WO R K P L A C E , E QU I P M E N T

A ND T O O L D E S I GN
ANDIRA TASLIM 2023
 KEY POINTS
•FIT TOOLS AND •MINIMIZE
EQUIPMENT TO REPETITIONS
OPERATOR •USE “POWER GRIPS”
•PROVIDE FOR HIGH-FORCE
ADJUSTABILITY TASKS
•MAINTAIN NEUTRAL •USE PINCH GRIPS FOR
POSTURES PRECISION TASKS
OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 5
I. ANTHROPOMETRY AND DESIGN:
 DESIGN FOR EXTREMES, FOR AVERAGE, ETC.
II. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: WORKPLACE
 FOCUS ON DESIGN OF SEATING
III. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT
IV. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS (CDT)
V. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: (HAND) TOOLS.
 ANTHROPOMETRY AND DESIGN
• ANTHROPOMETRY: THE SCIENCE OF MEASURING THE
HUMAN BODY,
• ERGONOMICS: DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE, TOOLS,
EQUIPMENT, WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OPERATIONS
TO FIT THE HUMAN OPERATOR.
• ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA: TABLE 5-1(PG. 184) SHOWS
DATA ON A TYPICAL HUMAN POPULATION; THIS DATA IS
INVALUABLE IN DESIGN.
 APPROACHES TO DESIGN
• DESIGN FOR EXTREMES: DESIGN TO ACCOMMODATE THE MAX AND
MIN DIMENSIONS OF THE POPULATION, OR PERHAPS THE 5TH TO THE
95TH PERCENTILE.
• DESIGN FOR ADJUSTABILITY: MAKE DESIGNS ADJUSTABLE TO FIT
DIFFERENT SIZED INDIVIDUALS.
• DESIGN FOR THE AVERAGE: DESIGN TO SUIT THE AVERAGE PERSON,
AND NOT BE TOO BAD FOR MOST PEOPLE.
II. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: WORKPLACE

1. USE ELBOW HEIGHT TO

DETERMINE WORK
SURFACE HEIGHT.
2. ADJUST THE WORK
SURFACE HEIGHT BASED
ON THE TASK
3. PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE
CHAIR
4. PROVIDE ADJUSTABILITY
IN THE SEAT
5. ENCOURAGE POSTURAL
FLEXIBILITY
II. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: WORKPLACE
6. PROVIDE ANTI-FATIGUE MATS FOR A
STANDING OPERATOR
7. LOCATE ALL TOOLS AND MATERIALS
WITHIN THE NORMAL WORKING AREA
8. FIX LOCATIONS FOR ALL TOOLS AND
MATERIALS
9. USE GRAVITY BINS AND DROP DELIVERY
10.ARRANGE EVERYTHING TO MINIMIZE
MOTIONS
1. USE ELBOW HEIGHT TO DETERMINE
WORK SURFACE HEIGHT
3. PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE CHAIR
EXAMPLE: AERON CHAIR
IMAGES FROM: HTTP://WWW.ULTIMATEBACKSTORE.COM/
BEING SEATED FLATTENS THE LORDOTIC
ARCH (LUMBAR REGION)
BALANS CHAIR: STRAIGHTENS PELVIS
ENCOURAGE POSTURAL FLEXIBILITY:
GETS BLOOD SUPPLY TO DISCS
EXERCISE BALL CHAIRS
THE BEAN BAG CHAIR
ERGONOMIC PROS AND CONS OF THE
BEAN BAG CHAIR

• PROS:
• CONFORMS TO THE SHAPE OF EACH PERSON
• MOVES WITH THE PERSON
• RELATIVELY LOW COST ($80 - $200)
• CONS:
• NOT SUITABLE FOR OFFICE WORK – NOT ENOUGH STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE BACK
SUPPORT FOR COMPUTER OR DESK WORK,
• HARD FOR OLD PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF CHAIR,
• INFORMAL: NOT APPROPRIATE SEATING IF YOU ARE HAVING THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND TO TEA.
COULD THIS BE THE SOLUTION?
OTHER BEAN BAG FURNITURE

