The Multifactorial Analysis of Static and Repetitive Work. Study of the Work in Services Activities

Abstract

The office work and specifically the work with computer are develop in long periods of static work, which is associated with the development of muscle skeletal disorders. In consequence, the authors made a transverse study with office workers (n=377) of a company dedicated to service activities (management of information and attention to costumers) in order to explore the relationship between the work structure, the nature of the tasks and the presence of muscle skeletal disorders, and to identify a strategy to stimulate the postural transition.The information was collected in a question paper that went into variables related to the type of task that the worker develops, the time that he dedicates to office and computer activities, disabilities, medical precedents and current symptomatology. The main medical precedents founded in the evaluated population was: arterial hypertension (HTA), 8%; lipidomics, 23%; diabetes, 3%, and hypoglycemia, 4%. In the evaluated population was found that 80% suffer pain, specifically relative to upper limbs: hands, 26%; elbows, 3%, and shoulders 4%. In cervical column, 32%; lumbar column, 16%; and dorsal column, 6%. Finally, it was proved that 80% of the worker’s time is dedicated to static work, specifically to typing information. The results of this study are applied to the development of principles to design tasks and to develop a strategy to promote the posture transitions at work.