Get to Know the Working Position by Sitting or Standing Right For Health

The development of industry and urban development is getting higher, making the rate of job creation higher. This development has resulted in the large number of human resources working in the city office area. But behind this, it is necessary to pay attention to the ergonomic position.

However, at this time many office workers or employees pay less attention to their position at work even though the position at work can determine the level of productivity at work, but it also affects the health of the employee. Maybe in the short term the effect is felt not too big but can have a very large effect in the long term. Of course, everyone wants a healthy posture and body condition until old age. Therefore, here we will discuss the effect of sitting or standing working position at work.

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is a science that finds and collects information about human behavior, abilities, limitations, and characteristics for the design of machines, equipment, work systems, and productive, safe, comfortable and effective environments for humans. Ergonomics is a systematic branch of science to utilize information about human nature, human abilities and limitations to design a good work system so that goals can be achieved effectively, safely and comfortably (Sutalaksana, 1979).

Specifically, the field of ergonomics has the following objectives:

1. Increase worker productivity both individually and in groups.
2. Improving occupational safety and health for workers while in the work environment.
3. Reducing lost work time due to accidents or illness.
4. Improve the quality of work and minimize the incidence of defects for workers.

Benefits of an Ergonomic Work Position?

Ergonomics in work is done quickly, with a smaller accident risk, time efficiency, small occupational disease risk, and so on. The benefits of ergonomics are as follows:

• Improved work, e.g. speed, accuracy, safety and reduced energy at work
• Time is reduced, so are training and education costs
• Optimization of Human Resources by increasing the required skills
• Efficiency of time so that it is not wasted
• Increased employee comfort at work

The Effect of Ergonomic Work Positions on Health

Standing Position

Workers in carrying out work activities are sometimes carried out in a standing position or in a sitting position. Work activities carried out standing have different work characteristics from the standing position. As previously explained, work activities in a standing position are carried out if the work being carried out often involves moving the body or requiring a large amount of energy. Carrying out work activities both in a standing and sitting position has several advantages and disadvantages. Activities in a standing working position, the load is concentrated on the feet which results in the inability of the legs to withstand the weight of the body for a long time.

The following are the disadvantages of working in a standing posture:

• Changing a sitting position to standing with the same work equipment, will be tiring.
• Standing is more tiring than sitting, 10-15% more energy expended than sitting.
• To minimize the effects of fatigue and subjective complaints of eating, work should be designed so as not to reach out too much, bend over, or make movements with an unnatural head position.

Besides some disadvantages, there are several advantages to working in a standing position, including:

• Can reach wider than working in a sitting position.
• Body weight can be used in exertion.
• Standing workers don’t need much leg or leg room.
• The limbs are very effective in reducing vibration.
• Lower lumbar pressure
• The strength of the trunk muscles is twice that of a sitting or semi-standing position.

Sitting Position

Working in a sitting position has different characteristics from a standing position. Working in a sitting position makes the body more balanced and safer. Hand movement control can be maintained when working in a sitting position and better blood circulation. In addition, working in a sitting position is not profitable if it is done for a relatively long time. Sitting for a long time without any variation in sitting position will cause the abdominal muscles to weaken and the spine to curve forward.

If you don’t do an ergonomic sitting position, there will be some impacts or effects that can be felt, as explained below:

Advantages of sitting posture:

• The load on the legs can be reduced
• Energy consumption and the need for blood circulation can be reduced
• Have a high degree of body stability
• Reduce fatigue and subjective complaints when working more than 2 hours
• Workers can control the legs to make movements

Disadvantages of sitting posture:

• Sitting for too long can cause the abdominal muscles to soften, the spine will curve so that you get tired quickly
• Easily tired
• Increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease
• Joint and bone problems

Ergonomic Seating Position Design

The design of the seat must be in accordance with the expectations of the user so that in carrying out work activities they feel comfortable and work results can be increased. In general, seats are in the form of chairs, but also in the form of swings, pillows, baskets and so on.

