Original Article(s)

• Combating Fatigue in the Office: Findings of a Participatory Ergonomics Intervention

  Ali Seyed Sharifi , Mojtaba K. Danesh , Reza Gholamnia

  XML | PDF | pages: 180-188

  Abstract

  Background: The nature of unstandardized office work exposes call center agents not only to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) but also to other mental and physical adversities. Despite this, the occupational health literature presents a surprising paucity of research on fatigue management interventions among call center agents. Accordingly, a participatory ergonomics intervention was designed to examine its effects on workers’ mental and physical fatigue.
  Methods: A quasi-experimental participatory interventional study using a single-arm pretest-posttest design was conducted among 84 call center agents at a private telecommunications company in Tehran, Iran. Prior to the intervention, data on mental and physical fatigue were collected via SOFI questionnaires. Participants then took part in a multifaceted intervention program comprising comprehensive office ergonomics training, work layout improvement, supervised on-site face-to-face visits, and provision of quality break time that included a regular exercise program. A follow-up evaluation was conducted after a six-month period. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to compare participants’ perceived mental and physical fatigue before and after the intervention.
  Results: The intervention had a significant effect on reducing the overall fatigue scale score (P < 0.01). However, the results for the subscales were mixed. “Lack of energy” was reported to decrease meaningfully (P < 0.01), while “lack of motivation” and “sleepiness” did not change significantly. Regarding physical fatigue, “physical discomfort” was perceived to be alleviated by the intervention (P < 0.001), although the condition of “physical exertion” did not improve significantly.
  Conclusion: The findings indicated that the intervention had mixed effects on different aspects of employees’ fatigue. Customizing interventions to target specific facets of occupational fatigue could be an effective strategy. Moreover, this study contributes to the growing body of literature suggesting that participatory ergonomic interventions can help improve work systems, particularly in managing occupational fatigue.