QUESTION
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Anthropometric Design Exercise
Instructions
Anthropometric Design ExerciseThis assignment is designed to provide an opportunity to apply the concepts you have learned in the Unit I Lesson regarding the inclusion of ergonomics during the design process. Specifically, you will be using anthropometric data to develop design recommendations.
As a recent graduate of Columbia Southern University’s Safety and Emergency Services program, you have just been hired as a member of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) staff for Aston Martin Lagonda Automotive Manufacturing located in Gaydon, England. Your first work assignment requires you to work with members of the facilities improvement team to develop design recommendations for new office workstations.
Using the ergonomic design guidelines discussed in the unit lesson and the appropriate anthropometric data from Tables 3.2 and 3.4 in the course textbook, develop a proposal for the new workstations. Your proposal should be a minimum of two pages in length, not counting the title page and the references page, MUST include a copy of your computations/calculations, and may include graphics to illustrate your design. You are required to use a minimum of two outside sources; one may be the textbook. Your proposal should be written to your management and must include the following two parts:
Part 1:
a brief introduction that identifies the nature of the work assignment;
an overview of the importance of including ergonomics in the design process;
an overview of how anthropometry can be used to address human variability.
Part 2:Complete the following using the calculation template:
computations for the dimensions of the following:
desk (height only),
chair (must include a range of adjustability for the height, the dimensions for the seat pan, and the armrests), and
computations for any other office equipment that you would like to include in your design proposal (optional);
justification for your design decisions by identifying the user population for which you are designing, why that population was selected, the body dimension(s) selected for each computation, and the percentage of the population for which you are designing and why that percentage was selected.
Click here to access a supplemental document containing information necessary to complete the assignment.Your proposal should be a minimum of two pages in length, not counting the title page and the references page, MUST include a copy of your computations/calculations, and may include graphics to illustrate your design. You are required to use a minimum of two outside sources; one may be the textbook.
I will provide the study guide to the writer as well
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| Subject | Writing a proposal | Pages | 2 | Style | APA |
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Answer
Integrating Ergonomics in Workplace Design
Part 1
Introduction
Employee safety and health forms the fabric of enhanced productivity and performance in any workplace. Notably, it reduces absenteeism rates associated with illnesses and injuries caused by preventable accidents in the work environment. Prioritizing workplace safety also enhances an organization’s compliance with the OSHA recommendations, thereby reducing potential lawsuits. More importantly, some safety measures such as accessible lighting and noise levels, and good sitting posture among other measures are key in preventing irreversible health damages that may be caused to employees in the long term. Ensuring that such measures are in place begins with ensuring that the design of the workplace, starting from lighting conditions to desks, chairs and other office equipment, is based principally on ergonomic principles. The primary objective of this proposal is to help Gaydon-base Ashton Martin Lagonda Automotive Manufacturing to reflect ergonomics in the design of their new office workstations.
Ergonomics, which Dohrmann Consulting (2020) defines as “the process designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them”, was a “response to the design and operational problems”, Bridger (2017), brought about by advances in technology. By incorporating ergonomics in the design process, designers can increase compatibility between system/workplace components with the principal focus on users by ensuring adequate integration of “the human considerations into the total system design process” (Bridger, 2017). This way, ergonomics serves to eliminate discomforts and strains caused by work, particularly when the task at hand is repetitive. Focusing on ergonomics in the design process is also reduces the risk of injuries in the workplace by adjusting equipment and tools to match user needs and conditions, and emphasizing on proper posture to minimize the effects of repetitive movements. Further, as office furniture and equipment tend to encourage limited movement, and fixed and stiff sitting postures, ergonomics is of paramount importance in ensuring that the workplace design considers the need for user’s repetitive movement throughout day (Ergonomic Consulting, 2019).
One of the key components of ergonomic design is anthropometry, which is the process of “obtaining systematic [physical] measurements of the human body”, especially shape and size (Biologydictionary.net Editors, 2017; Cash, 2012). Anthropometry can, therefore, be used to address human variability by identifying the physical features and dimensions of the target user population, such as height, BMI, weight and body circumferences (Casadei & Kiel, 2020). Once identified, the measurements can then be used to design a system/workplace that accommodates majority of users on users all dimensions. Thus, by collecting anthropometric data – measurements/statistics relevant to the human body – anthropometry allows designers to understand the physical human body dimensions, which ensures that the final design solution fits at least “5th percentile female to 95th percentile male” on given body dimensions or measurement (Bridger, 2017).
