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Industrial workplace layout design An application of engineering anthropometry
Ergonomics
Abstract
Workplace layout design parameters or dimensions were determined mathematically by using the existing anthropometric data, for performing industrial tasks in sitting, standing and a combination of sitting and standing positions for the general male, female and a combination of male and female operators and the individual male and female operators for the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles. The data were duly adjusted to account for the clothing, shoe and posture allowances. The reach dimensions were based on the most commonly used industrial operations which require a grasping movement. Appropriate allowances were provided to adjust the reach dimensions for other types of operations. The horizontal and vertical clearance dimensions and reference points for the horizontal and vertical clearances were established. For the determination of the normal working area in the horizontal plane, Squires' concept was recommended in preference to Farley's concept.
... This can enhance worker productivity, provide worker safety, physical and mental well-being and job satisfaction. Many research studies have shown positive effects of applying ergonomic principles in workplace design, machine and tool design, environment and facilities design [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. ...
... Many research studies in ergonomics have produced data and guidelines for industrial applications. The features of ergonomic design of machines, workstations, and facilities are well known (Grandjean, 1988; Das and Grady, [7] Sanders and McCormick, 1992) However, there is still a low level of acceptance and limited application of ergonomics in industry, especially in developing countries. Neglect of ergonomic principles brings inefficiency and pain to the workforce. ...
... An ergonomically deficient workplace can cause physical and emotional stress, low productivity and poor quality of work (Ayoub, 1990a(Ayoub, , 1990b [8] A workstation should be designed such that it minimizes the working area, so that while carrying out the operations, the worker can use shorter motions and expend less energy, thus reducing fatigue [6]. Das and Grady [7]reviewed the concept of workspace design and the applications of anthropometric data. They recommended that an adjustable chair and a workbench of standard size were highly desirable at the workplace. ...
Ergonomics is the science and technology of fitting the activities and environment to the abilities, dimensions, and needs of people to improve performance while enhancing comfort, health and safety [1] The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of an ergonomically designed adjustable workstation for performing a repetitive industrial assembly task on operator performance and productivity. Ergonomically designed fully adjustable assembly workstations could be expensive for companies to adopt, especially the small scale industries. Therefore, a low-cost, ergonomically designed adjustable assembly workstation was designed, developed and evaluated for assembly of a product in a manufacturing company. Experiments were conducted on the existing fixed height and on the newly designed ergonomic assembly workstation using five industrial assembly operators. The operator performance on the ergonomically designed workstation was 29% higher compared to the existing non ergonomically designed fixed height assembly workstation. The increased performance was due to flexibility and ergonomic design features incorporated in the workstation.
... This includes a review of Taylorism, ergonomics and in more general terms labor-economics [1,2,10]. While these movements did increase productivity our aim is to illustrate how it simultaneously was built upon a philosophy of optimizing for elimination of individual movements [6,7,11]. We illustrate how that guided design of digital assistants, agent-based paradigms for IT design, and ideas of computer-aided automation [17,29]. ...
... By entering the age of industrialization, new methods and theories were offered in order to carry out work in relation to economic efficiency and labor productivity. These theories such as Taylorism and methods similar to ergonomics altered the design of work and workplace in optimizing for minimal movement throughout a working day [2,6,7,11]. By introducing Taylor's scientific management [2,10], the organization of factory production assembly lines was optimized to support mass production. ...
... By using the theory of scientific management in studies related to the performance of work, scientists in the 1980s started to undertake time and motion studies to examine all phases of the operation. Some researchers believed that repetitive work patterns could cause stress and be distracting and create the risk of fatigue, which could be dangerous [6,7,24]. In this section, we will briefly describe 80 years of workplace design and how these designs not only endured in workplaces and on factory production lines but were also transformed into modern techniques for collaborative work and technological designs for entertainment and leisure. ...
At the core of ‘Healthcare Information Systems’ is an idea of designing systems that are functional, practical and contained integrated solutions. As humans have always spent the majority of their hours in seated positions in work environments and workplaces, it is important to investigate these environments before applying a design for promoting daily movement and physical activity. In this paper we focus on the history of workplace design. We argue that the strategies for reaching this sedentary living style have been carried out by different means during the past 70 years of technological development. Further on, we illustrate this current paradigm through the presentation of an empirical study that shows how people compensate for a passive mode of working. In this paper, we contribute to the current development in our field by offering this alternative design paradigm and we suggest concept-driven design research as a possible way forward if we are to design information systems for active worklife.
... Research studies in ergonomics have also produced data and guidelines for industrial applications. The features of ergonomic design of machines, workstations, facilities are well known [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. However, it is still not widely accepted and there is a limited application in industries, especially in developing countries. ...
... For optimum design of workstation, anthropometric data is required. Das and Grady (1983) reviewed the concept of workspace design and the application of anthropometric data. It reported that an adjustable chair was highly desirable at the workplace and a workbench of standard size. ...
... The existing hand tools were replaced with a power screwdriver that was supported by a balancer in front of the operator. The workplace layout was made according to the calculated normal and maximum areas [15]. Squire's method was adopted in the calculation. ...
Fixed workstation can pose limitations on anthropometric dimensions of assembly operators. It can impose stress on musculoskeletal system of the operator resulting in health problems. Most populations, especially in developing countries, do not have anthropometric data. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the workstation be designed with flexibility to adjust by the operators. A fully adjustable ergonomically designed assembly workstation was developed with special features such as a motorized table with upward, downward and angular movements, ergonomic chair with adjustable seat pan, arm and back supports, and a mechanism for bins and tools adjustments. The workstation could be used as sit, stand or sit-stand workstation. An experiment was conducted using college students who worked on both existing and the smart assembly workstations. There was a significant difference in workstation set-up parameters of smart assembly workstation by the participants and fixed parameters of the existing assembly workstation. Performance of the participants was about 43% higher on the smart assembly workstation compared to the existing assembly workstation. Flexibility in workstation design and set up can eliminate anthropometric and ergonomic problems of fixed workstation and thus boost operators' performance and reduce occupational health and safety problems.
... The layout is accomplished mainly by taking into account the reciprocal effects of anthropometry and the location of the equipment elements on the position, control, reach, vision, clearance and interference with the elements of the equipment by the body segments. The posture requirements at job or work performance are determined by all of these design factors [2][3][4][5][6]. Prior studies [3][4][5][6] have mentioned a significant impact on the push and pull forces of the handle's vertical height against which one pushes and pulls. ...
... Some conclusions can be drawn from this review: (1) Anthropometric data are certainly the most influential parameter. (2) Handle height at the knee, elbow, and shoulder was mostly used and can reduce at least some measures of musculoskeletal strain and thus used for the management of the risk of injury. (3) Whenever the professional participants were invited for the experiment, they can bear a higher load at different handle height. ...
A significant amount of research has been done to examine factors affecting pushing and pulling activities such as cart weight/load, exerted forces, handling tasks (push and pull) and more. However, very little has been done to determine the height of the handle to work efficiently. Ergonomics principles are the best technique for implementing in any industry to evaluate and control the risks arising due to various work activities. The purpose of this paper was to undertake a detailed analysis of the handle height used in the cart so that there is no or less musculoskeletal strain resulting from tasks of pushing and pulling. 34 studies are classified for specific application sectors for finding an effective way to work at different handle heights. The selected articles were grouped for publication trend, factors, field wise journals and anthropometric data. The current research gives researchers knowledge about the current status and most effective handle height used by researchers for future work.
