Introduction: The nature of unstandardized office work exposes call center agents to not only work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), but also other mental and physical adversities. Despite this fact, in the occupational health literature, there is a surprising paucity regarding fatigue management interventions among call center agents. Accordingly, a participatory ergonomics intervention was designed to examine its resulting effects on worker’s mental and physical fatigue.
Material and methods: A quasi-experimental participatory interventional study with a single arm pretest-posttest design was conducted among 84 call center agents of a private telecommunication company in the city of Tehran, Iran. Prior to the intervention, data regarding mental and physical fatigue were collected via SOFI questionnaires. Then, participants were assigned to a multifaceted intervention program including comprehensive office ergonomic training, work layout improvement, supervised on-site face to face visits, and provision of quality break time encompassing regular exercise program. Follow-up evaluation was done after a 6-month period. Wilcoxon sign test was applied to compare subject’s perceived mental and physical fatigue before and after the intervention.
Results: Based on the results, intervention had a significant effect on reducing overall score of the fatigue scale
(P < 0.01). However, the results for its subscales were mixed. Lack of energy was reported to decrease meaningfully (P < 0.01) while lack of motivation and sleepiness didn’t change significantly. As for physical fatigue, physical discomfort was perceived to be alleviated by the intervention (P < 0.001) although the condition of physical exertion didn’t improve significantly.
Conclusions: Findings showed that the intervention had mixed effects on different aspects of employees’ fatigue. Customizing interventions to target different aspects of occupational fatigue would be a practicable strategy. Moreover, the contribution of this study is to the body of the literature suggesting a participatory ergonomic intervention can help bring about improvements to the work systems specifically managing occupational fatigue.

Tripod Beta is a structured methodology developed in response to major industrial accidents, particularly the Piper Alpha disaster. Rather than focusing on human error as the primary cause, Tripod Beta examines the systemic failures that contribute to unsafe acts, namely the underlying latent conditions and failed barriers within an organization. This perspective article reflects on the relevance and application of Tripod Beta in today’s high-risk and complex industrial settings. We discuss its theoretical foundations in human factors and systems thinking, review its strengths in promoting organizational learning, and critically assess its current limitations, such as challenges in scalability, digital integration, and applicability across emerging sectors. Furthermore, we outline future opportunities for enhancing the method through digital tools, hybrid models, and expanded training accessibility. By repositioning Tripod Beta as a proactive safety strategy rather than a reactive investigation tool, we argue for its modernization and continued use as a valuable framework in preventing accidents and managing risk in evolving operational landscapes.