What are the health risks of prolonged standing?

As an employer or manager working in retail, it is natural to be concerned about the well-being of your workforce. But do you really know the risks faced by workers who remain standing for prolonged periods ? To what extent is their health affected? 

These are the questions our Shoes For Crews experts will attempt to answer in this new post. After providing a definition, we will take a closer look at the risks associated with this posture.

What is prolonged standing ?

Specialists consider that a worker maintains a prolonged standing position when they maintain this posture continuously for more than one hour or for more than four hours a day. 

In its report entitled « Prolonged static standing. Health effects and good practice. Summary », the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work also refers to prolonged static or restricted standing, which « also involves standing still (limited movement within a radius of 20 cm) and not having the opportunity to obtain temporary relief by walking or sitting down. »

Prolonged standing, an unnatural position

The human body is naturally designed to alternate between the postures it adopts : standing, sitting and lying down, and to move by walking or running. If, for several hours a day, a person is forced to remain in one single position, standing in the case that concerns us, their body is placed under unnatural strain. This does not cause traumatic injuries, but it can nevertheless lead to health problems that may manifest themselves in different forms, the main ones of which are as follows:

Musculoskeletal disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders or MSDs encompass conditions affecting the joints, muscles and tendons. The parts of the body most frequently affected are : the back, with associated lower back pain, the upper limbs and, more rarely, the lower limbs.

The link between MSDs and occupational activities has now been established, since they are caused by an imbalance between the body's physical capabilities and the constraints to which it is exposed. The main contributing factors are environmental and biomechanical. Among the latter, forceful movements and extreme postures, such as static work, are particularly highlighted.

Retail is one of the occupational sectors particularly affected, and, according to French Health Insurance, MSDs are the leading cause of compensation for occupational illness in France. According to its figures, they have increased by 60% since 2003 and, in 2015, accounted for more than 87 % of occupational illnesses resulting in sick leave or financial compensation due to lasting effects. These trends are seen throughout Europe. 

In view of this situation, MSDs are now at the heart of the European strategy for occupational safety and health, and several directives set out the measures to be adopted in order to prevent and reduce the risks associated with prolonged standing.

Sore and swollen feet

Who has never had sore feet after a long day at work ? Prolonged standing can cause blood to pool in the feet and ankles, leading to swelling and pain that can also spread to the legs. This posture can also cause foot deformities, such as a collapsed arch. Wearing suitable footwear with, for example, a cushioned insole should be among the first preventive measures to adopt to relieve this part of the body.

Vascular problems

Heavy legs and varicose veins are consequences of prolonged standing on a daily basis, which slows venous return. To send blood back to the heart, the veins must pump it under high pressure. When a person remains standing for several hours, the pressure exerted by the blood on the vessel walls is such that they can dilate pathologically and venous disorders can develop. 

Problems during pregnancy

Standing, which becomes increasingly tiring as pregnancy progresses, is associated with complications during this period. In particular, it could increase the risk of varicose veins, contribute to premature births and low birth weight in newborns. Its daily duration should therefore be limited during this stage of women's lives.

It is possible to counteract the effects of prolonged standing by adopting certain measures. To find out more, see our post on « Best practices for employees who must stand all day ». To enable them to work in comfortable conditions, including the purchase of comfortable shoes for working while standing in your occupational risk prevention programme is a point that should not be overlooked. Since the health of your employees has been at the heart of our concerns since 1984, we invite you to contact our team of Shoes For Crews experts, who will develop a proposal tailored to your company.