... Research studies in ergonomics have produced data and guidelines for industrial applications. The features of ergonomic design of machines, workstations, and facilities are well known (Grandjean, 1988;Konz, 1995;Das and Grady, 1983;Salvendy, 1987;Melamed et al. 1989;Sanders and McCormick, 1992;Wilson and Corlett, 1992; ¢ ¢ü ü∏ ∏î îà à°°ùŸ ŸG GG G " å«M .™fÉ°üŸG ' IQôµàŸG ™«ªéàdG ∫ɪYC ' »eƒfƒZQE G º«ª°üJ hP πªY á£fi ΩG~îà°SÉH ∫ɪ©dG É°VQh AGOG ' äGôKD ƒŸG øY åëÑdG ' á°SGQ~dG Iòg ±~¡J : ...
... This will reduce fatigue. The concept of workspace design and the application of anthropometric data had been reviewed by Das and Grady (1983). It was established that an adjustable chair was highly desirable for the workplace as well as a standard size workbench. ...
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects on operator performance and satisfaction of an ergonomically designed workstation for performing a repetitive industrial assembly task. Experiments were conducted in a company with industrial workers using existing and newly developed workstations. Operator performance on the ergonomically designed workstation was 27% higher compared to the existing non-ergonomically designed workstation. Worker satisfaction score was also improved by 41% in the ergonomically designed workstation condition. The new workstation for a repetitive assembly task had highly significant positive effect on worker performance and satisfaction. Special features of the ergonomically designed assembly workstation were an adjustable and adequate worktable, an adjustable and ergonomically designed chair, ergonomically designed hand tools and a systematic layout of the workstation components.
... In designing the Chaak, necessary attention must be given for matching the abilities of the artisans with the job requirements. The basic requirement in a workstation design for attaining healthy operator posture as forwarded by Konz, 1967;Khalil 1972;Tichauer 1975;Das and Grady, 1983;Corlett, 1988;Yu et al., 1988 are followed in this study. The basic mechanism of the proposed machine was decided based on the one-to-one discussion with a group of experienced artisans from the target-user group. ...
... Konz, 1967 from an experimental result concluded that the work surface height should be 2.5 cm below the elbow height (sitting). However, Das and Grady (1983) opined that work surface height can be varied several centimeters up or down without any impact on the comfort. In this study, since the machine (redesigned Chaak) is designed to make it suitable for both male and female, hence ideally adjustable works surface height will suit better. ...
This study was undertaken to gather and analyze the anthropometric data of five ethnic groups from Assam, India. In this study, 72 anthropometric body dimensions, including the age and body weight of 453 people from different districts of Assam, India, are summarized. The sample included 265 male and 188 female participants in the age group of 18–60 years. Five different ethnic groups of the state, that is, Boro, Garo, Hira, Karbi, and Rabha, are considered in the study. People associated with the handicraft sector are considered for the study's purposes. The variation in anthropometric data considering gender and ethnic diversity is also examined, and significant differences are observed in relation to gender and ethnicity. The most notable variation observed is in the anthropometric dimensions of Hira population when compared to the other four ethnic groups of the same gender. Factor analysis and regression modelling are also done as part of the study. Further, the collected data are used to redesign the traditional Chaak (pottery wheel) and, cater to their comfort with added safety. These enhancements are intended to double the productivity of artisans as compared to that obtained by the existing Chaak that is being used by the artisans.
The relevance of the study
The fresh anthropometric data summarized in this study will be helpful for redesigning tools and machinery for the rural population of Assam, India. The outcomes of the study will add knowledge to the differences existing with regard to the anthropometric data of the different native groups from a small geographical space.
... Stationary work was the side-effect of the modern workplace. In the 1980s and 1990s, with the introduction of computer systems in workplaces, new work layouts were planned [24]. Being influenced by the modernist movement of increasing productivity and optimizing for the elimination of individual movement, these new layouts developed agent-based paradigms for IT design [25,26]. ...
... During the last century, the field of ergonomics was invented with the aim of the scientific study of humans at work from a number of perspectives such as psychology, physiology, behavior sciences, and so on [21]. Work management and work analysis were the main objectives of this field to increase performance and reduce disturbance at work [24,27]. However, the inactive lifestyle in workplaces with prolonged sitting hours and stationary work was overlooked at the time. ...
A growing number of personal informatics (PI) systems have been designed to break the habit of prolonged sitting and to encourage physical activity during workdays and leisure hours. Few studies, however, have investigated the nature of local movement and mobility in workspaces. Relatively little is known about how such movement patterns are shaped and in what ways micro-mobility in workplaces could be increased. By undertaking a concept-driven design approach, and on the basis of our ethnographic prestudy, we introduce a conceptual framework. In this conceptual framework, we indicate the five main agencies that shape local movement and mobility among office workers. On the basis of this empirical and conceptual work, two prototypes, the non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)-Lamp and Talking Tree, have been designed, implemented and observed in an office environment. This paper describes this design project and articulates the role of discussions in socially established settings in work environments in order to increase daily movement. The paper concludes by highlighting not only technology, but also collective reflections to spark behavioral change in office environments as social settings.
... An optimum workstation design that can keep the operator comfortable must provide adequate postural support, proper distribution of body/limb weight, natural body/limb positions and should require little demand to use maximum reach or force. Most of the time, the user acceptance and operator motivation are the main psychological objectives of an industrial workplace layout and they can be achieved if the workplace is simple, convenient, well organized, attractive, reliable and safe (Das and Grady, 1983). According to (De Croon et al., 2005), the work station design may directly or indirectly result in physiological and psychological reactions such as crowding stress (psychological state of inadequacy of space), occupationally induced fatigue, job satisfaction decrement and increased levels of blood pressure. ...
... Workplace dimensions should be compatible with the anthropometric characteristics of the anticipated user. The following operator related dimensional factors that influence industrial workplace layout should be considered is postural control and distribution of body weight, reach envelope of hands and eye position with regard to display area (Das and Grady, 1983). ...
Problem statement: A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between environmental factors, job satisfaction that influence the workers' discomfort in four automotive manufacturing in Malaysia. Discomfort level of operator in workstation often were associated with workstation design, posture comfort operator at work, activity which involved work and place influence environment such as heat, noise and lighting. The aim of this study was to assess discomfort level based on ergonomic factors and to determine the distribution of body discomfort in relation to the task performed. Approach: Identification of discomfort level among the operators was carried out in four automotive companies in Malaysia. The study was carried out based on questionnaire responses from the participating factories and the collected data was analyzed through the SPSS software. Results: In the analysis data, research showed left arm was part of the body most involved a lot of activity like activity lifting, pulling, twisting, carrying and holding. Conclusion: The study revealed that the dominant factors contribute to the productivity at the body assembly production line is WBGT and I luminance whereas the empirical finding was closely related to the perception study by survey questionnaire distribution.
... Engineering Anthropometry of normal working area is an example of application of such information. The normal working area is described as the most convenient zone where hand motions can be made with normal energy expenditure (Das and Grady, 1983a). Hand movements beyond this area may lead to fatigue and result in a lower productivity and negatively impact worker well being. ...
... The adjusted dimensions in Table 4 were based on Das and Grady (1983a). The adjustments for clothing include: (i) body depth, add 1.0 cm; and (ii) elbow-to-elbow, add 1.4 cm. ...
The purpose of this work was to study the anthropometric characteristics of Thai prospective industrial workers focused on the technical university student measurements. Two hundred male and two hundred female students of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok were measured. A set of 36 body dimensions based on Pheasant (1990) method and the heights from seat level to L1 and L5 were taken by computer software 2D Anthropometer on all subjects. The anthropometric table presents means, standard deviations, and 5th and 95th percentiles. The comparisons with other studies indicated that there were significantly different at the p<0.05 level.
