Assessment of knowledge of ergonomic principles and their application among office employees in corporations

Abstract

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of ergonomic principles and their application among clerical staff in corporations. Material and methods: the study comprised 105 persons, office workers in corporations from whole Poland, including 57 men (55.2%) and 48 women (44.8%), aged from 20 to 56. For the research purposes the original questionnaire was created, consisting of 26 questions and specification, which was used to examine the knowledge and opinions of office workers in corporations on the subject of ergonomic principles and their application in the workplace of the respondents, as well as allowed for the evaluation of the actual state of adaptation of office equipment elements according to ergonomic principles. Results: in the group of the surveyed employees: 97 people (92.4%) met with the concept of ergonomics, 76 people (73.3%) had the knowledge of ergonomic principles of workstation, while 77 people (72.4%) thought that they had never been offered the opportunity to adjust the workplace to their individual needs. According to the respondents the most common sources of knowledge on work ergonomics in an office position included: OHS training (78 people, 74.3%), the Internet (43 people, 41%), and literature (38 people, 36.2.) Conclusions: the age of the respondents had a significant impact on their knowledge of ergonomic principles at the office workstations. The source of knowledge acquired by the respondents about ergonomic principles of office workstation did not affect their opinion on who should be responsible for the adaptation of office space. According to the surveyed office workers, a computer mouse was the least ergonomically adapted element of the office equipment.