Ho Wan-Yi, Sung Connie Y Y, Yu Qiu-Hua, Chan Chetwyn C H
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ergonomics and Human Performance Laboratory, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Work. 2014;48(4):471-84. doi: 10.3233/WOR-141916.
Efforts have been paid to lower the health risks associated with use of computers at the workplace. Computerized risk assessment systems are available in the market for adoption by companies.
The Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessment and Management System was designed for conducting risk assessment and providing intelligent-driven solutions for DSE-related occupational health problems. This report summarizes two consecutive research work conducted on evaluating its effect in reducing body discomfort and mental fatigue, and enhancing sedentary workers' occupational health.
Convenience sampling was adopted to recruit participants (111 participants for Study 1 and 75 participants for Study 2 who were randomly assigned to an immediate or a delayed intervention group. The intervention was using DSE RAM System to perform a risk assessment followed by an immediate modification of participant's workstation based on the recommendations generated by the System. Face to face interview was conducted and participants completed three sets of questionnaires right before the assessment and two weeks after the intervention.
The results of Study 1 revealed that the DSE RAM System was effective for alleviating the discomfort and fatigue levels by rectifying the workstation-worker match. These mismatches were identified to be the heights of monitor, keyboard and chair with the workers. The results of Study 2 indicate that the System was specific for promoting participants to take more frequent rest breaks (OR: 3.65) and pay more attention to occupational safety and health information (OR: 3.90). In particular, the take frequent rest breaks behavior was found to predict decrease in discomfort in the eyes and mental fatigue (lack of energy). Nevertheless, there was no strong evidence on the use of the System can lead to immediate attitudinal changes towards occupational health and safety.
The findings support the notion that workers' participation and integration of ergonomics into the management are important for successful implementation of occupational health programs. Together with educational and skill training sessions on occupational health at the workplace, the DSE RAM System offers a venue for implementing participatory ergonomics at the workplace.
人们已付出努力降低工作场所使用计算机相关的健康风险。市场上有计算机化风险评估系统可供公司采用。
设计显示屏设备风险评估与管理系统，用于进行风险评估，并为与显示屏设备相关的职业健康问题提供智能驱动的解决方案。本报告总结了两项连续的研究工作，旨在评估其在减轻身体不适和精神疲劳以及增强久坐员工职业健康方面的效果。
采用便利抽样招募参与者（研究1有111名参与者，研究2有75名参与者，他们被随机分配到即时干预组或延迟干预组。干预措施是使用显示屏设备风险评估与管理系统进行风险评估，然后根据系统生成的建议立即对参与者的工作场所进行调整。进行了面对面访谈，参与者在评估前和干预后两周完成了三套问卷。
研究1的结果表明，显示屏设备风险评估与管理系统通过纠正工作场所与员工的匹配度，有效减轻了不适和疲劳程度。这些不匹配被确定为显示器、键盘和椅子与员工的高度问题。研究2的结果表明，该系统特别有助于促使参与者更频繁地休息（比值比：3.65），并更加关注职业安全与健康信息（比值比：3.90）。特别是，发现频繁休息的行为可预测眼睛不适和精神疲劳（精力不足）的减轻。然而，没有有力证据表明使用该系统会立即导致对职业健康与安全的态度改变。
研究结果支持这样一种观点，即员工的参与以及将人机工程学融入管理对于职业健康计划的成功实施很重要。与工作场所的职业健康教育和技能培训课程一起，显示屏设备风险评估与管理系统为在工作场所实施参与式人机工程学提供了一个平台。
