A Review on Health Effects Associated with Prolonged Standing in the Industrial Workplaces

In industrial workplaces, many workers perform processes jobs in standing position for a long period of time. Working in standing position can be linked to versatility because the mobility of legs position and having large degree of freedom. This working position promotes workers to be more efficient and productive. Such advantages contribute high value for company profits; however, standing in a long period of time can lead to discomfort, muscle fatigue, and occupational injuries to workers. The purpose of this paper is to disseminate information on health effects, assessment methods, and control measures associated with prolonged standing jobs in industrial workplaces. Published articles related to standing in workplace have been reviewed. Based on published researches, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, chronic venous insufficiency, preterm birth and spontaneous abortion, and carotid atherosclerosis have been identified as common health problems associated with prolonged standing. Engineering and administrative controls have been proposed to the workplace to minimize the health problems.