... Research studies in ergonomics have also produced data and guidelines for industrial applications. The features of ergonomic design of machines, workstations, and facilities are well known [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However, there is still a low level of acceptance and limited application in industries, especially in developing countries. ...
... Workstation should be laid out such that it minimizes the working area so that while carrying out the operations the worker could use shorter motions and expend less energy and thus reduce fatigue. Das and Grady [12] reviewed the concept of workspace design and the application of anthropometric data. It indicated that an adjustable chair and a workbench of standard size were highly desirable at the workplace. ...
The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of designing ergonomically assembly workstation on operator performance. This paper describes these results using factorial design of experimental which were conducted on assembly of a product. A fully adjustable ergonomically designed assembly workstation was used for the experiment. Ten college students were randomly assigned into three experimental factors or parameters (table adjustable, chair adjustable, and gender) to perform the assembly task. Performances of the participants assembling a product are: operator productivity (units/hour); operator satisfaction (degree of comfortable), and operator health (headache). The regression models to measure the operator performance were built based on the experimental investigation to suggest a practical performance measurement of operator. The results show that female subjects are more productive and healthy than male but with lesser satisfaction.
... The co-location of team members has been shown to increase teamwork quality and an effectively-designed workstation improves a team's productivity (Hoegl and Proserpio, 2004). Methods that utilize anthropometric data to size workstations have been developed for individual accommodation (Das and Grady, 1983a;Das and Sengupta, 1996;Pheasant, 1987;Sengupta and Das, 1997) However, methods are lacking for sizing workstations with respect to group accommodation and interaction. ...
... Previous studies have considered anthropometric quantities in the design of single-user workstations (Das and Grady, 1983a;Pheasant, 1987;Das and Sengupta, 1996;Sengupta and Das, 1997). The arm length and stature of female populations have been used to determine the optimal placement and sizing of cashier stations (Das and Sengupta, 1996) and nurse stations (Pheasant, 1987). ...
Past efforts have been made to design single-user workstations to accommodate users' anthropometric and preference distributions. However, there is a lack of methods for designing workstations for group interaction. This paper introduces a method for sizing workstations to allow for a personal work area for each user and a shared space for adjacent users. We first create a virtual population with the same anthropometric and preference distributions as an intended demographic of college-aged students. Members of the virtual population are randomly paired to test if their extended reaches overlap but their normal reaches do not. This process is repeated in a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the total percentage of groups in the population that will be accommodated for a workstation size. We apply our method to two test cases: in the first, we size polygonal workstations for two populations and, in the second, we dimension circular workstations for different group sizes.
... 44 Therefore, it is crucial that vehicle control units (control dashboard, steering wheel, and foot pedal) are positioned within a recommended reaching distance of a driver to ensure safety and comfort. The human working reach envelope should be based on the 5th p of user reach lengths, 45 and therefore, in this study, we have ensured that drivers (ranging from 5th p female to 95th p male) can easily reach and operate the control units of the proposed model, as the seat is adjusted forward-rearward within recommended limits of B5 (61-74 cm), as shown in Table 1 and Figure 18(b). This design consideration allows for optimal reach and operation of the controls, ensuring that the driver can comfortably access and operate the necessary functions of the vehicle, promoting both safety and efficiency. ...
The study aims to evaluate the compatibility of the proposed design workspace dimensions of light armored vehicle (LAV) with the targeted populations of Ethiopian army personnel using both digital and physical ergonomic evaluations. The dimensional compatibility was tested using digital mock-up interfaced with human manikin representing the anthropometries of 5th percentile female and 95th percentile male values for Ethiopian army. CATIA V5 software was utilized for developing digital human and vehicle models, while the physical mock-up was tested through minimum possible user trials (to avoid redundancy of testing) that involved 13 users sufficient to represent the target population. The intended vehicular workspaces, in terms of space adequacy, view field, reaching, and manipulative needs were found to be ideally compatible with the target users, accommodating 90% (for adjustable units) and 95% (for non-adjustable units) of them. This confirms that the proposed basic design dimensions of LAV workspaces for driver, gunner, commander, and other infantry troops are compatible with the target users in both evaluation techniques. Hence, our findings indicate that the newly proposed design dimensions can be utilized as design standards primarily for fabricating Ethiopian LAVs, as they ensure occupational compatibility for the users, which can improve crew operational performance, efficiency, and safety.
... Conventional product design methodology (Asimow, 1962;Chitale and Guprta, 1999) and ergonomic design principles (Das and Grady, 1983;Das and Sengupta, 1996) were integrated to arrive at the final product. Improvised Chaak is a successful endeavour as it reduces health drudgery and improves productivity (more than 1.5 times) of the artisans (Bhattacharjya and Kakoty, 2020b). ...
Frugal innovation often requires cooperation among heterogeneous actors with diverse values, capabilities, interests, and norms. This qualitative, action-oriented case study presents the dynamics and interplay among the quadruple helix actors for community-led frugal innovation, thereby emphasizing the role of academia in its process. The findings of this study depict that informal actors can bring significant innovative inputs into the innovation system if the right kind of mechanisms are employed and trust-building exercises are undertaken. In addition, this study stimulates one to reflect on the challenges and complexities faced by academicians in publicly funded research institutions, especially for bringing informal actors into the innovation system and creating shared values. The quadruple helix model has been primarily discussed; most discussions involve advanced country settings. This study, conducted in a developing country setting, demonstrates that an intermediary actor linked to (but not identical to) the existing academia can significantly shape cooperation and its related activities in the desired direction. The findings indicate the necessity for adapting existing behavioural norms or institutional rigidities that exist among academic institutions if one wishes to galvanize the rich potential of community-led frugal innovations in India. Policy recommendations are discussed to create a conducive environment for such innovations.
... workplace layout design parameters or dimensions by using the existing anthropometric data, for performing industrial tasks in sitting, standing and an amalgam of sitting and standing positions for the general male, female and a combination of male and female operators and the individual male and female operators for the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles (Das and Grady 1983). The data were duly altered to account for the clothing, shoe and posture allowances. ...
... There is some research focused on the plant design, in [14] the design is focused on the workers ergonomics and in the paper of Ulutas [15] the design is focus on the dynamic distribution in shoe manufacturing plants. Therefore, to optimise the layout and resources of a shoe production factory, expert knowledge and queue modelling are very good options because it can help to adjust this labour-intensive process where the investment on machinery makes some decisions critical. ...
This article presents a procedure for designing footwear production plants with a Decision Support System combined with an expert system and a simulation approach. The footwear industry has many operations and is labour intensive. Optimisation of plant layout, machinery, and human resources is very important to design the footwear manufacturing system, making adequate investment in space and equipment. In the industry it is essential to reduce the process time, so the research is based on a Decision Support System combined with an expert system and simulation to improve the design of the manufacturing plan. This work contains two case studies, direct injection manufacturing and assembly and carburising methods, which are compared to analyse all the necessary resources to have the best cost–benefit ratio. In each case, a precise knowledge of the type and quantity of machinery and human resources is needed to estimate the production. This comparison has been done through simulations and using a knowledge base of an expert system. The conclusions are presented in which an improvement in production time is obtained by applying the methodology developed in the study.
... Often, workstation in industry is designed in an arbitrary manner with little attention to anthropometric measurements and biomechanical considerations of the anticipated user. The situation is aggravated by the lack of usable design parameters or dimensions [11]. Workstation design is closely associated to the risk of work activities [12]. ...
