Vocal Ergonomics in the Workplace: Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning Method Influences on Vocal Comfort and Function

Vocal ergonomics with sports coaches: Co-devised approaches to occupational voice

BACKGROUND: Work-system participation and factors are associated with occupational vocal health for vocally reliant workers, such as sports coaches. However, there is limited use of systems approaches and worker collaboration to address occupational voice. OBJECTIVE: The current research aimed to cooperatively consider coaches’ vocally reliant systems participation, including addressing vocal ergonomic factors that can create barriers for occupational vocal health and voice use. METHODS: Collaborative action inquiries explored vocal ergonomics with coaches (n = 24) from nine professional basketball teams. Across three basketball seasons, coaches and a subject matter expert identified what influenced coaches’ voices and trialed approaches to optimize vocally reliant coaching participation. Nine action inquiry methods were used, including search conferences, ergonomic approaches to enhance systems participation, and focus groups. Multi-level analyses were also undertaken. RESULTS: Participants cooperatively generated, implemented, and evaluated different strategies. A cumulative total of 57 strategies were explored within teams (team mean = 6.33, SD = 3, range = 4–14). Cross-case analysis identified 25 different strategy types. Overall, participants appraised 31.58% (18/57) strategies as supportive (i.e., enhanced facilitators for voice), 61.40% (35/57) strategies as somewhat supportive (i.e., some enhanced facilitators and some ongoing barriers), and 7.02% (4/57) strategies as unsupportive (i.e., pervasive ongoing barriers not mitigated by strategies). Further, factors across coaches’ work-systems continued to influence coaches’ voices in dynamic and complex ways. CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration with coaches enriched vocal ergonomic approaches by providing novel, context-anchored insights. Collaboration should form ‘part’ of broader mechanisms to support coaches’ voice use and vocal health at work.

Systems Approaches to Occupational Vocal Health: Considerations for Community Faith Leaders

Systems thinking approaches can benefit the occupational vocal health of vocally reliant workers. This paper explores community faith leaders as an example of a highly vocally reliant occupation, who may benefit from systems thinking being used to support their vocal occupational health and safety. A scoping review of the current literature regarding faith leaders' occupational voice use and vocal health is detailed, including recognised occupational hazards. This article then discusses the unique and potential use of systems thinking for facilitating faith leaders' vocal occupational health and safety. Rather than using a solely clinical perspective, the sociotechnical systems approach and the biopsychosocial-spiritual approach are noted as particularly pertinent for this occupational group.

Action inquiry and vocal ergonomics: A pilot study with sports coaches

BACKGROUND

Coaches critically rely on voice for occupational functioning, which has associated risks to vocal health. However, vocal occupational health and safety (OHS) and vocal ergonomics are not typically considered for, by, or with coaches.

OBJECTIVE

This study piloted a participatory approach to vocal ergonomics, aiming to collaboratively (i) understand coaches' vocally reliant occupational participation, and (ii) consider vocal ergonomic factors.

METHODS

This research was undertaken at an international tournament for floorball (also known as 'Innebandy', 'Salibandy', or 'Unihockey'). Three national coaches (n = 3) and the lead researcher undertook cooperative action inquiry. This piloted a participatory vocal ergonomics programme. Action inquiry methods included fieldnotes, interviews, observations, a workshop, ergonomics approaches, and a focus group. Multi-level analyses supported the findings, including categorical aggregation, direct interpretation, and reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participants identified vocal ergonomic factors present at the tournament; including personal, activity, physical environmental, and organisational factors. Participants developed four vocal ergonomic approaches responsive to factors. These were: (1) player consultation, (2) ongoing feedback discussions, (3) movement and postural change, and (4) specific task adaptation. Approaches 1-2 directly supported coaches' voices. Coaches posited limitations to other strategies, but made recommendations for future use. Coaches also reflected that this collaboration provided actionable voice insights and opportunities to address vocal ergonomics. They advocated for extended engagement with coaches, increased focus on vocal health, and inclusion of early career coaches in future programmes.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support engagement of coaches, and other vocally reliant workers, in addressing voice use and vocal health at work.