Anthropometry in Workstation Design - Human Factors and Ergonomics - page 162

percentile in all measures. But adding the measures we would put more stringent
requirements on the design, and we may find that the resulting measure is for a 3rd
percentile user. However, the errors are small; in our case they would be less than 2 cm,
which can not be perceived by the user (Helander, Little, and Drury, 2000).
8.6 ACCOMMODATING THE NEEDS OF DISABLED
EMPLOYEES
In the U.S. and in several other countries, the needs of the disabled have been recognized
in legislation. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990) presented the general
framework, and the regulations are interpreted in terms of design recommendations in the
ADA Standards for Accessible Design (1994). The standards address the special needs of
people who use wheelchairs. The opening of doorways and elevators must be large
enough to permit free maneuvering. This is then a problem of the size of the wheelchair
(and not the body). There are also recommendations for provisions for employees with
limited sight and hearing. Figure 8.9 gives examples of design problems. There are many
other design suggestions, as exemplified in Table 8.4.
8.7 ANTHROPOMETRY STANDARDS
Many countries and organizations have developed standards for anthropometric design of
office workstations. To date, there are three particularly important standards:
1. International Standards Organization (1998), ISO 9241-5. Ergonomic requirements for
office work with visual display terminals (VDTs), Part 5. Workstation layout and
postural requirements.
2. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2003), BSR/HFES100—Human Factors
Engineering of Computer Workstations (Draft Standard for Trial Use). Santa Monica,
CA: The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
3. CEN European Standard (2000), EN 527. Office furniture: work tables and desks.
EN 527-1:2000 Dimensions.