The aim of this study was to design a workstation for a labeling task using principles of ergonomics. The case company was involved in packaging imported electronic devices and selling them in the market. Before packaging, the labels had to be attached on the devices. When authors were consulted for workplace assessment, the workers used to sit on floor to attach labels. Based on anthropometry of the workers in this department, an adjustable table was designed and put to use for evaluation. An assessment of posture and fatigue resulting from the task was made-both for sitting-on-floor and new workstation and under different lighting conditions. Production and discomfort for both settings were compared. Borg scale was used to calculate the level of discomfort. There was a significant reduction in fatigue using ergonomically designed workstation as compared to sitting-on-floor setting. There was a 70% increase in production as well.
... These alternatives are added to bottom of the hierarchy in the decision tree. Thus, a complete hierarchy was formed and shown in Figure 4 and given in Table 7. Cambron and Evans (1991) and Rexhepi and Shrestha (2011) C 12 Efficient movement of personnel Cambron and Evans (1991) and Vadivel (2015) C 13 Throughput time Eisele et al. (2015) and Black (2007) C 14 Material (mail) handling time Pourvaziri and Pierreval (2016) and Chan et al. (2002) C 15 Efficient space utilisation Cambron and Evans (1991) C 16 Efficient process flow Chadha et al. (2012) C 17 Flexibility Cambron and Evans (1991) and Yang and Kuo (2003) 1 Lean service C 18 Inventory reduction Meade et al. (2006) and Martínez-Jurado and Moyano-Fuentes (2014) C 21 Light facilities El-Zeiny (2012) and Garbie (2014) C 22 Ventilation facilities El-Zeiny (2012) and Garbie (2014) C 23 Noise control Cambron and Evans (1991) C 24 Pollution control Field survey C 25 Aesthetics Cambron and Evans (1991) C 26 Safety Cambron and Evans (1991) 2 Workplace environment C 27 Equipment availability Shah and Ward (2007) and Arslankaya and Atay (2015) C 31 Emergency exit Field survey C 32 Security Cambron and Evans (1991) C 33 Ease of supervision Cambron and Evans (1991) C 34 Work Posture Das and Grady (1983) and Rossi et al. (2013) C 35 Comforts Rossi et al. (2013) and Hu and Wang (2004) C 36 Accessibility Yang and Kuo (2003) 3 Ergonomics C 37 Ease of maintenance Yang and Kuo (2003) Figure 4 Hierarchy frameworks for the selection of optimal layout Level 1 ...
... The practice of ergonomics design maps the potential sources of problems in the user's task allocation and work load, environment or equipment, and suggests ways to minimize the harmful consequences for the user's health and performance (Helander & Khalid, 2012). The classic examples include considerations, such as the workspace layout (Das and Grady 1983), humidity and temperature (Chiles 1958;Hohnsbein et al. 1983), noise (Broadbent 1957;Edworthy 1997), illumination (Moore 1958) and vibration (Dieckmann 1958) as well as the formal properties of products. ...
This chapter explores the philosopher and logician Georg Henrik von Wright’s metaethical treatise of the varieties of goodness in the context of design. von Wright investigated the use of the notion of ‘good’ in language, and he identified six kinds of goodness: namely utilitarian goodness, instrumental goodness, technical goodness, medical goodness, hedonic goodness, and the good of man. We discuss these different kinds of goodness in relation to six design traditions that we identify, namely conceptual design, usability design, engineering design, ergonomics design, experience design and sustainability design. We argue that the design traditions are grounded in different appreciations of goodness, and that designers and design researchers can benefit from a more precise discernment of values that underpin design processes and design critique in different traditions. von Wright’s treatise serves as a point of departure for the appraisal of the multifaceted and relational character of the idea of good design and of the values of design.
... Often, in industry, the workstation is designed in an arbitrary manner, giving little consideration to the anthropometric measurements of the potential user. The situation is aggravated by the non-availability of usable design parameters or dimensions (Das and Grady, 1983a;Das, 1987). The physical dimensions in the design of an industrial workstation are of major importance from the viewpoint of production efficiency, and operator physical and mental wellbeing. ...
... Workplace layout design parameters or dimensions are determined today using the existing anthropometric data, usually using the method of percentiles, as given in Das et al. [17], or simulations and/or computerized models due to high costs of real modeling, as proposed by ...
Background:
There are recent studies using new industrial workers' anthropometric data in different countries, but for Serbia such data are not available.
Objective:
This study is the first anthropometric study of Serbian metal industry workers in the country, whose labor force is increasingly employed both on local and international markets. The metal industry is one of Serbia's most important economic sectors.
Methods:
To this end, we collected the basic static anthropometric dimensions of 122 industrial workers and used principal components analysis (PCA) to obtain multivariate anthropometric models. To confirm the results, the dimensions of an additional 50 workers were collected. The PCA methodology was also compared with the percentile method.
Results:
Comparing both data samples, we found that 96% of the participants are within the tolerance ellipsoid. According to this study, multivariate modeling covers a larger extent of the intended population proportion compared to percentiles.
Conclusions:
The results of this research are useful for the designers of metal industry workstations. This information can be used in dimensioning the workplace, thus increasing job satisfaction, reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities, and consequently increasing productivity and safety.
... Workplace layout design aims at rearranging the workplace geometry in such a way that tasks can be efficiently accomplished without the need for adopting awkward postures. To that effect, ergonomic guidelines have been released to provide the workplace designer with a tool for checking the appropriateness of the developed workplace (Das and Grady 1983). The set of ergonomic guidelines is complex and highly dependent on the tasks at hand and on the individual person. ...
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) pose a serious threat to sustainability in manufacturing. In particular, this phenomenon impacts the sustainability indicators of worker health and safety and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Effective MSD prevention measures would therefore constitute a remarkable contribution to social and economic sustainability. This chapter provides first an outline of existing methods to prevent MSD at the workplace. Analysis of the approaches yields that effective solutions require earmarked finances as well as qualified personnel, both of which are not affordable for many companies. In pursuit of solutions, Human-centred Automation (HCA), a recent paradigm in manufacturing, proposes the design of manufacturing systems using intelligent technology to support the worker instead of replacing him/her. HCA has the unique potential of reducing the effort needed to implement MSD prevention strategies by simplifying the path to social and economic sustainability. This chapter demonstrates this process with the example of the “Working Posture Controller” (WPC), which illustrates how the HCA concept can be applied. Finally, the lessons learned from the case are outlined, providing a vision of how future workplaces can benefit from HCA.
... As highlighted in previous studies, becoming accustomed to repetitive bodily movements at work is a result of more than two hundred years of deliberate design (Cresswell, 2006;Zuboff, 1988). This has resulted in changes in the design of architecture, interiors and machinery for homes and workplaces (Cresswell, 2006;Das & Grady, 1983;Kvålseth, 1983;Shephard, 1974). Therefore, increasing physical activity should not be limited to the domain of public health studies. ...
“Personal Informatics” (PI) and “Quantified Self” (QS) are two contemporary notions in the field of Human–Computer Interaction. Such hardware and software systems gather personalized quantified data and visualize them for the purpose of supporting self-reflection. Many of these systems focus on breaking the habit of prolonged sitting and increasing physical activity in our daily lives. The problems associated with the sedentary lifestyle and prolonged hours of sitting have been noted in many studies. In fact, stationary behavior is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of type of cancer. Nowadays we, as adults, spend more than 8 hours a day on work and work-related activities. As a consequence, the time spent sitting in office workspaces contributes to the majority of stationary behavior in our daily lives. Throughout history, designers and technocrats have constantly redesigned workspaces in attempts to increase work productivity and efficiency. Thus "modern" office work configuration includes desks and stationary computers and so office workers have become accustomed to prolonged sitting in their workplaces.