To get a comfortable seat design is relatively difficult, due to user variability. However, seats, especially chairs, have now been produced in various ways according to user needs. For example, the seat height has been designed to be adjustable, so that the seat height can be used according to the dimensions of the user’s body. In addition, many seat designs are equipped with armrests. Regarding the design of the chair, several aspects need to be considered, including:

1. The design of the chair can provide comfort for the individual who uses it. For this reason, the designer must know information related to who the chair user is, what activities are carried out and how long these activities are carried out. Because chair users are a population that has a body dimension variance, it is necessary to use the percentile value accurately.
2. The design of the chair needs to be in sync with the equipment at the workstation and the task at hand. For this reason, the design of the chair must be able to provide convenience in carrying out tasks and be able to maintain physiological movements.
3. Chair design has the general goal of increasing productivity. Thus the design of the chair must be able to improve a person’s performance to increase worker productivity.
4. The design of the chair must ensure to workers a sense of security in carrying out activities so as to avoid injury or work accidents.

Considerations about the work that is best done in a sitting position are:

1. Jobs that require careful control of the feet.
2. The main job is writing or requires accuracy in the hands
3. Does not require a large thrust
4. Objects that are held do not require hands to work at a height of more than 15cm from the work platform.
5. A high level of body stability is required
6. Work done for a long time
7. All objects being worked on are still within reach with a sitting position

Chair for working in sitting position

• Men : 5509 knee height) + 25(shoes) + 25(slack) = 600mm
• Women : 540 (knee height) + 40(shoes) + 25 (slack) = 645mm

In work done by sitting, the seat used must allow for variations in position changes. The size of the seat is adjusted to the dimensions of the anthropometric size.

Ergonomic Standing Position Design

When sitting, the position of the lower back strongly influences the posture of the neck. Poor neck posture is an effect of inadequate lower back support. If you don’t know how to sit properly, even the best-designed chairs won’t prevent you from slouching. In the correct sitting position, a poor chair design will/will not have a major impact on posture. Sitting in a bent position tends to open the lumbar joints posteriorly. The L-shaped sitting position (legs stretched forward, knees straightened) will open the lumbar joints more posteriorly. Thus, when sitting the knees are allowed to bend. When sitting without a lower back support, the abdominal and buttock muscles should be contracted and the forearms or elbows resting on the thighs.

There are several things that can be done to reduce the risk of standing too long, in the following ways:

1. If possible, a worker can change the working position regularly, thereby reducing the static position for a long time, and the worker can move flexibly.
2. The work floor is covered with a soft pad to reduce fatigue when standing for too long.
3. Use footwear that is comfortable or fits the size and does not change the shape of the foot. if a worker is required to wear heeled shoes, it is advisable to use a heel height below 5 CM.
4. If the floor is slippery, use anti-slip shoes to prevent slipping during activities.
5. Stretch regularly, every 30 minutes or once an hour. Stretching is done to reduce pressure on the legs, shoulders, neck and head.
6. Try to sit on the sidelines of work or during breaks.

Work is best done in a standing position:

1. There is no space for legs and knees.
2. Must hold heavy object (more than 4.5kg)
3. Often reaches up, down and sideways
4. Often do work by pressing down
5. High mobility required.

Caption: work base for standing posture

A. The work requires emphasis, the height of the work base is 15-40cm below the height of the standing elbow
B. Work requires accuracy, to reduce static loading on the back muscles, the height of the work base is 5-10cm above the elbow standing
C. Light, manual work where workers often need space for equipment, materials, platform height is 10-15cm below elbow height

Tips for Stretching the Body While Working

Doing work in the same position for a long period of time can result in injury to the bones and muscles of the worker. Therefore, stretching can reduce this risk and only takes 5-10 minutes to do it without the need to move from work. Stretching can be done in the following ways:

So, those are some reviews and discussions about the effect of sitting and standing working positions. Each position has its own advantages and disadvantages, but all of them are positions to support our performance at work. But in essence, working with a good, correct and ergonomic position is necessary because it will affect our health and also help us to be more productive at work.