Postural stability is critical for ensuring a safe workplace. Employees with poor stability are more prone to falls and injuries while at work. In this study, postural sway of participants in different obesity categories was evaluated while performing an assembly workstation task. The study included three workstations: those designed for the 5th, 50th and 95th percentile workers based on anthropometric data tables. Force plates were used to study the differences in postural sway in both the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions. The results revealed that the obese class 1 and obese class 2 groups' anterior-posterior sway was significantly larger than that of the normal weight groups while performing assembly work tasks. Also, pace type (self-paced or time-paced) and workstation (5th, 50th and 95th percentile) significantly affected the postural sway. The postural sway was not affected by gender differences. Workstations should be designed to accommodate the increased postural sway of obese workers.
Practitioner summary: It is known that body mass index (BMI) affects postural sway. In this study, we examine the impact of BMI on postural sway at various workstation configurations. The postural sway was significantly larger in participants with larger BMIs.
Keywords: BMI; obesity; postural stability; postural sway.