In relation to this research problem, I have worked on my PhD thesis within the context of a four-year cross disciplinary research project in which we have been exploring ways of increasing physical activity and breaking the habit of prolonged sitting among office workers. This is a thesis in informatics and closely allied to medicine and it focuses on studying how contemporary office work affects the body and how to redesign this context. For this thesis, I conducted three empirical studies and designed and developed two prototypes - the “NEAT Lamp” and the “Talking Tree”. The “Sport Co.” study was the first quantitative study, and was followed by two qualitative observational ethnographic studies – the “Housing Co.” study and the “Health Co.” study. The research process adopted during the work can be described as an intertwined process consisting of three methodological approaches: observational ethnographic studies, concept development and prototyping. These three came together to form a coherent contextual design process for tackling the research question, “How can we approach the design of work in today’s offices in order to make office workers more physically active in their workspaces?” This process resulted in five papers presenting various aspects and results of the research conducted. The results cover the role of bodies at work by considering the history of work design, knowledge about the local movement and mobility patterns of office workers in modern office spaces and eventually the design and evaluation of the two prototypes introduced in this thesis. Finally, I conclude this thesis by highlighting my overall contributions. The first contribution targets designers willing to design for increasing physical activity and breaking the habit of prolonged sitting in workspaces. In relation to this I introduce a design space as a tool for understanding the design of work in relation to worker’s bodies. The second contribution highlights how observational ethnographic studies, concept development, and prototyping can be combined when exploring the context of physical activity in office environments and it shows how contextual design might be a suitable approach for such studies. In addition, it emphasizes ways for how we can redesign work and expand our contextual knowledge. This, by examining and evaluating interactive prototypes in real office settings.
... These tools are mostly operated in squatting and bending postures, leading to various occupational health concerns, such as high physical exertion, job-related fatigue, operational difficulty, and low productivity (Gite & Singh, 1997;Prasanna Kumar & Dewangan, 2003). Physical compatibility among product, user, and intended task are a basic necessity for the optimum performance of any system (Das & Grady, 1983;Das & Sengupta, 1996;Laing, Cole, & Wells, 2013). To achieve this compatibility, perhaps the most important criterion to use is the anthropometric data of the target user population during product development (Village, Greig, Zolfaghari, Salustri, & Neumann, 2014). ...
OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS
Integrated applications of Ergonomics and Human Factors are crucial for designers of agricultural tools and equipment, to improve performance and to enhance safety and productivity. Tools and equipment that do not fit properly with a user's physical characteristics can cause discomfort and fatigue, and may result in low productivity and a higher incidence of accidents/injuries. For workers in the northeastern region of India, it is often not possible to manufacture or adapt user-compatible tools and equipment due to the limited availability of anthropometric and biomechanical data. The anthropometric database developed here is intended to address this lack of information and to assist in the development of anthropometrically compatible tools and equipment for the Assamese population (residents of ‘Assam’, a state from the northeast region of India). Statistical analyses (principal component and regression analysis) are also reported to help in identifying key anthropometric characteristics to be measured to derive other pertinent anthropometric variables.
Background: Well-being, efficiency and productivity of workers can depend substantially on the tools and equipment that they use. To enhance these, along with comfort and safety, tools and equipment should be compatible with the anthropometric characteristics of the intended user. Although anthropometric data are essential for effective equipment design, there is often little published anthropometric data for a given target population, and this is specifically the case for male Assamese agricultural workers. Purpose: To develop an anthropometric database (n = 130) of male agricultural workers within the ‘Kamrup’ district of Assam. Collected data were compared with national and international databases to justify the need to develop local and regional databases. Method: Following a pilot study involving 20 participants, to evaluate the reliability of the anthropometric measurements, the main field study was conducted on 130 male agricultural workers (age range: 17 to 62 years) for a set of 26 body dimensions (along with age and body mass). Results: Mean (standard deviation) of age, stature and body mass were 37.3 (11.7) years, 1627.5 (45.9) mm and 55.2 (7.0) kg, respectively. Following principal component analysis of 25 anthropometric variables, six variables were representative of six principal components/factors. Linear regression analysis was used to predict some pertinent body dimensions. Some significant differences were found when comparing the current anthropometric data with databases from other zones of India (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, Central and Northeast) and with male anthropometric data of other countries. Conclusions: Differences in anthropometric data within and between countries indicate that simple adoption of agricultural tools and equipment from specific regions might lead to occupational health hazards in the target population.
... These charts in turn were used to rationalize and abstract mobility (Corlett 1983). The aim of philosophers, planners, technocrats, and others was to make mobility func-tional, ordered, and ultimately, knowledge-bearing (Das & Grady 1983;Grandjean et al. 1983). ...
Our bodily experience of space and time is primarily con by the architecture around us. Through architecture we fuse our image of self with our experience in the world. It articulates our experience of being-in-the-world and shapes our bodily movement. Moreover in this new age of technological development we inhabit architectural spaces with both material and digital fabrications. The concept of space is both socially and materially constructed through our daily lives. One space in which we spend much of our adulthood is the office or workplace. Throughout history, designers and technocrats have planned workspaces and thereby (in)directly influenced our bodily movements during work hours. Their designs have tended to make our bodies stationary and passive in these social and architectural spaces. This chapter examines the intersection of moving bodies, Information Technology, and architectural spaces, asking how contemporary workspace design affects bodily movements in working hours. During our studies we have conceptualized “Moving Bodies” as an interactive element in office spaces, and we conclude the chapter by introducing a sensory ambient display designed for “Moving Bodies” in offices and exploring its impact on their social and architectural space.
... Small changes in workstation dimensions can have a considerable impact on workers' productivity and occupational health and safety. Physical dimensions of workstations that matches with the anthropometric and biomechanics of the user population are of major importance if efficiency; physical and mental wellbeing of the worker is to be achieved in the industry (Shikdar et al., 2011;Grandjean, 1988;Konz, 1995;Das & Grady, 1983;Burri &Helander, 1991 andSengupta, 1996). Accident with its attendant costs (loss of production, hospital bills, replacement of damaged equipment, absenteeism and payment of idle workers) is often experienced in industries and at workstations designed without proper consideration for ergonomics (Das & Sengupta, 1996). ...
The consideration of facility engineering principles in the design of sustainable workstations in manufacturing industries remains inadequate with the increasing intensity of observed misfit between facility arrangement and human demand for comfort, safety and effective operation of work system. Associated with these inadequacies are the problems resulting from improper workplace design, ill structured jobs, chaotic workplace, adverse environment, poor human-machine system design and inappropriate management programmes. This study investigates the work related health hazards among fabrication workers in Nigeria. Participatory Ergonomic Intervention Approach (PEIA) and analytical method were employed to drive the investigation towards achieving a safe, productive and ergonomic workstation which provides significant shift in the existing paradigm in metal fabrication industry. Poor work posture such as bending, twisting, over reaching, kneeling, under hazardous environment of heat, noise, smoke, dust and optical radiation were identified as hindrances to effective operation. Likewise, health related issues as pains on the neck, back, wrist, knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist, as well as leg muscle cramp assumed significant prevalence accounting for 29% of the workforce. The study therefore suggests the development of standard anthropometric dimensions for the construction of assembly workstation for metal fabrication industry. Such workstation is capable of boosting workers' morale, reduced Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMD) and enhanced productivity with the support of enforced legislative instrumentality.
