an important extra benefit-a significant increase in employee satisfaction. The author looks at this transformation     

The impact of sit–stand office workstations on worker discomfort and productivity: A review

This review examines the effectiveness of sit–stand workstations at reducing worker discomfort without causing a decrease in productivity. Four databases were searched for studies on sit–stand workstations, and five selection criteria were used to identify appropriate articles. Fourteen articles were identified that met at least three of the five selection criteria. Seven of the identified studies reported either local, whole body or both local and whole body subjective discomfort scores. Six of these studies indicated implementing sit–stand workstations in an office environment led to lower levels of reported subjective discomfort (three of which were statistically significant). Therefore, this review concluded that sit–stand workstations are likely effective in reducing perceived discomfort. Eight of the identified studies reported a productivity outcome. Three of these studies reported an increase in productivity during sit–stand work, four reported no affect on productivity, and one reported mixed productivity results. Therefore, this review concluded that sit–stand workstations do not cause a decrease in productivity.     

Integrating technology and environment

Abstract

This paper examines some of the practical issues involved in the effective integration of technology and environment. User-research data are presented, including the development of a new office facilities questionnaire aimed at obtaining empirical evidence to determine what factors are associated with employee satisfaction with the office facility. A second, large-scale survey on seating comfort suggests that the current levels of dysfunction are significantly higher than one could reasonably regard as satisfactory. A series of illustrated case studies demonstrate how the user-related factors identified above contribute to the creation of dysfunctional environment and the erosion of employee satisfaction with the total office environment. The paper concludes with a review of the major areas in which office furniture is able to assist in the more effective integration of technology and environment, specifically: correct of dysfunction; productivity improvement; responsiveness to change; compensation for building inadequacy and, organization development.     

Planning facilities layout in clinical laboratories using a group decision making process

A group decision making process used for planning the facilities layout in clinical laboratories is described. While quantitative and computer-based models can be used for planning alternative layout plans, considerations of qualitative and personal factors should be given during the layout finalization phase. The visual evaluation of detailed architectural drawings of alternative layout plans, by a group of the laboratory employees, can result in generating ideas for modifications. These modifications are incorporated in a new plan. The process of evaluation of a modified plan, generating ideas for further improvements, and readjusting the layout plan would result in an effective laboratory layout. This can increase employee morale and productivity. The group decision making process was successfully applied to redesigning the facility layout in a hospital clinical laboratory.     

Packing products for customers: an ergonomics evaluation of three supermarket checkouts

The introduction of laser scanners at supermarket checkout areas has resulted in previous ergonomics studies focusing specifically on the scanning process and associated cumulative trauma disorders in the hands and arms. Few studies have evaluated the increased musculoskeletal load and exertion of checkout staff when they are also expected to pack the products into bags for the customers. This paper describes an ergonomics evaluation of three different designs of checkout workstation, which require the operator to stand when they scan the products, pack them into plastic bags and transfer the packed bags to the customer. Musculoskeletal load and exertion associated with the different checkouts were measured using OWAS, heart rate recordings and ratings of perceived exertion. In addition, subjective rankings of the workstations were obtained and the productivity associated with each design examined as part of the evaluation. Some of the variables measured showed significant differences in postural load between the workstations. The results of the evaluation formed the basis of recommendations for an improved workstation design. Some of the suggestions made to reduce postural load and increase productivity include positioning the weigh scale to the side and the bag frame beneath the scanner.     

Designing for users: implications for manufacturers and employers

Abstract

Ergonomic design of computer workstations requires an understanding of user needs by manufacturers and employers. Manufacturers must develop equipment allowing users to maximize their efficiency while minimizing stress. Employers must arrange proper workstation configurations. The ‘best’ design can fail if it is not appropriate for the task or the specific population of users. At one company requesting an evaluation of its adjustable computer workstations, employer and manufacturer failed to address simple user requirements. Job analyses were not adequately performed, and test procedures comparing workstations were probably biased. Casually questioning workers revealed little preference for these newer workstations compared with their older, more traditional, workstations. Recommendations for this company stressed task requirements, likely future changes in task demands and user needs. Emphasis on single factors, such as the universal use of adjustable desks, was substituted for a more coherent picture of the entire job and its requirements.     

