A Program of Physical Activity at Work for employees of a Health Gym in Porto Alegre - A case study

Academic Bachelor of Physical Education of the University Center Methodist IPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil/ 5196652390 / nicolle.blume@pop.com.br

Hoffmann. Lia T. Prof ª Ms.

Academic Advisor Methodist University Center IPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil/ 5199899009 / liahoffmann@uol.com.br

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

The study shows the importance of the practice of a physical activity in working environment within companies, contributing in the reduction of risk related to RSI / WROD. The results of the case study outline the profile of the professional sector of cleaning and administration of a Health Gym in Porto Alegre, indicating the possible causative factors of injuries related to repetitive effort and the benefit to health with the practice of a program of physical activity in the working environment specific to each group of employees. The study was conducted using data collected by observation and questionnaire administered to 15 employees, 04 of administrative sector and 11 of the cleaning industry. This program brought many benefits to employees who report a reduction of pain, increase in flexibility, improvement in posture and welfare.

Keywords

Keywords

Physical activity in working environment; injuries; Repetitive effort; Work Related Osteomuscular Disorder; employee

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to demonstrate the results of the implementation of a physical activity in the working environment for employees of the administrative sector and the cleaning sector of a health gym in Porto Alegre. The program started, according to reports from employees of the administrative sector, which felt muscle and joint pain caused by repetitive movements, thus demonstrating the first symptoms of RSI / WROD (Repetitive Strain Injury/Work Related Osteomuscular Disorder).

When establishing the program of physical activity in working environment, the possible risk factors were diagnosed, which contribute to the demonstration of functional musculoskeletal injuries, as well as the ergonomic analysis at work. The ergonomic analysis aims to create adequacy of the job environment to the movement that the individual holds more frequently.

In order to have an efficient analysis, some aspects should be taken into consideration like: the stance of work (predominant position, proper posture and problems arising from poor posture), the environmental comfort, occupational health (global and psychological health) and employees’ habits.

THEORY

The Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the name given to the painful symptoms that compromise tendons, muscles, nerves, ligaments and other structures responsible for the movements of the upper and lower limbs. The Work Related Osteomuscular Disorders (WROD) are occupational diseases related tocumulative trauma injuries and is the result of disharmony between handling capacity of the muscle and execution of rapid and constant efforts (OLIVEIRA,2003).

It is said that the RSI is the initial phase of the inflammatory process, theyare the first symptoms, and the WROD is the advanced stage, where the disease is already established, requiring medical intervention and treatment. For RSI not become a WROD it is necessary to use some form of prevention, such as programs of physical activity at work and / or occupational therapy. The RSI /WROD can arise at any branch of activity, provided that expose workers to repetitive efforts, accelerated rhythms, lack of breaks for rest, discomfort, pressure from managers, prolonged days, work performed in cold, noisy and poorly ventilated environments, defective equipment , inadequate furniture for the body anatomy of the employees.

The completion of the activities of this program in the corporations,demonstrates the concern of their managers with the prevention of RSI /WROD, in the decrease of temporary removals by health problems, improvement in productivity and the welfare of employees at work.

The functional diseases, caused by repetitive effort, are currently consideredthe leading cause of injuries recorded by the organs responsible for welfare, and that generates a high cost, both for the government and for businesses. The physical activity in working environment is a preventive and effective way to prevent injuries and disorders related to labor activities.

Due to globalization and economic growth there has been a transformation inthe labor market, making it more competitive. Therefore, companies have had to modernize and begun to demand more results from their employees, seeking for more qualified and experienced professionals to this new reality. Thus, a new professional profile has emerged.

Employees have become more required, aiming to increase productivity. The psychological pressure, overload of work, lack of break at work, stress and repetitive movements made workers more prone to injuries and occupational disorders. The RSI / WROD besides being a painful process, is also a disorder that can supersede the individual for certain movements, bringing not only physical discomfort, but also anxiety, depression and fall of confidence in relation to their future career.

According to Lima (2005), there are two scientific currents that are divided on the causes of RSI / WROD, one of them is the Anglo-Saxon school, which advocates the biomechanics as responsible for the appearance of symptoms related to the mechanisms, through four key elements, that are: repetitiveness, strength, inappropriate postures and mechanical compression, aggravated by increased speed of movements and the decrease in the time to pause. This scientific current argues that the increased speed of movement prevents the appropriateness of the lubrication of joints and prevents the necessary rest to the physiological osteoneuromuscular system.

