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Abstract

Environmental control is defined as the degree to which the organization, group or individual can exert control over the physical environment as part of the process of accomplishing mission or job-related goals. This paper proposes a model which suggests that control over the physical environment may also be a means of reducing stress and work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in office workers.

Control is thought to be related to both performance and WMSD issues. The model uses systemic framework, placing the individual within the larger context of the workstation, workspace, and the overall facility. The potential for control exists from the macro (facility level) to the micro (individual workstation) environmental scale. Control can be exercised through several mechanisms, including: flexibility of initial building design (reuseability, ability to expand or downsize), overall layout of the work group environment (group ability to self-manage and reconfigure space) and flexibility of workstation features (such as task lighting, storage, shelving, work surface height, enclosure, VDT, HVAC).

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Environmental Design and Worker Control for Preventing Wmsds

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