Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 90
Filter
1.
Work ; 67(1): 3-9, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32955469

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been essential for some workplaces to stay open. Considering the rapid spread of the virus, interior architectural re-designing of these essential workplaces such as markets, banks, and drugstores is crucial for prevention. The employees, as well as the customers in these workplaces, have a high infection rate. Some precautions need to be taken urgently to prevent the spread of the disease. Some workplaces may have already performed their action plan whereas others have not. OBJECTIVE: Some practical, rapid, and cost-efficient preventive precautions are presented in this paper for employers to take action in their workplaces. METHODS: Two new proposals are advised to be carried out. The contents of these newly designed barriers will be introduced. RESULTS: Some practical and cost-efficient ideas are given within this report. CONCLUSION: All the preventions proposed in this paper are claimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and may save lives around the country as well as the world.


Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Coronavirus Infections/transmission , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/transmission , Workplace/economics , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control , Humans , Occupational Diseases/virology , SARS-CoV-2
2.
Appl Ergon ; 82: 102951, 2020 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31526916

ABSTRACT

Sit-stand desks can reduce occupational sitting time, however, their cost can limit scalability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a low-cost standing desk on objectively-measured occupational sitting and prolonged sitting bouts over 3- and 6-months. Secondary outcomes included self-report work engagement and occupational fatigue. Forty-eight office employees (91.7% female, Mage = 39.8 ±â€¯10.1) were randomized to receive a low-cost standing desk or to a control group. At 3-months, the intervention group sat 0.7 h (42min) less at work compared to the control group; F(1, 45) = 5.90, partial η2 = 0.12, p = .019. The effect was small, yet comparable to findings from studies using costlier alternatives. However, these reductions were not maintained at 6-months. No changes in prolonged sitting bouts or secondary outcomes were found. There is some potential for low-cost standing desk converters as a scalable workplace health intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03375749, Registered 18 December 2017, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03375749?term=NCT03375749&rank=1.


Subject(s)
Interior Design and Furnishings , Sitting Position , Standing Position , Workplace , Adult , British Columbia , Ergonomics , Female , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Male , Occupational Health
3.
Work ; 61(4): 501-507, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30475779

ABSTRACT

The office ergonomic design from the late 1980s to the present has undergone significant changes during the transition from typewriters to the various human computer interfaces that evolved to the present day. Designs to accommodate various sized monitors and pointing devices have posed a challenge for ergonomist and designers of office workstations. Recent research suggesting adverse health effects associated with sedentary work environments have put additional pressure to incorporate the option to stand while working. This article reviews the current available options and suggests approaches to workplace design to meet the desire for employees to vary their work environment and the concern by management for worker health.


Subject(s)
Computer Terminals , Ergonomics/methods , Interior Design and Furnishings/methods , Posture , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Interior Design and Furnishings/standards , Occupational Health , Sedentary Behavior , Workplace
6.
Br J Sports Med ; 49(21): 1357-62, 2015 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26034192

ABSTRACT

An international group of experts convened to provide guidance for employers to promote the avoidance of prolonged periods of sedentary work. The set of recommendations was developed from the totality of the current evidence, including long-term epidemiological studies and interventional studies of getting workers to stand and/or move more frequently. The evidence was ranked in quality using the four levels of the American College of Sports Medicine. The derived guidance is as follows: for those occupations which are predominantly desk based, workers should aim to initially progress towards accumulating 2 h/day of standing and light activity (light walking) during working hours, eventually progressing to a total accumulation of 4 h/day (prorated to part-time hours). To achieve this, seated-based work should be regularly broken up with standing-based work, the use of sit-stand desks, or the taking of short active standing breaks. Along with other health promotion goals (improved nutrition, reducing alcohol, smoking and stress), companies should also promote among their staff that prolonged sitting, aggregated from work and in leisure time, may significantly and independently increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature mortality. It is appreciated that these recommendations should be interpreted in relation to the evidence from which they were derived, largely observational and retrospective studies, or short-term interventional studies showing acute cardiometabolic changes. While longer term intervention studies are required, the level of consistent evidence accumulated to date, and the public health context of rising chronic diseases, suggest initial guidelines are justified. We hope these guidelines stimulate future research, and that greater precision will be possible within future iterations.


