Using Existing Anthropometric Data to Design Industrial Workplaces

Abstract

Designing industrial workplaces is hampered by the lack of data that describe the potential workforce. The civilian data base is not adequate because it is small, is taken on specific populations, and is not stratified to reveal ethnic and regional differences. Military data are often used as an alternative, but these data also have shortcomings. Among these are the truncation of extremes, a paucity of functional data and the fact that the data are often taken for special purposes.

Since Eastman Kodak remains committed to a policy of providing safe workplaces that accommodate females, males, and the various ethnic groups, the lack of adequate data is acute. To fill the need for data, it has been necessary to statistically combine the military data into a single population that is theoretically 50 percent female and 50 percent male. This has been done for forty measurements using the mean standard deviation, and the number of individuals measured.

Data on this mixed population are being used to design and redesign workplaces, equipment and product at Eastman Kodak Company. The problems encountered using existing anthropometric data to design a comfortable standing workplace are only one example of what trade-offs must be made and where further data are needed.