... It involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions while the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight bearing activity. Das and Grandy (1983) classified working posture involved in industrial operations into three type: standing, sitting and sitting and standing postures. Hadley and Harlegrave (2001) revealed that back pain in drivers is a major problem despite apparent advances in vehicle seat design and back care advice for use of a lumbar support to maintain good spiral posture. ...
Driving automobile especially as applied to occupational driver is a very tasking activity involving a number of body segments coupled with high level of vigilance required to minimize occurrence of accidents and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). A kinematic study of each segment of human operator of technological system help to evaluate the dynamics of the link system and internal forces required in driving activities. In this work Newton's second law of motion was applied to study the motion of human hip and knee marker link system and to develop bio-kinematic model for determining some kinematic parameters of the system. The model is capable of suggesting the variability of driver seat for effectiveness, safe and that minimise MSD in the operation of vehicle. Likewise the intensity, frequency and duration of exposure to harsh driving conditions can be regulated with appropriate threshold limit value (TLV) established.
... The seat pan height (adjustable) can be defined based on the 5th percentile value for popliteal height of female firefighters without gear to the 95th percentile value of popliteal height of male firefighters without gear, which would be 370 mm-481 mm. Taking off 30 mm for comfort (Bhise, 2012) and adding 25 mm height to account for shoe height (Das and Grady, 1983), the seat pan height would be 365-476 mm. For non adjustable seats, the 34th percentile value of popliteal height of male and female firefighters combined without gear would be appropriate; the height is slightly lower than the 50th percentile value to lessen the potential intrusiveness of seat at the popliteal areas. ...
This study developed anthropometric information on U.S. firefighters to guide fire-apparatus seat and seatbelt designs and future standards development. A stratified sample of 863 male and 88 female firefighters across the U.S. participated in the study. The study results suggested 498 mm in width, 404 mm in depth, and 365-476 mm in height for seat pans; 429-522 mm in width and 542 mm in height for seat back; 871 mm in height for head support; a seat space of 733 mm at shoulder and 678 mm at hip; and a knee/leg clearance of 909 mm in fire truck cab. Also, 1520 mm of lap belt web effective length and 2828 mm of lap-and-shoulder belt web effective length were suggested. These data for fire-truck seats and seatbelts provide a foundation for fire apparatus manufacturers and standards committees to improve firefighter seat designs and seatbelt usage compliance.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.
... For efficient design/design refinement of machinery/equipment, it is necessary to follow the guidelines and principles of ergonomics, which provide an orientation towards physiological and psychological needs of operators. The design of equipment is always a compromise between the operator's biological needs, which are determined by the ergonomics guidelines, and physical requirements of the machinery/equipment (Das and Grady, 1983;Das and Sengupta, 1996). In this regard, the basic information required is the anthropometric body dimensions of the users of tools and equipment (Dewangan et al., 2008). ...
This work analyses the right hand anthropometric dimensions of 1540 male industrial workers of the age ranging from 18 to 62 years belonging to four different divisions of Haryana state of India. Hand index derived from measured hand dimensions can be used to estimate differences related to sex, age and race in forensic and legal sciences. It has been calculated as percentage of hand breadth over the hand length; which suggests that the male industrial workers population of state belong to mesocheir group of hands. The hand length, breadth and derived index of the subjects have been compared with population of the twelve other states of the country. Comparison of hand length, hand breadth and hand index of the subjects of the state has also been made with the male population of twenty-five other countries. There exist significant differences in hand anthropometric – amongst male population of different countries and also within country -which must be taken into consideration while designing the hand tools or equipment to be controlled by users' hands of different populations.
... Studies in ergonomics have also produced data and guidelines for industrial applications. The features of ergonomic design of machines, workstations, facilities are well known (Grandjean, 1982;Konz, 1983;Sanders and McCormic, 1992;Das and Grady, 1983;Rayan, 1987;Melamed et al, 1989). However, there is still a low level of acceptance and limited application in manufacturing industries, especially in small manufacturing industries. ...
Ergonomic conditions in small manufacturing industries were investigated. Twenty seven managers of small manufacturing industries participated in the study. Old equipment and machines, poorly designed workplaces, lack of systematic planning, layout and organization, unsafe working conditions and poor environment were found common to these industries. Fifty-nine percent of companies indicated having equipment older than 15 years. Fifty-two percent of company managers reported receiving complaints of fatigue from their workforce, 41% complaints of back pain, and 33% complaints of upper-body pain. Seventy eight percent of companies reported a noisy environment (above 90 dBA) while 63% reported a hot environment. Management in 44% of the companies acknowledged failure to ensure safety rules and 48% did not provide training on manual material handling. Lack of skills in ergonomics and training, communication and resources are believed to be some of the factors contributing to the poor ergonomic conditions in a sample of small manufacturing industries in Malaysia.
... The best choice takes into consideration ergonomic criteria, such as anthropometric and biomechanical characteristics, and commercial criteria, such as warranty length and service level provided by manufacturers. Das and Grady [17] provided a list of structural dimensions (body size) they considered important in the design of industrial workstations. Their dimensions were developed according to systematic changes to the data of Hertzberg [18]. ...
An ergonomics approach to the design of an industrial workstation attempts to achieve an appropriate balance between worker's capabilities and work requirements to optimize workers' productivity and the total system, as well as provide workers' physical and mental well-being, job satisfaction and safety. Over the years many theories, principles, methods and data relevant to the workstation design have been generated through research in ergonomics. Much of this knowledge is integrated in the software computer package ERGOPlan. The paper presents an optimal ergonomically and economically designed workstation of a cutter which was built with the use of two ERGO modules, ERGOMas (workstation design) and ERGOMan (simulation of workers' movements). To incorporate economic aspect of the workstation design, we parametrically described the key dimensions of the workstation. This action enabled optimal workstation design with consideration of both aspects.
... For efficient design or design refinement of equipment, it is necessary to follow ergonomics guidelines and principles, which provide an orientation towards physiological and psychological needs of operator. The design of equipment is always a compromise between the operator's biological needs, which are determined by the ergonomics guidelines, and physical requirements of the equipment (Das and Grady, 1983;Das and Sengupta, 1996). In this regard, the basic information required is the anthropometric body dimensions of the users of equipment i.e., ethnic tribes of the region, which needs to be studied. ...
A survey was conducted to collect the anthropometric dimensions of male farmers in the north eastern region of India in age group of 20–30 years. Thirty-three anthropometric dimensions were measured from 280 male farmers belonging to 7 states of the region. Range, mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, 5th, 50th and 95th percentile for each anthropometric dimension were calculated for the entire region. Variation in body dimensions of farm youth among 7 states of the region were studied by comparing the mean values of body dimensions for each state of the region. Further, the anthropometric dimensions of farm youths of the north eastern region were compared with those of the northern, central, eastern, southern and western regions of India and it was found that the farm youth of the north eastern region had most of the body dimensions lower than those from other regions except southern and eastern regions of India. The anthropometric dimensions of youth of the north eastern region of India were also compared with those of China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Germany, Britain and the USA. It was found that all the dimensions were lower than those from other parts of the world.