Subject(s)
Occupational Health , Sedentary Behavior , Workplace/organization & administration , Costs and Cost Analysis , Exercise/physiology , Health Promotion/economics , Health Promotion/methods , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Interior Design and Furnishings/standards , Posture/physiology , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Risk Assessment , Workplace/economics
8.
Fed Regist ; 79(232): 71658-63, 2014 Dec 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25470828

ABSTRACT

This rulemaking adopts as final, without change, a proposed rule creating regulations for the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) benefits program. Through the HISA benefits program, VA provides monetary benefits to disabled veterans for necessary home improvements and alterations. An increase in the HISA benefits limit was authorized by the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. This rulemaking codifies regulations governing the HISA benefits program and incorporates the increase in HISA benefits authorized by the 2010 Act.


Subject(s)
Disabled Persons/legislation & jurisprudence , Financing, Government/economics , Financing, Government/legislation & jurisprudence , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Interior Design and Furnishings/legislation & jurisprudence , United States Department of Veterans Affairs/economics , United States Department of Veterans Affairs/legislation & jurisprudence , Veterans/legislation & jurisprudence , Government Programs/economics , Government Programs/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , United States
12.
Health Estate ; 68(2): 49-53, 2014 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24620491

ABSTRACT

Although estimates suggest that, on average, some 30 per cent of all patients in general acute medical wards may have some form of dementia, Stirling University's Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), one of the leading international knowledge centres working to improve the lives of dementia sufferers, says progress in designing healthcare facilities that address such patients' needs has been 'patchy at best'. With the number of individuals living with dementia expected to double in the next 25 years, the DSDC has recently worked with Edinburgh-based architects, Burnett Pollock Associates, to develop an online resource that clearly illustrates, via 15 simulated 'dementia-friendly' healthcare 'spaces', some of the key principles to consider when designing effectively for this fast-growing group. HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, attended the launch of the so-called 'Virtual Hospital'.


Subject(s)
Dementia/psychology , Health Facility Administrators/education , Health Facility Environment/standards , Hospital Design and Construction/standards , Computer Simulation , Computer-Assisted Instruction , Dementia/rehabilitation , Health Facility Environment/economics , Health Facility Environment/methods , Health Personnel/education , Hospital Design and Construction/economics , Hospital Design and Construction/methods , Humans , Information Dissemination/methods , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Interior Design and Furnishings/methods , Interior Design and Furnishings/standards , Internet , State Medicine/economics , State Medicine/standards , United Kingdom
14.
J Strength Cond Res ; 28(8): 2253-61, 2014 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24476770

ABSTRACT

Strength and conditioning training programs are essential components of athletic performance, and the effectiveness of these programs can be linked to the strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) used by athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to provide a statistical overview of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I SCFs, equipment and maintenance budget, and the relationship between SCF budget and staffing space, and equipment. The secondary purpose was to note differences in SCFs between those schools with and without football programs. An 84-item online survey instrument, developed with expert input from certified strength professionals, was used to collect data regarding the SCFs in NCAA Division I universities. A total of 110 valid and complete surveys were returned for a response rate of 38.6%. Results of Pearson's χ2 analysis demonstrated that the larger reported annual equipment budgets were associated with larger SCFs (χ2 = 451.4, p ≤ 0.001), greater maximum safe capacity of athletes using the facility (χ2 = 366.9, p ≤ 0.001), increased numbers of full-time coaches (χ2 = 224.2, p ≤ 0.001), and increased number of graduate assistant or intern coaches (χ2 = 102.9, p ≤ 0.001). Based on these data, it can be suggested to athletic administrators and strength and conditioning professionals at the collegiate level that budgets need to be re-evaluated as the number of personnel available to monitor student-athletes and the size and safe capacity of the facility are related to the ability of the strength and conditioning staff to safely and adequately perform their duties.


Subject(s)
Fitness Centers , Football , Physical Conditioning, Human , Resistance Training , Sports Equipment , Universities , Fitness Centers/economics , Fitness Centers/statistics & numerical data , Football/classification , Football/economics , Football/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Physical Conditioning, Human/economics , Physical Conditioning, Human/instrumentation , Resistance Training/instrumentation , Sports Equipment/economics , Sports Equipment/statistics & numerical data , United States , Universities/classification , Universities/economics , Universities/statistics & numerical data , Workforce
16.
Health Estate ; 67(8): 27-31, 2013 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24137992

ABSTRACT

Simon Corben, business development director at Capita Symonds' Health team, examines how 'clever use of zoning' when planning new healthcare facilities could improve hospital design, increase inherent flexibility, and reduce lifetime costs, and argues that a 'loose-fit, non-bespoke approach' to space planning will lead to 'more flexible buildings that are suitable for conversion to alternative uses'.


