The Influence of Ergonomic and Psychosocial Risk Factors on the Stress of Computer Operators in an Office

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study (1) the levels of stress, risk factors of ergonomics and psychosocial factors. The researcher also studies (2) the relationships among the risk factors of ergonomics, the psychosocial factors and the stress among computer operators in an office, (3) predictive equation for the stress among computer operators in an office with the risk factors of ergonomics and the psychosocial factors as predictors. The sample consisted of 325 operators on computers at the Headquarters of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited. The research tool was a quadripartite questionnaire. The research revealed the findings that 1) the computer operators at the Headquarters of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited evinced stress at a low level; 81.90 percent of the computer operators in the office who were not satisfied with the ergonomic risk assessment with the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) method and the psychosocial risk factors at a moderate level. 2) The ergonomic and the psychosocial risk factors were found to be positively correlated with the stress of the operators on computers in an office at the statistically significant level of.01 with correlation coefficient at.25 and.44 respectively. 3) The researcher determined that the ergonomic risk factor of ROSA section A(chair), ROSA section B (monitor and telephone) and the psychosocial risk factor of job demands, social interactions and interaction between work and private life were predictive of the stress of the operators on computers in an office at 50.40 percent at the statistically significant level of.01. The ergonomic risk factor of ROSA section A (chair) regressively exerted effects on the stress at the highest level.