The mechanization of agricultural operations greatly influences both the efficiency of farming operations and the health and safety of farm workers. Human exposure to working environments represents a significant hazard associated with machines and the environment. This research focuses on evaluating the ergonomic aspects of the newly developed artificial intelligence (AI)‐based cotton fertilizer applicator, aiming to assess the potential impact on workers' health, safety, and overall exertion. Ergonomic factors such as heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption rate (OCR), energy expenditure rate (EER), physiological work cost, as well as discomfort and posture during use, were assessed at three different operating speeds of the applicator. Results showed that HRs, OCR, and EER ranged from 86 to 109 beats/min, 0.44 to 0.83 L/min, and 9.3 to 17.45 kJ/min, respectively, indicating that the physical demands on workers were within manageable limits. Discomfort was predominantly noted in the palms, attributed to the necessity of controlling the applicator with both hands. Analysis of cardiac effort revealed that 93.75%, 92.70%, and 94.67% of effort was expended during work at speeds of 0.5, 0.8, and 1 km/h, respectively, with the remainder during recovery periods. The workload on the middle deltoid muscle during field operation varied between 10.15%–14.58% for left‐hand controls and 1.85%–3.5% for right‐hand controls. Statistical analysis highlighted significant differences in physiological responses among participants, with ergonomic parameters closely linked to the applicator's forward speed. The study concludes using the developed AI‐based cotton fertilizer applicator does not pose significant health risks to operators, suggesting its ergonomic design effectively mitigates physical strain.
Stasiun kerja (work station) adalah area, tempat, atau lokasi dimana aktivitas produksi akan diselenggarakan untuk mengubah bahan baku menjadi sebuah produk yang memiliki nilai tambah. Perancangan stasiun kerja yang benar akan dapat memberikan keselamatan dan kenyamanan kerja bagi operator yang selanjutnya akan berpengaruh secara signifikan dalam menentukan kinerjanya. Melihat begitu pentingnya perancangan stasiun kerja bagi operator dalam menunjang kinerjanya, maka dalam hal ini didesainlah stasiun kerja yang optimal bagi operator sehingga operator tersebut dapat melakukan pekerjaan sehari-hari dengan lebih nyaman. Upaya yang dapat dilakukan antara lain adalah dengan menyesuaikan ukuran tempat kerja dengan dimensi tubuh agar tidak melelahkan, pengaturan suhu, cahaya dan kelembaban sesuai kebutuhan tubuh manusia.
Today, more and more manually operated as well as powered farm implements and machinery are brought into farm operations. The matching of machinery requirements with human capabilities is necessary for the optimum man–machine functional compatibility. The essential requirement is to apply anthropometric dimensions of users in the design and application of farm tools and equipment for better functional ease, reduction in drudgery, and safety of the farmworkers. This chapter explores the technology of anthropometry in ascertaining human physical traits, primarily such factors as size, mobility, and strength. In many countries, efforts have been made to establish an anthropometric database for different population groups, such as civilians, military personnel, students, and industrial workers. There is a lacuna of data of the farming population. ISO 15535 specifies general requirements for establishing an anthropometric database, and ISO 7250 deals with the definition of the anthropometric parameters, and the data from some member countries. A considerable variation exists in body dimensions of people, due to race, ethnicity, nutrition, and other characteristics. The chapter includes a comparison of anthropometric data from different countries, including the representative Indian men and women farmworkers. Besides, muscular strength data are beneficial for the ergo-design of farm tools and equipment. The chapter elucidates the methodological details and the data of muscle strength parameters for better human performance and safety.
In this chapter, 168 anthropometric dimensions and the back-leg-chest (BLC) strength as the muscle strength of 113 male farmers and 31 female farmers of Odisha are statistically analyzed. Factor analysis is done to identify the most significant anthropometric dimensions. Then correlation coefficient and regression analysis are done considering the anthropometric dimensions and BLC strength. Further, an attempt is made by using ANFIS tool to predict the BLC strength of both male and female farmers. It is found that ANFIS could better predict the muscle strength of farmers.
Anthropometry is a key element of ergonomic studies for addressing the problem of fitting the tasks/products to user characteristics, but there is a gap between anthropometric data and their application for designing ergonomic products and environments. This research was conducted to review the literature on the methodology and applications of anthropometry for the ergonomic design of products and environments and to identify where further research is needed to improve its application and evaluation protocols. One hundred and sixteen papers meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Although a number of anthropometric investigations have been conducted to improve the design of products/environments for different users, further research seems to be necessary, particularly for special groups, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Different anthropometric measurement methods/techniques and fitting criteria are discussed in terms of their applicability for various design applications. This review also highlights methodological issues (sampling considerations and prototype evaluation and testing) that should be considered in future research to ensure the user-centred approach of the design process.
A comprehensive approach to the development of industrial workstation design is essential to appreciate the impact or contributions of several discipline areas. In reviewing the literature, emphasis was placed on the application of engineering anthropometry to design an industrial workstation. However, the importance of computer-aided workstation design was duly recognized. The paper dealt with the normal and maximum working areas, optimum height of the workstation, basic workstation design rules, guidelines for determining workstation dimensions and computer models of human movements. To improve productivity, an optimum industrial workstation should be designed to accommodate the anthropometric characteristics of the user population. Some suggestions were made regarding future research.
We present the Working Posture Controller (WPC), a novel technology to help workers preventing posture-related Musculo-skeletal disorders. The innovation lies in the fact that the system does not require tedious work place design or process planning, since it automatises these steps. We discuss this technology from different views including a first technical evaluation, discussions concerning use cases, safety and economic and legal challenges when integrating such a technology into the production line.
This chapter consists of two main sections. The first section describes four new models for genetic algorithms. The second section presents applications of genetic algorithms to problems from different area engineering.
In each domain in which Bob Shaw has conducted programmatic research, he has gone to considerable effort to identify and describe the constraints on the event or activity that is the focus of the research. This entails describing the event or activity at a scale appropriate to human perceivers. The first part of this article offers a personal reflection on Bob Shaw's research on the information for craniofacial growth. At the heart of this program, Bob Shaw worked toward a model that captured physical constraints on craniofacial form. In doing so, Shaw extended the method of coordinate transformations developed by D'Arcy Thompson (1917/1992) by using the language of geometric transformations to formalize the changes in craniofacial form that occur over growth. The second part of this article examines how my research with Marvin Dainoff on seated posture at computer workstations and the description of so-called normal work area is indebted to Shaw's constraint-based approach. The challenge of identifying the constraints on events and activities is an important part of the foundation of Gibson's (1979/1986, Part 1) ecological approach to perception. This task is not to be taken lightly.
The objective of this study was to compare anthropometric characteristics of Iranian workers with three different ethnicities including Fars, Azeri and Arab. A total number of 3436 subjects aged ranging 20 to 60 years old were randomly selected as the sample. Overall, thirty-six body dimensions besides body weight were measured. The statistical indexes consisting of mean, standard deviation, 5th and 95th percentile values were tabulated for the various body dimensions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests were performed to determine the significant differences among the mean value of body dimensions of study ethnics. The results indicated that there are significant differences in most of the dimensions among the three ethnic groups for both males and females (P-value<0.05). The post-hoc tests showed that Fars males have larger body size compared to the Arab and Azeri. In addition, Azeri females tends to have larger body. Azeri male and Fars female have the smallest body size compared to other ethnics. In conclusion, there is a significant morphological difference among the three Iranian ethnic groups with the same nation. Furthermore, there are various body dimension differences among different nations. Thus, considering the ethnicity factor while designing, for the Iranian population, is highly recommended.
Background: The aim of this study is to develop a new ergonomics chisel based on user centered design approach and to evaluate the effectiveness for reducing awkward posture using CATIA software for simulation analysis. Methods: Respondents were selected using purposive sampling - age 18 - 49 years old, men, experience using chisel (> 1 month). A set of questionnaire were used to interview workers while postural risks were determined using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Selected anthropometric parameters were taken and user centered design concept were applied to determine mismatch and to facilitate design process. CATIA software was used to integrate the results of postural analysis and anthropometric measurement using 3D modeling. Results: A total of 273 male harvesters participated in this study. The result shows 5.2% of the chisels. length of handles matches with the respondents whereas none (100%) of the chisels. circumference of handle matches with respondents. internal grip diameter. Tool-chisel usage, majority of harvester bend forward while harvesting (96.7%) and most of workers having blister (83.2%), redness (85.3%) and numbness (65.9%) during harvesting. RULA simulation analysis showed the score action level for new design is 3(further investigated need and changes may be required) compared to existing tool are in action score 7(investigated and changes required immediately). Conclusions: The study showed that the design of new harvesting tool has the potential to reduce awkward body posture during harvesting activities as compared to existing tools.