Subject(s)
Hospitals, Public , Interior Design and Furnishings/methods , Cost Savings , Efficiency, Organizational , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , United Kingdom
18.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord ; 13: 145, 2012 Aug 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22889123

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prolonged sitting has been associated with musculoskeletal dysfunction. For desk workers, workstation modifications frequently address the work surface and chair. Chairs which can prevent abnormal strain of the neuromuscular system may aid in preventing musculo-skeletal pain and discomfort. Anecdotally, adjustability of the seat height and the seat pan depth to match the anthropometrics of the user is the most commonly recommended intervention. Within the constraints of the current economic climate, employers demand evidence for the benefits attributed to an investment in altering workstations, however this evidence-base is currently unclear both in terms of the strength of the evidence and the nature of the chair features. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of chair interventions in reducing workplace musculoskeletal symptoms. METHODS: Pubmed, Cinahl, Pedro, ProQuest, SCOPUS and PhysioFocus were searched. 'Ergonomic intervention', 'chair', 'musculoskeletal symptoms', 'ergonomics', 'seated work' were used in all the databases. Articles were included if they investigated the influence of chair modifications as an intervention; participants were in predominantly seated occupations; employed a pre/post design (with or without control or randomising) and if the outcome measure included neuro-musculoskeletal comfort and/or postural alignment. The risk of bias was assessed using a tool based on The Cochrane Handbook. RESULTS: Five studies were included in the review. The number of participants varied from 4 to 293 participants. Three of the five studies were Randomised Controlled Trials, one pre and post-test study was conducted and one single case, multiple baselines (ABAB) study was done. Three studies were conducted in a garment factory, one in an office environment and one with university students. All five studies found a reduction in self-reported musculoskeletal pain immediately after the intervention. Bias was introduced due to poor randomization procedures and lack of concealed allocation. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity of the data (differing population, intervention and outcomes across studies). CONCLUSION: The findings of this review indicate a consistent trend that supports the role of a chair intervention to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms among workers who are required to sit for prolonged periods. However the amount, level and quality of the evidence are only moderate therefore we cannot make strong recommendations until further trials are conducted. The review also highlights gaps: for example in showing whether the effectiveness of a chair intervention has long-term impact, particularly with respect to musculoskeletal symptoms, as well as the recurrence of symptoms and the consequent cost of care.


Subject(s)
Interior Design and Furnishings , Musculoskeletal Diseases/therapy , Occupational Diseases/therapy , Pain/prevention & control , Posture , Workplace , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Equipment Design , Ergonomics , Female , Health Care Costs , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Male , Musculoskeletal Diseases/diagnosis , Musculoskeletal Diseases/economics , Musculoskeletal Diseases/etiology , Musculoskeletal Diseases/physiopathology , Occupational Diseases/diagnosis , Occupational Diseases/economics , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Occupational Diseases/physiopathology , Pain/diagnosis , Pain/economics , Pain/etiology , Pain/physiopathology , Recurrence , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Workplace/economics
20.
Radiol Manage ; 33(5): 27-31; quiz 32-3, 2011.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22043731

ABSTRACT

By incorporating even the basic elements of a more environmentally friendly, "green"construction and design in an MRI setting can create a safer, more pleasant space for the patients and staff, better images, and operational cost savings. Using building systems that have reduced amounts of steel can decrease construction time, increase thermal insulation, and reduce the weight of the structure meaning less energy required to transport and install. HVAC systems and lighting design can also play a major role in creating a "green"MRI suite. LEED certification places a focus on quality of the built environment, life cycle cost, and a productive indoor environment, as well as impact on the exterior environment. An LEED certified building considers costs and benefits for the lifetime of the building.


Subject(s)
Interior Design and Furnishings/methods , Patient Satisfaction , Radiology Department, Hospital , Education, Continuing , Humans , Interior Design and Furnishings/economics , Magnetic Resonance Imaging
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...