Abstract
A field study was conducted in a light fabrication plant to determine the effectiveness of floor mats on reducing the symptoms of standing fatigue. Specific physiological variables measured include skin temperature of the foot, blood pooling (swelling) of the foot, blood pooling (swelling) of the leg, length of the spinal column, curvature of the spinal column, flexibility of the hamstring muscles, and heart rate. Subjective discomfort measurements were taken for the mid-back, lower back, hips/buttocks, thighs, knees, lower legs, ankles, and feet. Stature was the only variable which exhibited a statistically significant main effect for floor surface at alpha = 0.05. No statistical significance for floor surface was found with regard to any of the other physiological variables. Heart rate exhibited a main effect for gender; females had higher heart rates than males over the course of the work shift. Trends observed with foot volume suggest some practical significance. The increase in foot volume over time was lower for subjects when measured after they worked on anti-fatigue mats for one month. Analysis of the subjective discomfort survey also revealed no significant difference between floor surfaces. However, across both floor surfaces, participants reported significant pain in each of the body regions measured. The participants responded favorably to an evaluation of the floor mats at the conclusion of the study. Results show that 75% of the participants preferred to have mats in their workstations and reported that the mats improved their level of comfort. The subjective discomfort survey and the physiological variables of foot temperature, foot volume, leg volume, stature, and spinal length all showed significant differences between data recorded before and after work shifts, across floor conditions. Although most of the variables showed no statistically supported advantage to the use of mats, these may still be useful tools for future investigations of standing fatigue.
O'Brien, Michael Shannon (1996). The effectiveness of floor mats as an intervention for standing fatigue of light fabrication workers. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1996 -THESIS -O27.