Background: Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, human lifestyles and occupational settings have changed in the workplace. This survey explores associations of home working employment and related physical activity (PA–MET min/week). Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted between March 2020 and March 2021. A standardized method for assessing PA and sedentary time, the Italian version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), was used through the Microsoft Forms® platform for self-administering the questionnaire. Baseline data were collected, and four follow-ups were performed; a full calendar year was observed. Results: In total, 310 home workers were recruited in this investigation. The average body mass index (BMI- kg/m2) was 21.4 ± 4.2 at baseline. The value increased at the first follow-up and fluctuated in the other recalls. The t-test of MET values of the four activities (Total PA, Vigorous-intensity activity, Moderate-intensity activity, Walking) show similar results; the total PA, at baseline 275.7 ± 138.6, decreased statistically significantly at the first (198.5 ± 84.6), third (174.9 ± 98.4), and fourth (188.7 ± 78.5) follow-ups, while it increased statistically significantly at the second follow-up (307.1 ± 106.1) compared to the baseline. Sedentary time was constant until the second follow-up, while it increased statistically significantly at the 3rd and 4th follow-up. Conclusion: workers involved reduced and reorganized their PA during this pandemic year. Each business company should intervene to improve the PA levels of workers and reduce sedentary behavior in the workplace.
The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged the spread of remote working as an instrument to prevent the stop of work activities. Resilience has led to the adaptation of the existing work models into hybrid ones, enabling many companies to test new forms of organisation. This has led to critical issues, particularly in the management of the health and safety at work and in the sustainability of production processes, due to the contradictions in these areas, in the European legislation. At present, it is still difficult to obtain an overall framework of effects and possible risks of hybrid workplaces. In fact, in addition to traditional risks, new risks and unexplored interaction between risks and human factor are emerging. Furthermore, it highlights the need to rethink new reference figures in the safety management system. However, the benefits of increased productivity, work life balance, sustainability and environmental impact are clear. The aim of this research is to rationalize the technical knowledge and the case studies of possible risks related to hybrid workplace, in order to support the worker and the employer in the analysis of hazards and risk assessment, risk communication and prevention, through a dynamic assessment system based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). For this purpose, the current legislation has to be investigated, identifying technological solutions useful to fill some gaps for an extension of protection in new forms of remote work.
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