The other scientific current are the French and Belgian schools, stating thatthe psychosocial factors are the cause of osteomuscular symptoms, linked to senior members, occurring because of inappropriate methods of work, the professional dissatisfaction and the unbridle pursue for profit/results.

As Oliveira (2003), the factors that cause RSI / WROD are: the absence of abreak during the working day; previous trauma; environments with inadequate temperatures; weight support with or without transport; long day of work, static posture; excessive tension and characteristic; inadequate furniture and equipment , inappropriate posture; rapid pace of work; excessive force with their hands; repeatability of movement.

Studies demonstrate a psychological profile more specific in people diagnosedby RSI /WROD. Generally, individuals affected by injuries caused by repetitive effort are tenser, with positions of great responsibility, and that due to this take a lot of commitments, have tight deadlines, have an accelerated rhythm of work, not enjoying the breaks, being more fragile and more prone to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders.

To prevent RSI /WROD reach an epidemic stage, we must take preventive and / or curative measures, depending on the level of injury, directly associated to the causes of osteomuscular injuries and illnesses. The preventive measure adopted for the group of employees of the study was a program of employment physical activity, which aims to work with compensatory and relaxing movements, including therefore a physical activity in the employees’ work routine, but it could also be adopted other techniques for prevention. It is also necessary to interfere in the causative agents of occupational diseases found in the work environment. The technique adopted for prevention should focus on the individual and the workplace, so it is necessary to have an adaptation of jobs and the tools and methods used for compensatory repetitive movements and inadequate postures.

METHODOLOGY

Participated in the study 15 employees, 04 of them from the administrative sector and 11 from the cleaning industry. The 04 administrative employees have age group between 20 and 38, compound of 03 females and 01 male. The 11 employees of the cleaning sector have age group between 25 and 30, compound of 08 females and 03 males. All 15 employees have been participating in the activities of Compensatory and Relaxing Physical Activity for, at least, 06 months. The project began to be employed after ergonomic analysis and risk factors. The classes began with the administrative employees, and then with the cleaning industry employees, whose complaints of pain were higher, but not reported before starting the program.

INSTRUMENTS OF COLLECTION

Data were collected through observation by the professional who created the program, and after by questionnaire administered to the employees. The direct observation posts, the content of the work and questionnaire are issues related to environmental conditions (ventilation, lighting, furniture, equipment, posture of labor among others), occupational health (problems and health condition linked to the work, among others), habits (food, functional and leisure), motivational condition, self-assessment of the place of pain and their level of intensity, and on the activities done in physical activity classes at work as well as the benefits acquired.

DATA COLLECTION

To facilitate the understanding of responses from the questionnaire, the results will be specified for each sector in the tables below.

Table 1 - Administrative Industry: Labor Analysis, Health and Ergonomic Occupation

Table 2 - Administrative Industry: Places of pain and discomfort during labor

Table 3 - Technology Industry: Results of Physical Activity in working environment courses

Table 4 - Cleaning Industry: Labor Analysis, Health and Ergonomic Occupation

Table 5 – Cleaning Sector: Places of pain and discomfort during labor

Table 6 - Cleaning Industry: Results of Physical Activity in working environment course

RESULTS

Through the results of the questionnaire responses it is important to outline the differences between the two sectors, thus demonstrating the profile of each of the employees’ sector. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a physical activity program for each sector, working specifically with the needs of each employee within the program. In order to work with physical activities that supply the needs of both groups, it was chosen to create a program which is used techniques of Compensatory and Relaxing exercises, giving emphasis to the joint and muscle groups most used at work.

Compensatory and Relaxing Physical Activities held at the Health Gymconsists of exercises that work with the muscular resistance, joint mobility, flexibility and relaxation, aiming to compensate repetitive efforts , overloaded structures, correction of requested postures at work and corporal awareness.

The classes are held at work time in the employees’ workplace. Each session has duration of 15 to 30 minutes, twice per week for each group of employees. In order to have more diversified, dynamic and relaxing classes, implements are used such as: strings, rods, elastic, Swiss balls, tennis balls, mats and mini-trampolines, so classes are more pleasant, stimulating the participation of everybody. The exercises are different for the two groups, because the overload of work and postural positions are at different intensities.

