Abstract
A field study was conducted at a European retailer in order to investigate the effects of sitting and standing on muscle activity of cashiers throughout the workday. Electromyography (EMG) data were collected from the neck/shoulders, lower back, and lower leg muscles as cashiers worked at either a standing or seated checkstand for a 4 hour work shift. A trend towards higher muscle activity was observed in the neck/shoulders in the seated checkout compared to the standing checkout, while muscle activity was mixed in the low back. Lower leg activity was higher when standing compared to sitting, however the percent maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) for the leg muscles was very low (less than 2% of MVC). These field results showed similar trends to previously reported laboratory results (Lehman et al., 2001). Cashiers preferred to alternate working posture between sitting and standing.
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