Reprinted from The RSI Network - Issue 17 - Apr'94
Richard Donkin
April 1994
The source of this information is the book Ergonomics, Work, and Health by Stephen
Pheasant (Macmillan, 1991). This book has a full list of references and has a section on
the cost effectiveness of ergonomics.
To quote from the book: "Dainoff and Dainoff (1986) report an experimental study
in which a VDU workstation designed according to commonly accepted ergonomic guidelines
was compared with one that deliberately broke most of the rules. . . [Subjects] performed
an experimental task involving data entry and editing under realistic conditions. A
composite performance measure was used which took into account both speed and errors, and
the subjects were paid by results. Performance was 25% higher at the ergonomically
designed workstation; and when differences in lighting were eliminated, there was still an
18% performance difference."
Ong (1984) studied data entry staff at a Singapore airline terminal before and after
ergonomic changes (including lighting, document holders, footrests, and more rest pauses).
Output (measured in keystrokes per hour worked) increased by 25% The error rate decreased
from 1.5% to 0.1%. The output improvement occurred despite spending less time at the
terminal.
A study was made on a telephone assembly plant by Spilling, Eiterheim, and Aaras,
"Cost-benefit analysis of work environment investment at STK's telephone plant in
Kongsvinger," 1986, published in The Ergonomics of Working Postures. By redesigning
assembly workers' workstations, thus reducing RSI, the company made a phenomenal return on
its investment, simply by reducing the cost of sick leave and staff turnover.
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