Documentation Tasks with Tablet or Smartphone in the Workplace: A Study with Respect to OSH

摘要

Integrating smart mobile devices into the workplace creates new opportunities and challenges for occupational health and safety. This study includes a time series on mental and physical strain during the use of smart mobile devices in order to obtain initial indications regarding a healthy length of use at work. Sixty-four healthy subjects documented pictures via checklists on either a smartphone or a tablet in two 30-minute trials. Meanwhile participants rated their subjective physical and mental load on an 11-point one-item Likert scale several times. In addition, they estimated musculoskeletal neck discomfort prior to the experiment, and immediately after each of the two trials. Multilevel analysis (MLA) was performed to explore effects of time and the mobile device on the ratings of physical and mental load, as well as the musculoskeletal discomfort. In the MLA, physical and mental load ratings were positively associated with time and trial. Device was an additional predictor of mental load ratings. Best-fitting model for neck discomfort ratings included time, device, and gender as predictors. For both mobile devices, the participants physical and mental load increased significantly over time though mean ratings did not reach scores above moderate. No effects of users' age or technophilia were observed. Likewise, musculoskeletal discomfort ratings concerning the neck were significantly higher after the documentation task compared to prior. This research provides only a first insight about possible challenges regarding prolonged use of tablet-pc and smartphones at work. Further research appears worthwhile.