Awareness and application of ergonomics, knowledge and prevalence of disorders among administrators at a higher learning institution.
Phiri, Celia Lortato Ntokoane
Phiri, Celia Lortato Ntokoane
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Abstract
The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 states that the employer is required to bring about and maintain a work environment that is safe and without risk to the health of employees. As a relatively newly established higher learning institution, an ergonomics awareness programme was not in place. This implied that the institution might not comply with what is required from the employer. Within the parameters of applied research, a quantitative, descriptive research design with a cross-sectional, survey methodology was followed. The population consisted of the institution’s office administrators. Census sampling was used. The questionnaire data was captured in Microsoft Excel and imported into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. Based on the distribution of the descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square tests determine the relationship between variables of interest. The findings reported that the level of awareness of office ergonomics was at moderate satisfactory levels. A clear lack of the knowledge with regard to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomics was evident. Administrators experienced pain and discomfort in some body parts. The evaluation of the application of ergonomics in the working environment revealed that the majority of participants were not applying the correct ergonomic principles. It is concluded that an institution-wide ergonomic training programme should be implemented followed by a risk assessment programme to ensure a safe and effective working environment at the higher learning institution.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree, Magister Technologiae: Office Management and Technology
in the Department of Business and Information Management Services, Faculty of Management Sciences at the Tshwane University of Technology
Date
2022-11-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Work environment, Higher learning institution, Office ergonomics, Musculoskeletal disorders, Application of ergonomics