Matching Items (5)
Description
ABSTRACT In an attempt to advocate body-conscious design and healing work environments, this research study of holistic health in the workplace explores cognitive, social and physical well-being in four small US offices that are between 1000 and 4000 square feet and employ three to twelve employees. Holistic health, as pursued in this research, includes social health, emotional health and physical health. These three factors of holistic health have been identified and investigated in this study: biophilia: peoples' love and affiliation with other species and the natural environment; ergonomics: the relationship between the human body, movement, the immediate environment and productivity; and exercise: exertion of the body to obtain physical fitness. This research study proposes that employees and employers of these four participating workplaces desire mobility and resources in the workplace that support holistic health practices involving biophilia, ergonomics, and exercise. Literature review of holistic health and the holistic health factors of this research topic support the idea that interaction with other species can be healing, ergonomic body-conscious furniture and equipment increase productivity, limit body aches, pains and health costs; and exercise stimulates the mind and body, increasing productivity. This study has been conducted primarily with qualitative and flexible research approaches using observation, survey, interview and pedometer readings as methods for data collection. Two small corporate franchise financial institutions and two small private healthcare providers from both Arizona and Georgia participated in this study. Each office volunteered one employer and two employee participants. Of the holistic health factors considered in these four case studies, this study found that a majority of participants equally valued emotional health, social health and physical health. A majority of participants declared a preference for workplace environments with serene natural environments with outdoor spaces and interaction with other species, work environments with body-conscious furniture, equipment and workstations, as well as exercise space and equipment. As these particular workplace environments affirmed value for elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise, all three factors are considered valueable within the workplaces of these case studies. Furthermore, factors that were said to contribute to personal productivity in participating workplaces were found as well as sacrifices that participants stated they would be willing to make in order to implement their preferred work environment(s). In addition, this study recorded and calculated average miles walked by participants in each workplace as well as existing incentives and descriptions of ideal work environments. Implications of this research study involve interior design, industrial design and fashion design that can accommodate the desires of the four participating workplaces. Major design implications involve accommodating these particular workplaces to provide personnel with opportunities for holistic health in working environments. More specific implications of office related design involve providing access to natural environments, body-conscious equipment and spaces, as well as opportunities for exercise and social interaction. These elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise were found to be said to contribute to cognitive, social and physical health.
ContributorsMcEwan, April (Author) / White, Philip (Thesis advisor) / Shraiky, James (Committee member) / Barry, Rebecca (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Construction work is ergonomically hazardous, as it requires numerous awkward postures, heavy lifting and other forceful exertions. Prolonged repetition and overexertion have a cumulative effect on workers often resulting in work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The United States spends approximately $850 billion a year on WMSDs. Mechanical installation workers experience serious overexertion injuries at rates exceeding the national average for all industries and all construction workers, and second only to laborers. The main contributing factors of WMSDs are ergonomic loads and extreme stresses due to incorrect postures. The motivation for this study is to reduce the WMSDs among mechanical system (HVAC system) installation workers. To achieve this goal, it is critical to reduce the ergonomic loads and extreme postures of these installers. This study has the following specific aims: (1) To measure the ergonomic loads on specific body regions (shoulders, back, neck, and legs) for different HVAC installation activities; and (2) To investigate how different activity parameters (material characteristics, equipment, workers, etc.) affect the severity and duration of ergonomic demands. The study focuses on the following activities: (1) layout, (2) ground assembly of ductwork, and (3) installation of duct and equipment at ceiling height using different methods. The researcher observed and analyzed 15 HVAC installation activities among three Arizona mechanical contractors. Ergonomic analysis of the activities using a postural guide developed from RULA and REBA methods was performed. The simultaneous analysis of the production tasks and the ergonomic loads identified the tasks with the highest postural loads for different body regions and the influence of the different work variables on extreme body postures. Based on this analysis the results support recommendations to mitigate long duration activities and exposure to extreme postures. These recommendations can potentially reduce risk, improve productivity and lower injury costs in the long term.
ContributorsHussain, Sanaa Fatima (Author) / Mitropoulos, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Wiezel, Avi (Committee member) / Guarascio-Howard, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This project primarily examines the physical and mental health of K-12 school children and faculty by implementing biophilic and ergonomic design into the learning environment. By understanding the positive impacts that both biophilic and ergonomic designs had on humans throughout various office space and healthcare environments, this lead into the question of how these tactics could impact the growth and development of children, as well as the positive impacts they could have on teachers. This research was paired with my fall semester interior design studio (fall of 2021), which is the study of schools and other education spaces in order to strengthen this defense and demonstrate ways schools can incorporate these tactics through the eyes of a design student.
ContributorsFrandrup, Hannah (Author) / Therien, Alex (Thesis director) / Huff, Robert (Committee member) / Bochart, Sonja (Committee member) / Keane, Kirsten (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05
ContributorsFrandrup, Hannah (Author) / Therien, Alex (Thesis director) / Huff, Robert (Committee member) / Bochart, Sonja (Committee member) / Keane, Kirsten (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05
ContributorsFrandrup, Hannah (Author) / Therien, Alex (Thesis director) / Huff, Robert (Committee member) / Bochart, Sonja (Committee member) / Keane, Kirsten (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05