An Assessment of Ergonomic Issues in the Home Offices of University Employees Sent Home Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Daniel D ; Davis, Kermit G. ; Freeman AM ; Gerding T ; Gillespie GL ; Huston TR ; Kotowski SE ; Naylor J ; Syck M
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: As millions of workers have shifted to telework, special accommodations for workers with respect to ergonomics may be required to ensure the workforce remains healthy. METHODS: A survey about home office ergonomics and discomfort was sent to faculty, staff, and administrators by email and was completed by 843 individuals. RESULTS: Over 40% of the participants reported moderate to severe discomfort (severe low/middle back pain, moderate discomfort in eyes/neck/head, and discomfort in the upper back/shoulders). Laptops (always and often) were widely used (85%) with most using the laptop monitor (55%) of all respondents. Further, less than 45% of the seating conditions were reported as having adjustable arm rests. CONCLUSION: As teleworking in makeshift offices becomes more common, the risk of significant discomfort and potentially more serious musculoskeletal disorders may result from poor static postures. Companies may need to accommodate workers by allowing them to take home office chairs, external monitors, keyboards, and mice as laptops are insufficient, ergonomically. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Computers Ergonomics Eye Men Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Telework Back Pain Computer Equipment Coronavirus COVID-19 Employees Eyes Human-computer Interface Humans MSD Musculoskeletal Disorder Musculoskeletal System Disorders Posture Statistical Analysis Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  1051-9815
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062680
• Citation:
  Work 2021 Apr; 68(4):981-992
• Contact Point Address:
  Thomas Gerding, Kettering Laboratory, Room 133, 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267
• Email:
  gerdintr@mail.uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Work
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ce0ee0e0676135dbacb68807b787658d3b3558e8ed887b8a677e004ff6e6dfd515e5f4d0f31bb1aced23da8c30dac284d9eee30e3fa693f6faee3dce835b6ceb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225878/cdc_225878_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 719.63 KB ]