The employees of the administrative sector perform exercises of stretching, joint mobility and relaxation with emphasis on the following areas:

• Spine: cervical, dorsal and lumbar;• Upper Limbs: shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand and fingers;

And the group of employees in the cleaning industry performs exercises with emphasis on muscular strength, articulate range, stretching and relaxation in the following regions:

• Spine: cervical, dorsal, lumbar and sacral;•Lower limbs: posterior muscle, gluteus, quadriceps and plantar flexors.

The objective of the exercises for both groups is to relieve the tension of the regions mentioned above, to oxygenate muscle structures involved in daily tasks and to give a break in the routine of work. The activities are carried out in various forms and may be performed on the chair and deskwork, on the ground with mats or standing, using materials that will help to perform the exercises.

The answers to the questionnaire about the benefits of the Compensatoryand Relaxing Physical Activity Program make clear that this type of exercise helps to reduce the pain, to relax the muscles and lubricate the joints, preventing the muscle skeleton inflammations and injuries, increasing the comfort in carrying out industrial activities.

The two groups of employees had a visibly significant answer referring tothe improvement of flexibility, especially in lower limbs and spine.

Another suggested result in the study was the reduction of pain reported by most employees, it is because our body has analgesic substances, the best known are the endorphin ad encephalin. These substances interfere at the threshold of pain, reducing its intensity.

Physical activity produces these substances more efficiently by the body,but this is just one of the reasons for the drop in pain after starting the physical activity at work, the other ones have already been cited above.

As Lima (2005), situations of great challenges or that are pleasant will significantly increase the concentrations of these analgesic substances. The sport operates much in the process, improving the levels of production of these substances.

Moreover, the situation of depression, anxiety, humiliation can drasticallyreduce concentrations and thus the person becomes hypersensitive. Our immune condition is also affected in the same way, making us vulnerable to infection.

DISCUSSION

As a focus of discussion, the following question is important to understand the epidemiology of RSI / WROD; why most Brazilian companies do not invest in measures for the prevention of diseases such as RSI / WROD to their employees?

The case study presented serves as a positive example for companies, whichdo not have a program of prevention of diseases related to work. It is possible to have several answers to that question, but it is believed that the main factor is the reduction in spending, most managers and entrepreneurs view a program of prevention as an unnecessary cost and it is also seen as unproductive in the long hours of work.

The most obvious cost to the managers are: the cost of first aid, the interruption of production, workforce retraining -the replacement of workers, the payment of extra-hours, the recovery of employees, wages paid to employees away from work, the administrative costs and expenses with therapeutic treatments and procedures.

According to Pastore (2005), considering that the Welfare of Brazil annuallycollects and spends about $ 2.5 billion in the field of occupational accidents, the Brazilian companies would have an additional cost of $ 10 billion that leads us to conclude that the precariousness of labor risk prevention costs to them, $ 12.5 billion per year. This cost may reach more than $ 20 billion per year, if calculated all costs involving employees away from work due to diseases that could be prevented or minimized. Still, these figures are underestimated. It is estimated that 80% of accidents and occupational diseases in the formal labor market, especially those of lesser gravity, are not reported.

If the business managers took into consideration the statistics related to the costs that workers affected by diseases of work generate to companies, they would invest in preventive measures. It is necessary that managers have a more humane view of this problem by investing in the welfare and quality of life of their employees. The study makes clear that it is possible to have significant results with a serious work of physical activity for employees from different sectors.

CONCLUSION

When the Compensatory and Relaxing Physical Activity Program began, the employee involved has already had an advanced profile of RSI/WROD; the other employees felt discomfort and pain in certain regions of the body. The results of the study show that in a group with 15 employees, 01 of them is away of work because of a tendonitis in the right forearm, and the other one still had mild pain in some regions of the body, according to data collected in the questionnaire. With the development of the program of physical activity at work, employees managed to reduce the intensity and locations of pain. Today, the program has completed one year, and the results could be more significant if the employees kept healthier habits, such as having a regular physical activity, since 80% is sedentary, and taking care with food and health.

The Physical Educator that performs a work of physical activity in workingenvironment has the duty to instruct their students / employees so that they can understand the importance of maintaining healthy habits, health care, having regular physical activity, eliminating vices such as smoking, having moments of leisure to ease the stress caused by the overload of work. We already know that the implementation of a program of physical activity within the company is effective in the prevention of occupational diseases, contributing to the welfare of the employee within the work environment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The employees of the Body One Health Gym for participating in the study. Prof ª Lia Hoffman for the orientation of the study presented.

REFERENCES

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