title: Impact of added rest breaks on the productivity and well being of workers.
abstract: The impact of frequent short rest breaks on the productivity and well being of a group of 30 workers in a meat-processing plant was studied. Two rest break schedules were tested, both of which provided 36 min of extra break time over the regular break schedule (30-min lunch and two 15-min breaks). In the first experimental rest break schedule, workers were given 12 3-min breaks evenly distributed over the workday (3-min break for every 27 min of work). In the second schedule, workers were given four 9-min breaks evenly distributed over the workday (9-min break every 51 min of work). Outcome measures included production rate and discomfort and stress ratings. Results showed that neither of the two experimental rest break schedules had a negative effect on production, and the 9-min break schedule improved discomfort ratings for the lower extremities. The workers in the study mostly preferred the 9-min rest break schedule, indicating that workers in general might not as readily accept fragmentation of break time into short, frequent breaks.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998, USA. awwad@ti.com
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dababneh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012146:Rest; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017132:Workplace