The impact of active workstations on workplace productivity and performance: a systematic review

Active workstations have been recommended for reducing sedentary behavior in the workplace. It is important to understand if the use of these workstations has an impact on worker productivity. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effect of active workstations on workplace productivity and performance. A total of 3303 articles were initially identified by a systematic search and seven articles met eligibility criteria for inclusion. A quality appraisal was conducted to assess risk of bias, confounding, internal and external validity, and reporting. Most of the studies reported cognitive performance as opposed to productivity. Five studies assessed cognitive performance during use of an active workstation, usually in a single session. Sit-stand desks had no detrimental effect on performance, however, some studies with treadmill and cycling workstations identified potential decreases in performance. Many of the studies lacked the power required to achieve statistical significance. Three studies assessed workplace productivity after prolonged use of an active workstation for between 12 and 52 weeks. These studies reported no significant effect on productivity. Active workstations do not appear to decrease workplace performance

Sedentariness, productivity, perception and long term health effects of sit-stand workstation at work: a literature review

Sedentary behavior has been increasingly identified as a contributor to poor health outcomes and sit-stand workstations (SSW) have been introduced in offices to potentially reduce these adverse effects. This thesis presents a review of literature on SSW as they relate to musculoskeletal complaints, sedentary behavior, users’ perception after short- and long-term use, productivity and cardiometabolic markers. To be included in the review, studies were required to include the adult working population subject to a sit-stand workstation intervention with above outcome measures. The review indicates that on an average, SSW has decreased sitting time by about 85 minutes per eight hour work day which was mostly utilized in increasing standing time during the workday. Studies found potential reduction in neck and shoulder discomfort using SSW with no negative impact on productivity. Employer support and ergonomics training appear to have a positive impact on the reception and use of sit-stand workstations. User perception after long term use of SSW is mostly positive. Long term longitudinal studies have found some improvements in the biomarkers related to obesity and cardiovascular diseases of the SSW user group, however, not all test results are significant. It can be concluded from this literature survey, that use of SSW has a strong potential in improving office workers’ health outcome with no adverse effects on productivity and musculoskeletal disorder

The Effects of Sitting and Standing Hygiene on Posture in Dental Hygiene Students

Problem: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess biomechanical and postural impacts of sitting and standing independently during dental hygiene practice. Methods: A convenience sample of thirty-four second-year dental hygiene students with no history of musculoskeletal disorders were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to instrument one quadrant of the mouth on buccal or lingual surfaces while seated or standing during two independent research sessions. Two images per session, for a total of four images per participant, were taken to assess biomechanical demands of each posture using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool. The images were independently scored by four calibrated researchers and then a mean score was utilized for data analyses. An end-user survey was also completed by participants at both sessions to gather participant perceptions of posture and pain. Results: Thirty-four female second year dental hygiene students completed the study and had useable images for data analyses. Results revealed statistically significant differences in mean RULA scores indicating better posture while seated (M = 3.91, SD = 0.77) when compared to standing (M = 4.50, SD = 1.00) (p=0.001). No participants had acceptable postures for either sitting or standing, as indicated by scores on the RULA. Overall, 79% of participants perceived their posture to be neutral, somewhat good, or very good when seated and 71% of participants perceived their posture to be neutral, somewhat poor, or very poor when standing. Conclusion: The results support the need for additional ergonomic training and education in the dental hygiene curriculum and future research on biomechanical and postural loads of each posture. A larger, more diverse sample of clinically practicing dental hygienists could provide more insight into the ergonomic benefits of sitting and standing postures and the associated musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks throughout the workday

Rehabil Nurs

PurposeProlonged standing at work has been shown to be associated with a number of potentially serious health outcomes, such as lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, fatigue, discomfort, and pregnancy related health outcomes. Recent studies have been conducted examining the relationship between these health outcomes and the amount of time spent standing while on the job. The purpose of this article was to provide a review of the health risks and interventions for workers and employers that are involved in occupations requiring prolonged standing. A brief review of recommendations by governmental and professional organizations for hours of prolonged standing is also included.FindingsBased on our review of the literature, there seems to be ample evidence showing that prolonged standing at work leads to adverse health outcomes. Review of the literature also supports the conclusion that certain interventions are effective in reducing the hazards associated with prolonged standing. Suggested interventions include the use of floor mats, sit-stand workstations/chairs, shoes, shoe inserts and hosiery or stockings. Studies could be improved by using more precise definitions of prolonged standing (e.g., duration, movement restrictions, and type of work), better measurement of the health outcomes and more rigorous study protocols.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceUse of interventions and following suggested guidelines on hours of standing from governmental and professional organizations should reduce the health risks from prolonged standing.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2015-10-02T00:00:00Z25041875PMC459192

