PROBLEM The rapid growth of teleworking has raised several social and legal issues regarding an employer's responsibility for the safety of an employee's home office. In this paper, researchers discuss the need for safety training for teleworkers and the effectiveness of a home office ergonomics training program. METHOD Study participants (N = 50) were randomly assigned into a treatment or co...

This paper focuses on the ergonomics evaluation of Medical Tablet Personal Computers (MTPCs). The research questions for the study were “What are the key ergonomics issues in the safe and effective use of a Medical Tablet PC” and “How can we evaluate new Medical Tablet PC concepts in the early stages of the design process”. The aims of the study were to develop an ergonomics checklist for the e...

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effect of an occupational therapy ergonomics intervention on the workstation design and body positioning of microscope workers at a fiber optics facility. METHOD The study was quasi-experimental. Fifty-one microscope workers were assigned to one of three groups: control, education only, and education training. Their workstation design and body positioning we...

OBJECTIVES This study investigated the effectiveness of the Stay@Work participatory ergonomics programme to reduce workers' exposure to psychosocial and physical risk factors. METHODS 37 departments (n=3047 workers) from four Dutch companies participated in this cluster randomised controlled trial; 19 (n=1472 workers) were randomised to an intervention group (participatory ergonomics) and 18 ...

PURPOSE One of the main ergonomic challenges during surgical procedures is surgeon posture. There have been reports of a high number of work related injuries in laparoscopic surgeons. The Alexander technique is a process of psychophysical reeducation of the body to improve postural balance and coordination, permitting movement with minimal strain and maximum ease. We evaluated the efficacy of t...

This study established the effectiveness of a workplace multifaceted intervention consisting of participatory ergonomics, physical training, and cognitive-behavioural training (CBT) for low back pain (LBP). Between November 2012 and May 2014, we conducted a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial with 594 workers from eldercare workplaces (nursing homes and home care) random...

BACKGROUND Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common health problem throughout the world and a major cause of disability in the workplace. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence rate of MSDs, assessment of ergonomics working conditions and identification of major risk factors associated with MSDs symptoms among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries between October 200...