THE EFFECT OF SHIFT TIME AND WORK SCHEDULE ON INJURIES IN THE INDUSTRIAL WORKPLACE

Joshua Prall, Michael Ross

Abstract


Background: Musculoskeletal injuries have increased in the past decade and to date, no study has examined an employee work schedule and shift time on injuries. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact an employees’ shift time and work schedule have on occupational injuries in the industrial workplace. Setting and Design: Retrospective analysis of a large manufacturing company located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The company employs 551 workers for work on assembly lines, packaging products, dissemination of old material, loading and unloading delivery trucks, and cleaning between two locations. Methods and Materials: Occupational injuries were gathered from analysis of the company’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration 300 Injury and Illness Log from 2016 to 2020. A retrospective analysis of injured employees (N = 143) over a five-year period from 2016-2020. Statistical Analysis: A chi-square analysis was used to analysis how work shift and work schedule impacted injuries (p < 0.005). Results: The results of the study add significant information to the existing literature on ergonomic interventions in the industrial workplace being delivered by a physical therapist. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between an employee’s shift time and a non-statistically positive association between an employee’s work schedule on injuries. Researchers found that employees are being injured more in the second half of the workday and later in the employee’s work week. Conclusion: The authors conclude that shift time and work schedule are important factors for reducing injuries in the workplace.

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Keywords


physical therapy, injury prevention, ergonomics, injuries, and safety

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejphs.v4i2.103

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