Influence of flooring conditions on lower leg volume following prolonged standing

• Published in: International journal of industrial ergonomics 2004-10, Vol.34 (4), p.279-288
• Main Authors: Zander, JoAnn E., King, Phyllis M., Ezenwa, Bertram N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Discomfort; Fatigue; Floor mats; In-soles; Leg volume; Standing
• ISSN: 0169-8141; 1872-8219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2004.04.014

Many manufacturing and service occupations require prolonged periods of standing. Employees in these occupations frequently complain of standing fatigue. Modifying the flooring is a common ergonomic intervention to ameliorate the complaints associated with prolonged standing. This study examined the effects of different flooring conditions on standing fatigue in the workplace. The study measured changes in lower leg volume over an 8-h shift for three ergonomic interventions: wood block floor, anti- fatigue mat, and shoe insoles. For a group of assembly line workers, pre-shift and post-shift lower leg volume was measured for the three different flooring conditions. A Latin square design was used. Varying the flooring conditions did not result in a statistically significant change in lower leg volume between pre-shift and post-shift measurements. An increase in leg volume was noted following each of the 3 interventions for all subjects. These findings suggest that common product interventions such as in-soles and floor mats alone may have little effect on controlling leg edema for industrial workers exposed to standing for 8-h shifts. Relevance to industry Pain and fatigue have been associated with prolonged standing of employees in industry. The effectiveness of interventions such as mats, in-soles and shoes to reduce discomfort has yet to be clarified.