Analysis and Design Recommendations for Workstations: A Case Study in an Insurance Company

Abstract

A case study approach was used to determine the effects of task demands, customer needs, and organizational environment on the recommendations for ergonomic redesign in a large pension and insurance organization. The organization was planning a major renovation of workstations and requested assistance with design and implementation. Three job positions were studied using semi-structured interviews, job observations, and measurements of workstations and the office environment. It was found that most work surfaces and chairs were inadequate for VDT tasks, reception counters presented problems for both the employees and claimants, and the use of shared VDTs on a swivel base resulted in eyestrain and poor postures. In addition, there was inadequate storage space and poor housekeeping for all three jobs, as well as lighting and noise problems throughout the office environment. Recommendations were made for new workstations, with pilot testing to be conducted before full-scale implementation. Although existing workstations were inadequate, it was found that task demands were of greatest concern to the employees.