The Future of Office Workplaces with an Emphasis on Ergonomics

Abstract

A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for a prosperous business. As a result of natural, technological progress, the structure of professions is changing, and their performance is closely linked to the use of computers and new technologies. According to a survey of the most frequently registered professions in Slovakia, up to 60 % of professions are concentrated in offices; the primary working position is sitting. Epidemiological studies point to an increasing number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by the accumulation of static load during long-term sedentary work tasks. A new task of ergonomics is, therefore, to evaluate, improve and design office workplaces to ensure the physical and psychosocial needs of workers and eliminate factors that increase the influence of static load on the human body.