Characteristics of Standing Work in the Colombian Working Population

Standing work is common in various industries and services and has been associated with lower limb and lower back pain, increased leg swelling, and adverse vascular effects. This study aimed to characterize standing work within a Colombian labor population. An online questionnaire was given to participants of a virtual event organized by the Directorate of Surveillance and Control of the Ministry of Labor of Colombia. A total of 2,936 individuals registered for the conference, with 1,111 attendees. Among the registrants, 415 provided valid responses. The main results were: 60% of the companies have standing workers in confined spaces with limited mobility for prolonged periods. Concrete (71.6%) and pavement (51.6%) are the most common work surfaces. Safety boots, described as curved sole/unstable (41.2%) and flat (34.5%), were the most reported footwear. 65.5% of the companies have workers standing for more than 4 h in total. The majority of participating companies have workers standing on production lines (52.8%) and in customer service (45.3%). The findings of our study provide initial data that may encourage further research and the development of actions aimed at improving working conditions in standing activities.