Finding the right balance
A new study has examined the effects of different work postures on stability in young, healthy adults. With workplace falls often happening due to tiredness and awkward positions, the research could aid in providing ideas for adjusting tasks to help reduce falls and subsequent injuries.
Researchers looked at four types of work postures that could affect static postural stability – the ability to maintain an upright posture and keep the centre of gravity within the limits of support.
Twenty volunteers completed tests to see how bending, squatting, sitting and standing affected balance. The participants were tested before, immediately after and ten minutes after performing tasks in each position. Overall, the results demonstrated poor static stability after fatigue, especially when sitting.
The study, published in the journal Ergonomics, said: “Out of the four work postures investigated in the study, the participants demonstrated the highest amount of balance decrements in the sitting position. The findings of this study may aid in providing suggestions for re-designing specific work tasks to prevent balance decrements and, therefore, falls and fall-related injuries.”
Researchers also aimed to assess the impact of ten minutes of resting after fatigue on static postural stability but the results were inconclusive. They noted that further studies would be needed to determine the appropriate resting period to recover balance decrements following working in different postures.
