Ergonomic Evaluation of Workstations in an IT Industry

Abstract

In the Information Technology (IT) industry an individual spends most of time in front of their computers working for more than 7 to 8 hours per day. This continuous sitting in the same postures has been the reason for many musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). The paper focuses on the finding the different body parts that suffer strain and discomfort. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate the different parts of the body suffering from pain and to evaluate the different aspects of the five workstation elements considered. The questionnaire was subjected to a Reliability test to measure the consistency of the questions and their responses. From the data collected it was found that the chair was the element that caused most discomfort. The major body parts that the employees had pain frequently were the neck, shoulder, upper back and lower back. The reliability test conducted showed that all the questions in the questionnaire were consistent and reliable. High correlation was found between the body parts affected and aspects of the chair.