Part 2
Computations for the dimensions and recommendations
Desk (height only)
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Male and female employees working in the new workstation. Since the new workstation is located in Gaydon, England, we use the UK data. Also, the desks will be used by both male and female workers, so we focus on the male data. |
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Since we are computing desk height that fits employees both in a seated and standing position, we use knee height (#10) and standing elbow height (#21) (from table 3.2 on p. 68). |
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As we are determining desk height, it is necessary that the height of the underside of the desk accommodates 95% of the user population. It is also desirable that the height of the desks should be adjustable to the elbow height such that it accommodates 99% of employees in the new workstation. As such, 95th and 99th percentiles (tall workers) will be used minimum knee height and maximum standing elbow, respectively. Further, the design will use the male data to ensure that desks fits all employees in both seating and standing positions. |
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Using the expression, Height of underside of the desk (knee height #10, male) = 544 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70) = 1.64 (from table 3.4 on p. 75 for the 95h percentile). = 28 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70). = 589.92 mm or 23.22 inch Height of the desk when working in a standing position (standing elbow height #21, male) = 1096 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70) = 2.32 (from table 3.4 on p. 75 for the 99th percentile). = 50 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70). = 1212 mm or 47.72 inch |
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In this case, special consideration will be given as 2.5 cm (25 mm) for shoes both for the height of the underside of the desk and height of the desk when working in a standing position. Hence, the recommended range of adjustability of the desk is; 589.92 mm + 25 mm = 614.92 mm 1212 mm + 25 mm = 1237 mm 614.92 mm – 1237 mm or 24.21inch – 48.70inch |
Chair (adjustability for the height)
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Male and female employees working in the new workstation. Since the new workstation is located in Gaydon, England, we use the UK data. As the chairs will be used by both male and female workers, we focus on the female data. |
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Since we are interested in adjustability for the height of the chairs, we will use popliteal height (#6 from table 3.2 on p. 68). |
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The chairs will be designed to accommodate 90% of employees in the workstation. This implies that the data for both shorter employees (5th percentile) and taller employees (95th percentile) should be considered. |
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From the formula, ; = 399 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70) = -1.64 (from table 3.4 on p. 75 for the 5th percentile). = 1.64 (from table 3.4 on p. 75 for the 95th percentile). = 26 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70). = 356.36 mm (5th percentile) = 441.64 mm (95th percentile). |
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Special consideration that should be given in this case is 2.5 cm (25 mm) if shoes are worn. Thus, the range of adjustability of the height of chairs in new workstation should be; 356.36 mm + 25 mm = 381.36 mm 441.64 mm + 25 mm = 466.64 mm 381.36 mm – 466.64 mm or 15.01 inch – 18.37 inch |
Chair (dimensions for the seat pan)
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Male and female employees working in the new workstation. Since the new workstation is located in Gaydon, England, we use the UK data. As the chairs will be used by both male and female workers, we focus on the female data |
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As we are determining dimensions for the seat pan – minimum width of the seat, the design will focus will focus on hip breadth (#17 table 3.2 on p. 68). |
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In this case, the chairs will be designed to accommodate 99% of employees in the workstation. This implies that the design will consider 99th percentile female hip width. |
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Using the expression, Minimum width of the seats (hip breadth #17, female) = 412 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70) = 2.32 (from table 3.4 on p. 75 for the 99th percentile). = 41 mm (from table 3.2 on p. 70). = 455.32 mm or 17.93 inch |
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In this case, special consideration that should be given is 5 cm (50 mm) if users (employees) wear heavy clothing. Therefore, the recommended seat span size = 455.32 mm + 50 mm = 505.32 mm or 19.89 inch |
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Biologydictionary.net Editors. (2017, May 15). Anthropometry. Biology Dictionary. https://biologydictionary.net/anthropometry/
Bridger, R. (2017). Introduction to human factors and ergonomics. CRC Press.
Casadei, K., & Kiel, J. (2020). Anthropometric Measurement. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Cash, T. F. (2012). Encyclopedia of body image and human appearance. Academic Press.
Dohrmann Consulting. (2020, July 14). What is ergonomics? Retrieved August 9, 2020, from https://www.ergonomics.com.au/what-is-ergonomics/
Ergonomic Consulting. (2019). What is ergonomics? Humanscale | Ergonomic Office Furniture Solutions. Retrieved August 9, 2020, from https://www.humanscale.com/ergonomics/what-is-ergonomics/index.cfm
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