NEW INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH REVEALS SIMPLE SOLUTION TO HELP EASE UPPER BODY MUSCULOSKEKETAL PAIN IN THE WORKPLACE AND AVOID COSTS OF LONG TERM ABSENTEEISM
A new study conducted by Plantronics
(NYSE:PLT) and the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic reveals that
office-based workers have seen significant reductions in back and
shoulder pain by wearing a headset for calls.
In just 4 weeks, half of the participants who suffered neck ache and
headaches at the start of the study (54% and 44% respectively) reported
that they no longer experienced any pain. The study also showed a
reduction in shoulder and upper back pain, with a decrease in the number
of days during which they experienced the pain and their pain level.*
The demands of modern office working environments and practices can lead
to increases in health problems at work, in particular back pain and
musculoskeletal problems (including neck and shoulder pain) – which are
commonly identified as being among the top three causes of long term
sickness absence of European workers (1) – and costing approximately
2.5% of GDP (£13billion in the UK) each year in benefits, treatments and
lost production (2).
Dr. Brian Hammond, CEO at National UK charity BackCare says “We see many
office workers with acute neck and back problems which could have been
prevented by taking simple measures at work - such as using a headset
for calls and having ergonomic chairs and desk. This is a serious and
preventable matter, by giving employee the right tools to support their
daily task, everyone will benefit.”
“It’s clear from this study that small changes to the workplace, such
as equipping all staff with a headset, creates a healthier
working environment thereby reducing problems of sickness and
absence.” Norma Pearce EMEA HR Director at Plantronics comments “The
call this New Year is to employers to embrace new technologies and
products that will support their staff and business in the long-term.”
Plantronics has found that the amount of time spent on audio conference
calls (3) is increasing, resulting in today’s office-based professional
spending more hours on the phone than ever before. Coupled with
increases in work intensity over the last two decades (4) across Europe,
many businesses are facing problems of absenteeism as employees are
taking time off work due to work-related stress and ill-health.
“Our study shows that workers wearing headsets reported a reduction
in head, neck and shoulder symptoms - often caused by using a handset
and cradling it between the neck and shoulder whilst multi-tasking on
calls,” says Sharon Docherty, PhD, Researcher at the Anglo-European
College of Chiropractic. “These observations support the use of headsets
in an office environment where workers are routinely multi-tasking while
speaking on the phone. For work routines that allow the user to get up
and walk around in the office, this means increased health benefits from
changing positions and being able to move the upper and lower body more
freely– all whilst the user is still able to concentrate on the phone
conversation.”
The health benefit of headsets are clear – there is a measureable risk
for anyone using the phone for as little as two hours a day and by using
a headset, phone-related problems can be reduced and even eradicated.
Additionally, a wireless headset allows for fluid communications and
actions and gives users a greater freedom of movement, meaning strenuous
movement and unnatural postures, such as cradling the handset between
neck and shoulder, and having to stretch to reach for things are
eliminated. Participants are able to multi-task more effectively and in
the study almost 60% admitted to finding the headset useful or very
useful.
The health needs of the new over-50 work generation must also be
considered in terms of ergonomic and acoustic requirements. The recent
increase in the proportion of people over 55 planning to work beyond
state pension age - from 40% to 71%(5) - means changes in the workplace
need to be made to cope effectively with an ageing workforce. Learn how
to get the best out of your working environment and work smarter here.
For more details please go to http://www.plantronics.com/uk/
(1) European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2007
(2) European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working
Conditions, 2010 - Eurofound, EWCO, Absence from Work Study, 21st July
2010
(3) 83% said they spent either all the time or frequently on audio
conference calls – How We Work: Communications Trends of Business
Professional, Plantronics, 2010
(4) Fifth European Working Conditions Survey (2010) from the European
Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Work
intensity examples - high speed or to tight deadlines.
(5) Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK Jan 2010
*Study Methodology
The Study entitled “The Effect of Using a Telephone Headset on
Musculoskeletal Pain in the Upper Body” was carried out by the
Anglo-European College of Chiropractic amongst office-based workers
across Europe (UK, Germany, Italy). Plantronics equipped each office
worker in different office workspaces with the Plantronics CS60, C65 or
Voyager PRO UC wireless headsets. The study showed that for new headsets
users, who use the phone for at least daily two hours per day, physical
comfort can improve drastically by replacing the telephone handset with
a headset. The majority of participants used the headset for 2 – 5 hours
a day. For 50% of respondents, head, neck, shoulder and back pains
“totally disappeared”. Of those respondents that continued to experience
pain, most (66%) reported a decrease in head, neck, shoulder and back
pains both in the number of days during which they had the pain and
their pain level, after they started using a headset. 59% found the
headset to be useful or very useful. The research was conducted from
November 2010-January 2011.
