Messing Karen, Fortin Sylvie, Rail Geneviève, Randoin Maude
CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.
Int J Health Serv. 2005;35(4):745-63. doi: 10.2190/BNFW-LRKF-NLVB-K5V5.
Prolonged standing is associated with health problems. Despite regulations providing for access to seats, most Québec (Canada) workers usually stand. Only one in six can sit at will. Standing service workers such as cashiers and sales personnel are often confined to a small area where sitting is theoretically feasible. In many other countries, such workers have access to seats. This study asks why North American workers do not press for seats. In a qualitative, exploratory approach, 30 young workers who usually work standing were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of prolonged standing at work. All but one experienced discomfort associated with this posture, and two-thirds reported that they had changed their lifestyle in some way as a result of their symptoms. However, their accounts of relationships with employers, health care personnel, and the health and safety system suggest that many environmental factors as well as attitudes toward work, employers, health, and the body contribute to maintaining the status quo. Workers describe problems with the image of a seated worker and thought that asking for a seat would threaten their relationship with the employer. Personal comfort was considered an insufficient reason to challenge worksite design, attitudes, and organization.
长时间站立与健康问题相关。尽管有规定要求提供座位，但大多数魁北克（加拿大）的工人通常都站着工作。只有六分之一的人可以随意坐下。像收银员和销售人员这样的站立服务工作者通常被限制在一个理论上可行坐姿的小区域内。在许多其他国家，这类工作者可以使用座位。本研究探讨了为什么北美工人不争取座位。采用定性、探索性的方法，对30名通常站立工作的年轻工人进行了访谈，询问他们对长时间站立工作的看法和经历。除一人外，所有人都经历过与这种姿势相关的不适，三分之二的人报告说他们由于这些症状在某种程度上改变了生活方式。然而，他们对与雇主、医护人员以及健康和安全系统关系的描述表明，许多环境因素以及对工作、雇主、健康和身体的态度都导致了现状的维持。工人们描述了坐着工作者形象的问题，并认为要求提供座位会威胁到他们与雇主的关系。个人舒适度被认为不足以成为挑战工作场所设计、态度和组织的理由。