Even though a large amount of ergonomic data and recommendations are available, tools, equipment and products are quite frequently subject to considerable ergonomic deficiencies. The reason for this is that knowledge of ergonomics is not as widespread as the expert would like it. The designer of work places and equipment usually has a rather small background of ergonomics. In many cases it is difficult even for the ergonomist to compress the available knowledge into tables and charts. A computerised assistance system could be of great help
The average gamer faces a number of musculo-skeletal injuries due to bad design of keyboards, consoles, mice, workspace layout and a number of other factors. This study aims at minimizing injuries and maximizing human comfort by using Ergonomic principles in the design of the console, which also happens to be the main interactive device between the gamer and the computer. Hence the objective of this study would be to design a keyboard to optimize the comforts of using a gaming console for computer games played on the keyboard, through the sciences of anthropometry and ergonomics.
This paper describes the results of an experimental study conducted to investigate the effects of batch assembly of two units of a product on operator performance. A fully adjustable ergonomically designed assembly workstation (smart workstation) was used for the experiment. Thirty college students, randomly assigned into three experimental conditions performed the assembly task. Performances of the participants assembling one unit in a cycle and two units in a cycle (batch assembly) on the ergonomically designed smart workstation were 44.7% and 36.52% higher, respectively, compared to the existing non‐ergonomically designed workstation assembling one unit in a cycle. Batch assembly of two units was not superior to assembling one unit in a cycle on the smart workstation. Operators preferred assembling one unit in a cycle rather than batch assembly. The increased performances on both methods on the smart workstation were due to flexibility and ergonomic design features incorporated in the workstation.
Fully adjustable, ergonomically designed assembly workstations could be expensive for companies to adopt. Therefore, an alternative low-cost, ergonomically designed adjustable assembly workstation was designed, developed and evaluated in a manufacturing company. Experiments were conducted on the existing and on the low-cost, ergonomically designed assembly workstation using ten industrial assembly operators. Operator performance on the low-cost, ergonomically designed workstation was 27% higher compared to the existing non-ergonomically designed assembly workstation. The increased performance was due to flexibility and ergonomic design features incorporated in the workstation. The cost of the workstation was three times less compared to the cost of a fully adjustable, ergonomically designed assembly workstation (smart assembly workstation) designed earlier.
The main objective of this research was to identify factors that affected worker productivity, occupational health and safety in thermal power plant in Maharashtra. Thirty production managers participated in the study. Fifty-two percent of the managers reported hot environmental conditions, 30% reported noisy environment, and 26% reported lack of resources and facilities. Managers received worker complaints of fatigue, back pain, upper-body pain, hand and wrist pain and headaches. Management (85%) acknowledged not having knowledge or access to ergonomics information. Ninety percent of the companies did not carry out ergonomic assessments. A significant correlation (p ¿ 0:01) was found among productivity indicators and health and organizational attributes. Lack of skills in ergonomics and training, communication and resources are believed to be some of the factors contributing to the poor ergonomic conditions and consequent loss of worker productivity and reduced health and safety in the Thermal Power plants.
This paper examines normative and formative approaches toward describing normal work area. Squires’ model of normal work area is an example of a normative approach, which prescribes the shape of normal work area. Squires’ model has been taken as the starting point for more recent attempts to delineate reach boundaries in the workplace. However, his original paper does not present the derivation for his model or his claim that the distal boundary of his normal work area can be described by a prolate epicycloid. This paper presents the derivation for Squires’ model and shows that the resulting curve is not a prolate epicycloid, but a related form, a hypotrochoid. It then identifies shortcomings of normative models, like Squires’, notably the viability of the reach assumptions on which such normative models are based and their inability to deal with context-conditioned variability in the workplace. Finally, it examines the application of formative models, which attempt to identify constraints on the types of reach actions that people use. Data on how people actually reach may constitute a more appropriate foundation for constructing work area models needed to develop workplace standards.
An experimental research was conducted to determine the specific standard and feedback that would maximize worker productivity and satisfaction in a repetitive production task. The research was conducted in a university machine shop on 56 college students. They were trained individually for one hour in the task performance and performed the same task for another hour under a specific condition. The operators were assigned various levels of assigned and participative standards with feedback. A progressive increase in the assigned standards with feedback improved worker productivity significantly up to the provision of an assigned standard of 140% of normal and feedback. The increases were 14% in quantity and 10% in quality output, compared to the control group. No further improvement in worker productivity resulted as a consequence of an assigned 150% standard and feedback. The provision of a participative standard with feedback was significantly inferior to an assigned 130% standard and feedback. The provision of assigned and participative standards with feedback improved worker satisfaction significantly. No significant difference was found among the standards and feedback conditions. Monetary incentive, when provided with the 140% standard and feedback, added no incremental performance or satisfaction gain.
Traditional methods for the characterization of reach envelopes have been based upon systems designed for static measurement of reach and have been frequently less accurate than is desirable for design recommendations. This paper describes the development and validation of a methodology for dynamic measurement of reach envelopes, based upon a position-sensing potentiometric system. The characterization of reach envelopes for restrained and unrestrained male and female seated operators is also described. Anthropometric data of subject populations, example reach envelope contours and comparisons of data from the present study with previous reach envelope data are presented.
The boundaries of maximum possible arm reach for tasks on vertical instrument racks were determined on a stratified sample of twenty subjects, when seated in a standard office chair. The limiting effects of 3-1/2 inch thick service shelves, varying in depth from 10 through 25 inches and in height from 27.9 to 30.1 inches, were measured together with optimum seat height and leg clearance. The 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile reach contours show that shelf depths greater than 10 inches decrease arm reach, the amount being dependent upon shelf height. Service shelf depth, when at the optimum of height of 28 inches, should not be much greater than 20 inches if 95 percent of the operators are to reach a vertical display beneath it.
The dimensions of the normal work area originally proposed by Barnes and modified by Squires were determined for a sample representative of the current United States population. One standard work area is not satisfactory for everyone. More emphasis should be given to movements straight ahead of the worker and less emphasis should be given to movements to the side. Work areas are given for the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles of the male and female United States population.
The maximum occupationally functional arm reach defines a three-dimensional envelope in front of the operator. The dimensions of this envelope were determined for 137 females while they were seated. The chair and workplace had a configuration typical of the usual industrial workplace. From data collected in this study, recommendations are made on the layout of seated industrial workplaces. These recommendations differ significantly from those currently available in the literature.
Squires' concept provided a substantial increase over Farley's concept in the one-handed, two-handed and total normal working areas and in the normal front range for all types of operators and resulted in a relatively small decrease in the normal side range in all but one instance. The minimum and maximum increases in the total normal working area were 398 and 1194 cm, respectively, and the corresponding percentage increases were 24 and 43%, respectively. Considering the overall increase in the normal working area and the dynamic nature of the movement of the arm while the hand sweeps an arc in the normal horizontal working area, Squires' concept is recommended in preference to Farley's concept.
Design of work stations
- S Konz
KONZ, S., 1967, Design of work stations. Journal of Industrial Engineering, 18, 413-423.
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