[An ergonomic study of the work sites of female tellers in a state savings bank]

The object of the present investigation was, on the basis of analysis of the activity of female cashiers in state saving bank (SSB), working with video-display terminals (VDT), and of investigation the subjective complaints, evaluation of the ergonomic factors of the working places to be made, which could serve for the elaboration of adequate preventive measures. Inquiry and ergonomic methods, chronometric measurements and interviews were used. The investigations were performed on 66 female cashiers from 4 branches of SSB--Sofia. The analysis revealed that according to the different indices the working places did not meet the ergonomic requirements. The principal unfavourable ergonomic factors were the discrepancy of the illumination of the working places with the requirements of similar type of activity and the characteristics of the sitting posture. The cashiers estimated the illumination as insufficient with poor distribution of the lighting sources. The arrangement and principal parameters of the working places did not correspond to the recommended ones. Discrepancies as insufficient length and width of the working surface, insufficient space for the legs were causes for occupying non-ergonomic working postures and led to tension of the muscular-skeletal system. About 2/3 of the examined female cashiers had complaints of pains in the neck, back and lumbar region, which they related to the occupied working posture and to the arrangement and dimensions of the working places.