JOURNAL REFLECTION:ERGONOMIC EVALUATION OF OFFICE WORKPLACES WITH RAPID OFFICE STRAIN ASSESSMENT

Identify:

According to the case study Ergonomic Evaluation of Office Workplaces with Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA), offices with a low ROSA (Rapid Office Strain Assessment) (pg. 2) score may need further research and modifications of the workplace (pg. 6) The study was conducted in an insurance broker during September and December of 2013; and with 38 participants. (pg. 3). The study found this particular office workers are mostly seated position in an open space office. The workplaces are equipped with desk, chair, computer, computer accessories and telephone. The mean ROSA score obtained for the chairs were 3.45 out of 10. The mean ROSA score obtained for the monitors and telephones were 3.11 out of 10. The mean ROSA score obtained for the mouse and keyboard were 2.11 out of 10. The mean ROSA final score was 3.61 out of 10, which means that this workplace has musculoskeletal discomfort risk and that it requires investigation and modifications. (pages 3-4)

The ROSA method is a diagram-based checklist that was developed to quickly quantify the exposure of workers to risk factors in office workplaces and if an office workplace requires additional assessment. The risk factors incorporated into ROSA are divided into several subsections: chair, monitor and telephone, and mouse and keyboard. These subsections emphasize the risk factors of each component of the office workplace. (pg. 2)

Reaction

There is an increase of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) because of the regular use of computers. It has been reported that symptoms of WRMSD mostly accrue on neck and upper limbs. WRMSD are the reason for a high proportion of sickness absence from work than any other health condition. (pg. 2) I did not know there was a term for pain, let alone a term specially for work-related pain. The reason this grabbed my attention is because there is a design standard out there called the WELL Building Standard. The WELL Building Standard grading scale cares about the parts of the built environment that impact human health: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. You either like the concept of the design or you don’t. I personally really like this design standard and this article backs up the theory of the WELL Building Standard that to have more productivity the workers need to have a healthier working environment.

Two interesting medical facts were explained on page 5: “At the level of the armrests, many workers not used, being the arms supported on the desk what often causes elevation of shoulders and, consequently, the increase of tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, as the trapezius muscle... In order to keep a static posture, the muscles of the neck, shoulder and upper limbs became overloaded and finally injured. Especially the discomfort postures due to poor viewing angle of the screen and the position of the chair and table may shorten the soft tissues, and cause muscle tension, weakness and fatigue. It has been documented by some researchers that the muscular tension and stress to the shortened structures may cause pain.” While reading this article my arms were on the table not the armrest, and while typing I went back and forth from screen to paper. Both situations were addressed, showing how easy it is not to know how you are harming your body by working.

Application

The article mentions that before the study was conducted, the researchers talked to the human resources department of the company to understand the type of work the workers do, their most frequent adopted work postures, and their schedules. This to me sounded like my first step of programming. I will use this concept when I go to my cite visits.

The other major application I got from this article is to not only make sure I choose good office products, but to make sure they all work together. I also need to come up with some form of way to get rid the structure of head turning when using a screen and papers; and the structure of multitasking with a phone.

Reference

M. Matosa, & Pedro M. Arezesb. (2015). Ergonomic Evaluation of Office Workplaces with Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). Procedia--manufacturing.