Influence of flooring on standing fatigue

This study investigated effects of flooring on perceived tiredness, fatigue, and discomfort for workers required to stand while performing their jobs. Eight flooring conditions of varying thickness and stiffness (including one shoe insert) were evaluated by workers who answered a questionnaire. Questions were asked regarding whole-body tiredness, leg fatigue, and discomfort. Flooring had a significant effect on workers' perception. In general, softer materials caused less perceived tiredness; however, one extremely soft floor resulted in higher ratings of tiredness. Similar results were found for material thickness. The shoe insert condition showed low tiredness ratings as compared with most floors, including one made of the same material. The discomfort ratings indicated that harder flooring materials caused greater discomfort. Discomfort of the lower extremities tended to decrease as distance from the floor increased. Low back discomfort was found for hard flooring surfaces.