• BEAN BAG TABLES

7. LOCATE ALL TOOLS AND MATERIALS WITHIN
NORMAL WORKING AREA (CONT)
III. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN:
MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT
1. USE A FIXTURE (INSTEAD OF THE 4. USE PROPER CONTROL KNOB
HAND) SIZE, DISPLACEMENT AND
2. LOCATE CONTROL DEVICES FOR RESISTANCE
BEST ACCESSIBILITY AND 5. INSURE COMPATIBILITY
STRENGTH BETWEEN CONTROLS AND
3. USE SHAPE, TEXTURE AND SIZE DISPLAYS
TO CODE CONTROLS
 VI. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS (CDT)
OR REPETITIVE MOTION INJURIES

• NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL OF AMERICA (1997) SAYS THAT 15 – 20% OF WORKERS IN

KEY INDUSTRIES ARE AT RISK FOR CTD (MEAT PACKING, POULTRY, AUTO AND
GARMENT INDUSTRIES)
• 61% OF ALL OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH REPETITIVE MOTIONS
(BUTCHERING AND MANUFACTURING ARE WORST)
• THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 2 CTD CLAIMS PER 1000 WORKERS @ $30K PER CASE.
CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS ARE:

• COMMON
• WIDESPREAD IN MANY INDUSTRIES
• EXPENSIVE
• PAINFUL,
• DISABLING

DESIGN WORK, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT TO

AVOID THEM!!
EXAMPLES OF CTD:
•CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
•TENNIS ELBOW
•BURSITIS
•TRIGGER FINGER
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
FACTORS LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT OF CTD

• EXCESSIVE FORCE
• AWKWARD OR EXTREME JOINT MOTIONS
• HIGH REPETITION
• DURATION OF WORK
SYMPTOMS OF CTD
• PAIN
• RESTRICTED MOVEMENT
• TISSUE SWELLING
• NUMBNESS (IF NERVES ARE INVOLVED)

CTD COMES ON SLOWLY, GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT, OFTEN IGNORED.

CTD CAN LEAD TO PERMANENT DISABILITY
V. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: (HAND) TOOLS
1. USE POWER GRIP FOR TASKS 7. DESIGN TOOLS TO BE USED BY
REQUIRING FORCE EITHER HAND
2. USE PINCH GRIPS FOR TASKS 8. AVOID REPETITIVE FINGER
REQUIRING PRECISION MOTIONS
3. AVOID PROLONGED STATIC
9. USE STRONGEST WORKING
MUSCLE LOADING
FINGERS: MIDDLE AND THUMB
4. PERFORM TWISTING MOTIONS
10.DESIGN 1.5” HANDLE
WITH ELBOWS BENT
DIAMETERS FOR POWER GRIPS
5. MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT WRIST
11.DESIGN HANDLE LENGTHS TO BE
6. AVOID TISSUE COMPRESSION A MINIMUM OF 4”
GRIPS: POWER, PINCH, HOOK, PRESS
9. USE STRONGEST WORKING FINGERS
10. DESIGN 1.5” HANDLE DIAMETERS FOR POWER GRIPS

Good grips products: originally designed for

the handicapped, but good for everyone.
 11. PRINCIPLES OF WORK DESIGN: HAND TOOLS
(CONTINUED)
1. DESIGN A 3” GRIP SPAN 5. USE GLOVES JUDICIOUSLY
2. DESIGN APPROPRIATELY 6. USER POWER TOOLS INSTEAD
SHAPED HANDLES OF HAND TOOLS (E.G. SCREW
3. DESIGN GRIP SURFACE TO BE DRIVERS, ETC)
COMPRESSIBLE AND NON- 7. USE PROPER CONFIGURATION
CONDUCTIVE AND ORIENTATION OF TOOLS
4. KEEP THE WEIGHT OF THE TOOL 8. CHOOSE A POWER TOOL WITH
BELOW 5 LBS. PROPER CHARACTERISTICS
12. DESIGN A 3” GRIP SPAN
13. DESIGN APPROPRIATELY SHAPED HANDLES
18. USE PROPER CONFIGURATION AND
ORIENTATION OF TOOLS