Accommodate Diverse Users for Comfort, Safety, and Productivity
By Brianna Spencer, MS, LAT, ATC
Injury Prevention Specialist, Ergonomic Specialist, and Safety Specialist, Fit For Work
For most organizations, a key workplace safety goal is to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that lead to decreased productivity, lost-time injury, and workers’ compensation claims. Incorporating ergonomics into the design of the work environment, work processes, tools, and equipment will help to reduce and prevent MSDs. Are you applying the latest ergonomic design techniques to ensure users’ comfort, safety, and productivity? Anthropometry and adjustability are two cutting-edge tools that can help you accommodate a more diverse, inclusive workforce – with benefits that boost the bottom line.
Understanding & Applying Anthropometry
An·thro·pom·e·try is the science that defines and applies key physical measurements of a person’s size, form, and functional capacities. These body measurements can be used to design tools and workstations that protect a wide range of employees from fatigue and injury while increasing comfort and productivity. Anthropometric tables provide measurements to help determine if a tool or workstation design will benefit your workforce population. This includes, but is not limited to, standing height, seated height, vertical reach, horizontal reach, eye height, etc.
Some organizations use anthropometry statistics to design for the 50th percentile male/female population. Although this would seem like the organizations are designing for a majority of the population, this isn’t the actual case. The reason why is because the chances of the average size person having all the characteristics of the average population are extremely minimal. A person may be average height, but have longer/shorter arms, longer/shorter legs, above or below average strength, etc. There is a saying in the ergonomics realm that, “If you design for the average, you design for no one.”
Example: An existing workstation is 55” off the floor, and the employee is a 4’11” woman. Onsite data collection and anthropometric tables indicate that the worker will need to reach overhead to perform the job. This repetitive motion will result in fatigue and increase the risk of MSDs. The risk can be mitigated by redesigning the workstation height to accommodate a broader range of body types. The question then becomes, “What can we do to design for such a diverse work population?” The answer is incorporating adjustability into design.
Proactive organizations with a long-term growth strategy are more likely to include adjustability features in their work environment. This may include adjustable workstations, tools, equipment, etc. If you include adjustability features for the 5th percentile female through the 95th percentile male, you will be able to accommodate approximately 80% of the population. The outliers will be the 1st—4th percentile and 96th—100th percentile males/females. Accommodating the needs of the outliers on a case-by-case basis is usually more constructive and cost-effective than trying to include adjustability features for 100% of the population.
At Fit For Work, when we evaluate a workstation and tooling from an anthropometric perspective, we look at the workspace layout and the motions involved in using the necessary tools. Is the employee having to approach the work from a vertical angle? A horizontal angle? Must they constantly grip a certain tool? If certain aspects present challenges, the station and tooling can be designed for better function. Often, the workstation can be modified with a tool attached to a tool balancer to decrease the physical demands of the job and potential fatigue while increasing efficiency.
We also consider the packaging, handling, and transportation of products involved in production. Example: A bolt must be inserted in each coal mine digger machine on an assembly line, with each bolt weighing 50 pounds. Applying anthropometrics, we know that these bolts cannot be packaged in groups of six and still be moved freely by workers. We help ensure employees can move products safely and efficiently within assembly areas by decreasing the physical demands of the job and potential fatigue.
Realizing the Benefits
Using anthropometric data in ergonomic design offers two benefits that boost bottom-line success:
- Enhanced comfort and productivity. If employees are not comfortable, they must work harder, increasing the risk of injury and decreasing output. Example: Reaching overhead 30 times per hour on an assembly line will create shoulder and neck stress, as well as potential low back strains and sprains. This discomfort leads to decreased speed and less desire to work in an area. When the situation is remedied, the worker is more comfortable, productive, and inclined to stay in the job.
- Increased inclusivity and accessibility. Employers seeking to fill open positions are asking how they can improve accessibility for users of all capabilities. Example: Can this job station accommodate a wheelchair user? What about a veteran missing a limb? Workstations and tooling can be adjusted to support greater inclusivity and accessibility, expanding the hiring pool and, ultimately, the ability to meet production goals.
Adding Adjustability
Along with anthropometry, leading businesses are embracing adjustability as part of modern ergonomic design. Adjustability is the capacity for workstations, tools, or equipment to adapt to the needs of different users – larger, smaller, shorter, taller – or with unique needs. This design technique can increase the range of people a position can accommodate and is often used when it’s not possible or cost-effective to support a range of sizes.
Example 1: Office chairs and desks that lack adjustability features represent ergonomic challenges for most people. With a lever or two, we can adjust our workstations to our body types for the greatest comfort and least stress during the workday. Similarly, production workstations and tools can be made adjustable, moving up, down, closer, or further away to accommodate different body shapes, sizes, and capabilities.
Example 2: A 7’ male order selector at a distribution site struggled to reach down to the floor level to select the right product, slowing his pace and stressing his musculoskeletal system. Using a pallet leveler to make the workspace adjustable brought the product closer to the employee, allowing him to work in neutral postures and to move more quickly and more freely. Another example is a set of tools with adjustable handles that can fit both a 4’11” woman’s hand and a 7’ man’s hand.
Other needs for adjustability include aging workers who may be experiencing arthritis or those with other disabilities or accessibility needs. Adjustable wrenches and screwdrivers can accommodate different grip strengths to reduce the risk of hand and wrist injuries, stress, and fatigue.
Conclusion
For companies of all sizes and resources, it pays to use anthropometric data to include adjustability into your operation when designing new production lines or when evaluating existing workstations. Applying the latest ergonomic design techniques can help avoid the MSDs that lead to lost-time injuries and workers’ compensation claims, as well as indirect costs such as absenteeism and presenteeism. You will improve employee comfort, safety, and productivity as you accommodate a more diverse, inclusive workforce.
Fit For Work helps organizations significantly reduce injuries and associated costs by applying cutting-edge ergonomic design techniques. Our multi-faceted strategic safety solutions keep people from all walks of life and industries safe on the floor, in the field, and everywhere else.
Click here to learn more.
Brianna Spencer, MS, LAT, ATC, is a certified and licensed Athletic Trainer who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Slippery Rock University and a master’s in occupational health and safety from Columbia Southern University. At Fit For Work, Brianna develops and implements comprehensive injury prevention programs, conducts ergonomic assessments, and provides safety training tailored to the unique needs of each workplace. Her proactive approach has significantly reduced workplace injuries and improved overall employee well-being. Specializing in injury prevention, ergonomics, and safety, Brianna leverages her expertise to promote workplace safety, health, and well-being.
References
- Dianat I, Molenbroek J, Castellucci HI. A review of the methodology and applications of anthropometry in ergonomics and product design. Appl Ergon. 2018;69:1696-1720. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2018.07.012.
- Callaghan JP, McGill SM. Low back joint loading and kinematics during standing and unsupported sitting. Ergonomics. 2001;44(3):280-294. doi:10.1080/001401301750067104.
- Kroemer KHE, Grandjean E. Fitting the Task to the Human: A Textbook of Occupational Ergonomics. 5th ed. CRC Press; 2005.