Supporting the design of office layout meeting ergonomics requirements

This paper proposes a method and an information technology tool aiming to support the ergonomics layout design of individual workstations in a given space (building). The proposed method shares common ideas with previous generic methods for office layout. However, it goes a step forward and focuses on the cognitive tasks which have to be carried out by the designer or the design team trying to alleviate them. This is achieved in two ways: (i) by decomposing the layout design problem to six main stages, during which only a limited number of variables and requirements are considered and (ii) by converting the ergonomics requirements to functional design guidelines. The information technology tool (ErgoOffice 0.1) automates certain phases of the layout design process, and supports the design team either by its editing and graphical facilities or by providing adequate memory support.     

多机器人工作站控制系统仿真设计研究

为确定多机器人生产线在实际工业生产过程中的可实施性,利用RobotStudio虚拟仿真软件设计一类以IRB2600工业机器人为控制核心的多机器人工作站,用以实现对装配搬运生产线的虚拟搭建;采用SoildWorks软件为工作站设计三维仿真模型及使用工具;构建多机器人生产线的布局,依据生产线工序流程,说明动态效果构建过程,对机器人系统进行I/O信号创建,设置工作站逻辑,进而完成离线编程程序的编写,实现工作站的虚拟仿真运行,通过对运行结果数据进行研究,找出机器人运行的最优速度,保证了该生产线的可实施性;该方案可以为实际机器人生产线设计提供理论依据,降低设计周期和成本,指导现场生产;对类似工作站的创建实施具有一定的借鉴意义.     

Workstation redesign for a repetitive drill press operation: A combined work design and ergonomics approach

A typical or conventional workstation for a repetitive drill press operation was evaluated and subsequently redesigned by incorporating the concepts and principles of work design and ergonomics. The production task comprised of drilling four holes on a prepared steel plate. A methods–time measurement (MTM) analysis was conducted to eliminate unnecessary motions and improve the necessary (work) motions involved in task performance. The specific features of the redesigned workstation were specially designed equipment (jig, fixture, etc.), a suitable adjustable chair, proper work height, a placement of tools/equipment within reach envelope, and a comprehensive operator training method. An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate and test the redesigned workstation in terms of operator productivity (production quantity and quality output) and satisfaction. The increases in quantity (number of holes drilled) and quality (number of good holes drilled) output were 22 and 50%, respectively, for the redesigned workstation compared to the typical or conventional workstation. The high improvement in quality output (50%) could be attributed to the improved design of the jig and fixture and the comprehensive operator training method, which emphasizes the quality aspect of production output. The improvement in operator satisfaction (scores) were highly significant. This investigation has demonstrated the beneficial effect of a combined work design and ergonomics approach, especially for the redesign of a workstation for a repetitive drill press operation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 395–410, 2007.     

Planning for the future office—today

Office electronics is driving the change in the modern office, but is neither the solution nor the source of office problems. Office change will continue at an increasing rate and office planning must start with a holistic consideration of the four basic office elements and their interaction if it is to be successful. These elements are: technology/computers, facilities/furniture, work/job function and social/people issues.

Increasing office technology will result in more computers and other hardware directly in the workstation. Paper growth will continue and communication technology will increase in importance and sophistication.

Buildings will be less able to support the increasing demands for automation in many ways, including lighting, wiring, cabling, heating, cooling and privacy. Furniture will assume more of these functions to save building renovation costs. Furniture systems must retain maximum flexibility to adapt to these changing needs. Automated information systems will allow decentralization of the office. Total office ergonomics will become increasingly important.

Job functions will change with automation. The work force will require fewer clerical and more 'knowledge' workers. Jobs must be redesigned to account for boredom and to make better use of a worker's potential.

Workers will need to rehumanize the workplace in the face of increasing high technology. Management needs to view workers as a valued investment, which will lead to improved relations. Unless worker health and safety concerns are adequately addressed, increased union and legislative involvement is likely as the white-collar work force grows.

The rapid office changes we now see offer great opportunities to increase worker effectiveness, but several conditions must be met. (1) Senior management must be active in developing office automation plans because of the potential for huge costs and benefits. (2) Human resource specialists must be involved in the planning process to ensure that proper orientation and training are given and to gain maximum advantage from office changes. The impact of the changes on corporate culture must be integrated into the planning process. (3) Financial resources must be committed to update office systems. (4) A holistic consideration of the four basic elements of the office is critical to the successful anticipation of future needs. (5) Change is continual and the office plan must be updated. (6) A team of specialists must assist senior management in developing, implementing and updating the plan.     

