A field study was conducted of 40 office workers to determine if seating posture and task differ between job type. Participants were observed through videotape within their own workstations. Torso posture, upper extremity posture and task were coded using event-recording software. Each job type was observed for approximately 31 hours. The job types were categorized as administrative, customer service, executive and technical/professional. Behaviors were examined as frequency of occurrence, duration of occurrence, and percentage of the working hour that the behavior was held. Technical/professional workers spent a significantly greater (p<.05) percentage of the working hour with the mouse in their hand than the other job types. Customer service workers spent a greater (p<.01) percentage of the working hour reading the VDT and typing on their keyboard than the other job types. They also read the VDT more frequently (p<.01) than the other job types. In terms of postures, customer service workers sit with their arms in a neutral posture for a greater (p<.01) percentage of the working hour than the other job types.
Ergonomics of Office Seating and Postures