Effects of anti-fatigue mats on perceived discomfort and weight-shifting during prolonged standing

Details

• Personal Author:
  Keyserling, W. Monroe ; Wiggermann N
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of anti-fatigue mats on perceived discomfort and behavioral responses (weight-shifting between the feet) during prolonged standing. BACKGROUND: Prolonged standing is a common requirement in the workplace and is a well-known cause of discomfort. Anti-fatigue mats have been shown to reduce discomfort resulting from standing, but no study has identified a particular mat that performs better than others or examined the relationship between discomfort and weight-shifting. METHODS: Participants stood for 4 hours on four commercially available "anti-fatigue" mats and a hard surface (control condition). Subjective ratings of discomfort were measured, and in-shoe pressure was recorded and used to evaluate weight-shifting during standing. RESULTS: Compared to the control condition, after 4 hours of standing discomfort was reduced by three of the four mats, but discomfort ratings did not significantly differ among mats. However, significant differences among mats were found in the frequency of weight-shifting, and weight-shifting was positively correlated to discomfort. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that subjective reports of discomfort were not sufficiently sensitive to detect differences among mats for the experimental conditions tested. Behavioral responses, specifically weight-shifting between feet, may provide a more sensitive alternative to subjective reports. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Fatigue Men Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Women
• Keywords:
  Anti-fatigue Mats Author Keywords: Weight-shifting Foot-protection Humans Muscle-stress Muscle-tension Musculoskeletal-system Posture Weight-factors
• ISSN:
  0018-7208
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  55
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043078
• Citation:
  Hum Factors 2013 Aug; 55(4):764-775
• Contact Point Address:
  Neal Wiggermann, Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, 1161 Tekulve Rd. #401-20, Batesville, IN 47006
• Email:
  newiggermann@gmail.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Human Factors
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ada47794f96d169464036976d3613e9d17b6e12cd85e66268de76120eaaf073445d521dee2088a6da27af5fa9e68daf8ac959fb9396e02f1bc72771abd41cb8e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195095/cdc_195095_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 928.59 KB ]