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Work organization is significantly associated with upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders among employees engaged in interactive computer‐telephone tasks of an international bank subsidiary in São Paulo, Brazil
Author(s) -
Ferreira Mario,
Conceição Gleice Margarete de Souza,
Saldiva Paulo Hilário Nascimento
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199704)31:4<468::aid-ajim14>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - medicine , overtime , seniority , physical therapy , schedule , office workers , musculoskeletal disorder , human factors and ergonomics , work (physics) , occupational safety and health , incidence (geometry) , operations management , poison control , medical emergency , management , engineering , mechanical engineering , physics , optics , pathology , aerospace engineering , political science , law , economics
This study was designed to verify the risk factors for developing upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders (UEMD) among workers engaged in customer service tasks performed by telephone at a private banking corporation in São Paulo, Brazil. The monthly incidence of UEMD in hands and/or wrists in this group was studied retrospectively from January 1993 to June 1995. The statistical analysis was done by using multiple linear regression with the monthly incidence of UEMD considered as dependent variable in models controlled for age, seniority, mean daily regular worktime and overtime per operator, time pressure at work, rest/work schedule, management status, personnel training on postural and muscle stretching, and ergonomic hazards. The variables associated with UEMD were the following: time pressure at work (coefficient = 0.049; p = 0.008) and rest/work schedule (coefficient = −0.047; p = 0.02). The results indicate that working conditions are significantly associated with UEMD, and changes in the working schedule may decrease the incidence of this problem in workers assigned to tasks related to the interactive use of computer‐accessible databases during telephone contacts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:468–473, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.