The Professional Workstation Research Project

Powerful, inexpensive processors, low-cost storage, and high-resolution color displays make single-user, networked, multiprogrammed computer workstations suitable replacements for the time-shared mainframe environment of the scientific and engineering professional. Distributed processing via networks of workstations connected to larger server machines, which are in turn connected to national and international networks, allows a completely new form of computer-aided organization for institutions. The flexibility and speed of such machines mean that a new revolution in information processing and human activity support is inevitable. The professional workstation project has as its immediate goal a networked, distributed system of single-user workstations. Each will use the Unix operating system and provide powerful object-oriented graphics tools that will enhance the productivity of scientific and engineering professionals.     

基于群机系统的并行程序的最大加速比计算

加速比是并行程序的重要指标之一。在大多数并行系统中,在数据规 模确定的情况下,程序的加速比随节点工作站的增加而增加,但是大多数群机 系统的节点工作站是共享物理传输介质的,这使得许多并行程序的加速比在节 点机数目超过某一个值之后会随着节,点机的增加而减少。本文通过对群机系统 上并行程序执行时间的分析,论述了在数据规模确定的情况下,程序能够获得 的最大加速比和最短的计算时间,以及获得这个加速比和计算时间的节点机个 数。     

Muscle activity patterns and spinal shrinkage in office workers using a sit–stand workstation versus a sit workstation

Reducing sitting time by means of sit–stand workstations is an emerging trend, but further evidence is needed regarding their health benefits. This cross-sectional study compared work time muscle activity patterns and spinal shrinkage between office workers (aged 24–62, 58.3% female) who used either a sit–stand workstation (Sit–Stand group, n = 10) or a traditional sit workstation (Sit group, n = 14) for at least the past three months. During one typical workday, muscle inactivity and activity from quadriceps and hamstrings were monitored using electromyography shorts, and spinal shrinkage was measured using stadiometry before and after the workday. Compared with the Sit group, the Sit–Stand group had less muscle inactivity time (66.2 ± 17.1% vs. 80.9 ± 6.4%, p = 0.014) and more light muscle activity time (26.1 ± 12.3% vs. 14.9 ± 6.3%, p = 0.019) with no significant difference in spinal shrinkage (5.62 ± 2.75 mm vs. 6.11 ± 2.44 mm). This study provides evidence that working with sit–stand workstations can promote more light muscle activity time and less inactivity without negative effects on spinal shrinkage.

Practitioner Summary: This cross-sectional study compared the effects of using a sit–stand workstation to a sit workstation on muscle activity patterns and spinal shrinkage in office workers. It provides evidence that working with a sit–stand workstation can promote more light muscle activity time and less inactivity without negative effects on spinal shrinkage.     

Multi-position ergonomic computer workstation design to increase comfort of computer work

This paper presents a new design of computer workstation that is aimed at increasing the comfort of a user working for long periods at a computer. As we have become a society that spends a lot of time working on computers, the computer workstation needs to provide comfort to users. Discomfort and an improper position can negatively affect overall health and productivity. A new type of ergonomic computer workstation, which allows users to sit in multiple working positions, is proposed in order to provide better comfort to people who spend a long time sitting at their workstations. We have designed and developed a new multi-position ergonomic computer workstation which has 19 degrees of freedom and which can accommodate from 5th to 95th percentile human size. Four types of working position (upright, lean-back, zero-gravity and lean-forward) are preset by choosing different angular positions of the workstation parts. Positions of the workstation parts can be changed by controlling the actuators. These four positions were used to evaluate the comfort of the workstation. Subjective and objective evaluations, including comparison of the prototype and standard computer setup, were carried out using human subjects and ergonomic principles. Results showed that the new workstation is much more comfortable, supporting the body in a balanced way. Users have the freedom to stretch and relax in different working positions before they feel any noticeable discomfort; as a result, it lets users work for a longer period without strain, thus resulting in higher productivity.     

Effects of a standing and three dynamic workstations on computer task performance and cognitive function tests

Sedentary work entails health risks. Dynamic (or active) workstations, at which computer tasks can be combined with physical activity, may reduce the risks of sedentary behaviour. The aim of this study was to evaluate short term task performance while working on three dynamic workstations: a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a bicycle ergometer and a conventional standing workstation. A standard sitting workstation served as control condition. Fifteen Dutch adults performed five standardised but common office tasks in an office-like laboratory setting. Both objective and perceived work performance were measured. With the exception of high precision mouse tasks, short term work performance was not affected by working on a dynamic or a standing workstation. The participant's perception of decreased performance might complicate the acceptance of dynamic workstations, although most participants indicate that they would use a dynamic workstation if available at the workplace.