BACKGROUND: Research assessing work processes in food pantries has been limited to the client’s experience and aspects of food donations [3–5]. Research on food pantries has yet to focus on understanding and evaluating worker-environment interaction.
OBJECTIVE: The present case study examined the interaction between workers and their work environment while performing common tasks in a food pantry.
METHODS: Data were collected through naturalistic observations and structured interviews. A task analysis was performed on the data.
RESULTS: Several potential issues in the pantry were identified including with the workspace layout, environmental conditions, and signage. Human factors and ergonomics principles were then utilized to provide insights and recommendations (e.g., use of numbered rather than color-coded signage).
CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations were provided to the case study food pantry for enhancing safety and productivity. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability of our findings to other food pantries.
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