School Furniture and Anthropometric Fit, the Gap Between Theory and Practice

The chairs' editorial for the theme track 'Sound and Design'

Head and facial dimensions of Chilean workers for design purposes and the differences with other populations

BACKGROUND: An appropriate match between a product and its end-users requires anthropometric data, which show variations among different countries. Proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) fit is key for safety and comfort. Chile had no head and facial anthropometric data available in order to design face/head PPE. OBJECTIVE: To describe...

Secular changes in the anthropometrics of Chilean workers and its implication in design

BACKGROUND: Anthropometrics is very important when ensuring a physical match between end users and product or workstations. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study are twofold, to provide anthropometric data for the design of products and to examine the secular changes in the adult Chilean workers in a period of more than 20 years. METHODS:...

Application of mismatch equations in dynamic seating designs

Anthropometry is critical for product and workplace design. Highly prevalent, office work is associated with sedentarism and physical discomfort due to prolonged sitting. Dynamic seating (alternating across sitting, perching, and standing) has been suggested as an alternative to overcome those problems. The current study tested a large sample...

Applied anthropometry for common industrial settings design: Working and ideal manual handling heights

Anthropometry has been used extensively for designing safe and sustainable products and workplaces. However, it is common that designers need straightforward guidelines and dimensions, which they often lack, for specific design situations. Anthropometric data are usually presented in tables that summarize percentile values, separated by...

Level of match between facial dimensions of Chilean workers and respirator fit test panels proposed by LANL and NIOSH

The facial fit of respirators is crucial for determining how effectively respirators may protect users from exposure to airborne contaminants, when their use is required in the workplace. In the Chilean market, all the respirators available have been designed and manufactured using foreign regulations. The aim of this research was to...

Anthropometric data of Chilean male workers

The aim of this study was to update the Chilean male workers’ anthropometric database to be used for design purposes and to examine the secular changes observed in a group of anthropometric variables for Chilean male workers. Data collection involved a sample of 2,346 male workers with ages ranging from 18 to 65+, assigned to the Mutual de...

Gender inequality and sexual height dimorphism in Chile

Chile has experienced significant improvements in its economy; thus, a secular trend in height has been observed in its population. Gender equality has also improved hand in hand with active policies addressing the gender gap in several dimensions (work, education, health) and overall economic improvement. This study examined changes in...

Educational level and its relationship with body height and popliteal height in Chilean male workers

A secular trend in body height has been experienced in many nations and populations, hypothesized to be the result of better living conditions. Educational level has been shown to be closely associated with body height. This study examined the changes in body height and popliteal height in a group of adult Chilean male workers by age cohort and...

A literature review of anthropometric studies of school students for ergonomics purposes: Are accuracy, precision and reliability being considered?

Background: Despite offering many benefits, direct manual anthropometric measurement method can be problematic due to their vulnerability to measurement errors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this literature review was to determine, whether or not the currently published anthropometric studies of school children, related to ergonomics, mentioned...

A review of the methodology and applications of anthropometry in ergonomics and product design

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...

Accuracy, precision and reliability in anthropometric surveys for ergonomics purposes in adult working populations: A literature review

Anthropometric surveys are the most common method of gathering human morphometric data, used to design clothing, products and workspaces. The aim of this paper was to assess how current peer reviewed literature addresses the accuracy, reliability and precision regarding manual anthropometric surveys applied to adult working populations in the...