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN LOW LEVEL ACTIVITIES IN SEDENTARY OCCUPATIONS UTILIZING FITBITS

Objective: Fitbits are popular devices used to track personal activity throughout the day. The potential usage of these devices in tracking sedentary activities in research studies rely on the validity and accuracy of the devices. The objectives of this study are to investigate if changes in daily activity is associated with changes in duration of standing time using a sit-to-stand workstation. Also to establish if an accelerometer may be used to detect differences between sitting and standing sedentary positions. Methods: Sixteen participants wore Fitbit accelerometers throughout the workday and were emailed surveys on a weekly basis to report their sitting and standing percentages. Spearman correlation was used to compare mean daily step counts and mean standing percentages. A subsample of seven participants wore Fitbit and completed log sheets detailing precise periods of sitting and standing while at work. The number of steps registered during sitting and standing periods was compared for each individual using a paired t-test. Results: No statistically significant correlation was found between a participant’s mean standing percentage and mean daily step count (p-value = 0.563). Paired t-test analysis of participants found no statistically significant difference between the total number of steps registered while sitting and the total number of steps registered while standing (p-value = 0.034). Conclusions: No observable association between daily activity and duration of standing time was found. The number of steps measured using a Fitbit accelerometer may not be a useful method to assess sit-to-stand workstation usage. Limitations with the study included possible selection bias, incomplete self-reporting surveys, low sample sizes and short study durations. Future studies accounting for these limitations may prove to yield more statistically significant results regarding the use of Fitbits in assessing sedentary activity

Reducing office workers' sitting time: rationale and study design for the Stand Up Victoria cluster randomized trial

Background: Excessive time spent in sedentary behaviours (sitting or lying with low energy expenditure) is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Desk-based office workers typically accumulate high amounts of daily sitting time, often in prolonged unbroken bouts. The Stand Up Victoria study aims to determine whether a 3-month multi-component intervention in the office setting reduces workplace sitting, particularly prolonged, unbroken sitting time, and results in improvements in cardio-metabolic biomarkers and work-related outcomes, compared to usual practice

Rehabil Nurs

PurposeProlonged standing at work has been shown to be associated with a number of potentially serious health outcomes, such as lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, fatigue, discomfort, and pregnancy related health outcomes. Recent studies have been conducted examining the relationship between these health outcomes and the amount of time spent standing while on the job. The purpose of this article was to provide a review of the health risks and interventions for workers and employers that are involved in occupations requiring prolonged standing. A brief review of recommendations by governmental and professional organizations for hours of prolonged standing is also included.FindingsBased on our review of the literature, there seems to be ample evidence showing that prolonged standing at work leads to adverse health outcomes. Review of the literature also supports the conclusion that certain interventions are effective in reducing the hazards associated with prolonged standing. Suggested interventions include the use of floor mats, sit-stand workstations/chairs, shoes, shoe inserts and hosiery or stockings. Studies could be improved by using more precise definitions of prolonged standing (e.g., duration, movement restrictions, and type of work), better measurement of the health outcomes and more rigorous study protocols.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceUse of interventions and following suggested guidelines on hours of standing from governmental and professional organizations should reduce the health risks from prolonged standing.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2015-10-02T00:00:00Z25041875PMC459192

Sedentary work. Evidence on an emergent work health and safety issue

Safe Work Australia’s Emerging Issues Programme involves a 3-stage process to identify, prioritise and systematically consider emerging work health and safety (WHS) issues of national importance. The programme involves extensive consultation with all of Safe Work Australia’s tripartite stakeholders. As part of this programme Safe Work Australia commissioned a team of experts to examine the most recent evidence from Australia and overseas on sedentary work, its likely consequences and potential control options. The literature review was conducted by academics from Curtin University, the Baker IDI group and the University of Queensland

Development of Modular and Adaptive Laboratory Set-Up for Neuroergonomic and Human-Robot Interaction Research

The industry increasingly insists on academic cooperation to solve the identified problems such as workers\u27 performance, wellbeing, job satisfaction, and injuries. It causes an unsafe and unpleasant working environment that directly impacts the quality of the product, workers\u27 productivity, and effectiveness. This study aimed to give a specialized solution for tests and explore possible solutions to the given problem in neuroergonomics and human-robot interaction. The designed modular and adaptive laboratory model of the industrial assembly workstation represents the laboratory infrastructure for conducting advanced research in the field of ergonomics, neuroergonomics, and human-robot interaction. It meets the operator\u27s anatomical, anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical characteristics. Comparing standard, ergonomic, guided, and collaborative work will be possible based on workstation construction and integrated elements. These possibilities allow the industry to try, analyze, and get answers for an identified problem, the condition, habits, and behavior of operators in the workplace. The set-up includes a workstation with an industry work chair, a Poka-Yoke system, adequate lighting, an audio 5.0 system, containers with parts and tools, EEG devices (a cap and smartfones), an EMG device, touchscreen PC screen, and collaborative robot. The first phase of the neuroergonomic study was performed according to the most common industry tasks defined as manual, monotonous, and repetitive activities. Participants have a task to assemble the developed prototype model of an industrial product using prepared parts and elements, and instructed by the installed touchscreen PC. In the beginning, the participant gets all the necessary information about the experiment and gets 15 min of practice. After the introductory part, the EEG device is mounted and prepared for recording. The experiment starts with relaxing music for 5 min. The whole experiment lasts two sessions per 60 min each, with a 15 min break between the sessions. Based on the first experiments, it is possible to develop, construct, and conduct complex experiments for industrial purposes to improve the physical, cognitive, and organizational aspects and increase workers\u27 productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. It has highlighted the possibility of applying modular and adaptive ergonomic research laboratory experimental set-up to transform standard workplaces into the workplaces of the future