Implementation of an Office Ergonomics Program to Promote Musculoskeletal Health: A Case Study in Hong Kong

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS

An office ergonomics program was implemented at a multinational company in Hong Kong. The FITS Model office ergonomics program included four components: (1) F: Furniture Evaluation and Selection, wherein the ergonomist conducted a walkthrough review of furniture and environmental settings; (2) I: Individual Workstation Assessment, in which the office ergonomics guideline and educational video were developed. An interactive individual ergonomics workstation assessment included a health survey, and the assessor provided immediate recommendations for changes to workstation setup; (3) T: Training and Education; and (4) S: Stretching Exercises and Rest Breaks, which entailed classroom training to promote office ergonomics principles and demonstrate office stretching exercises. A case study is described, included the steps to implement the program and highlights of the feedback from the project team gathered during mid-term and final evaluations. Lessons learned regarding program management and the limitations of the project intervention offer useful information for practitioners and companies.

Keywords:

• Musculoskeletal disorders
• occupational health
• computer workstations
• assessment
• office workers

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by Chim’s Ergonomics and Safety Limited and the author would like to give thanks to all participants in the study and the management team in this project.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

There is no funding source for preparing this paper.