Designing for Actual Real Life Humans

Let me start off by saying, I hated school growing up. I mean, I didn't entirely hate it but it was frustrating to think that while I was stuck in this white cynderblock room all day, there was a whole world of activites going on outside the window. I felt uncomfortable in my seat and was constantly staring out the window, daydreaming about what was going on in the world while I was in school for the majority of the day. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized I wasn't the only one that felt like that and it was in fact a major issue that Interior Designers dealt with constantly.

Ergonomics is defined as the study of people in their working enviroment(Ergonomics, 2018). This branch of scientific study deals with the mental and physical effects of the enviroment on the individual. This would include developing ways to avoid workplace injuries and keeping students attention in classrooms.Ergonomics in the work place aims to prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) which includes carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and muscle strains on the lower back(Occupational Safety and Health Administration Egronomics , 2018). These and many other on- the- job injuries can be prevented using the egronomic assessment tool Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). This helps assess the risk of MSDs an employee is prone to while in the
workplace based on their posture and the actitvites asked of them.

The REBA assessment scores neck, trunk  and leg position. 

In resturants, employees are required to wear slip-resistant shoes to prevent them from falling in the kitchen. More and more offices are requiring their employees to take breaks and look away from computer screens because of the risk of MSDs. As you can see from the chart to the left, a neck and trunk position that tilted to look at a computer screen would increase their overall REBA score and put them at a higher risk for a MSD.

Office spaces are being to take to risk of MSD's more seriously and changes are being put into place. Desks like the one on the right, are adustable and can help decrease back pain that is caused by sitting in a chair for an extended amount of time. Mouse Pads with gel inserts to hold the wrist up, prevents users from carpal tunnel or arthritis.

Ergonomics can come into play in residential settings as well. In my house, there are some cabinets over the fridge that are impossible for me to reach. Not only are they too high for me to reach but the door are set back 3 feet from the front of the fridge, so even if I was tall enough to touch them, it would be too difficult to lift heavy objects out of the cabinet.

Bringing the cabinets forward and having them even with the end of the fridge would make more sense and be more accessible for those of us that are taller. However, if the ergonomic design of this kitchen was based around me, and my personal dimensions, there would not be any storage over the fridge at all because my reach height is not that much taller than the fridge itself. And lifting heavy things over my head would put me into a dangerous REBA score.

Bibliography

Ergonomics. (2018). (U. o. Hill, Producer) Retrieved November 15, 2018, from Finance and Operations Enviroment, Health and Safety: https://ehs.unc.edu/workplace-safety/ergonomics/

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Egronomics . (2018, November 17). Retrieved from United States Department of Labor: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/