Fitting the Human

Introduction to Ergonomics / Human Factors Engineering, Seventh Edition

Karl H.E. Kroemer

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781315398365
• Edition: 7
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This new edition undergraduate introductory textbook follows the motto of the previous versions: "Solid information, easy-to-read, easy to understand, easy to apply." The aim remains the same: "Human engineering" workplaces, tools, machinery, computers, lighting, shiftwork, work demands, the environment, officers, vehicles, the home – and everything else that we can design to fit the human. The new edition is up-to-date in content and language, in data and illustrations. Like previous versions, this book is for students and professionals in engineering, design, architecture, safety and management and to everybody else who wants to make work safe, efficient, satisfying, and even enjoyable.

SECTION V

Human engineering

The previous sections of this book dealt with specific categories of knowledge about the human body and mind, about abilities and limitations. In many cases, the discussions also concerned the effects of the environment on the human ability to perform.

This section of the book assembles detailed knowledge, taken from the foregoing chapters in this book, and applies it to several examples of intricate multipart designs, such as of homes and work places. These are typical cases of human engineering (occasionally called human factors engineering), which require gathering and using information from many special knowledge areas:

• Chapter 17 Designing the home

• Chapter 18 Office design

• Chapter 19 Computer design and use

• Chapter 20 Workplace design

• Chapter 21 Load handling

• Chapter 22 Healthcare for patients and providers

• Chapter 23 Autonomous automobiles: Emerging ergonomic issues

• Chapter 24 Making work efficient and pleasant

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Designing the home

A home suitable for living in Norway would not serve its purpose well in Egypt; a community house from Fiji would look strange in Turkey. Different house designs provide shelter from different climates; their occupants may have rather divergent opinions about comfort and privacy. Accordingly, there is not just one type of dwelling that is right from the ergonomic point of view; instead, there are many good solutions, depending on climate, availability of materials, and societal expectations.

The following text discusses human engineering solutions for homes suitable for moderate climates. Most of the concepts to make living easy and safe grew from the habits originally developed in Europe and reflect western architectural traditions, expectations, and lifestyles. Climates, living conditions, and customs are quite different in the many regions and cultures on Earth. Still, some or many ideas presented here may have universal appeal.

The main purpose of having a home is to be sheltered from unpleasant features of the environment. With this achieved, other attributes come to the forefront; they include privacy, safety, comfort, convenience, pleasure, and aesthetics. Different inhabitants are likely to have dissimilar opinions about the importance of these attributes, but from an ergonomic point of view, the usability of the design of the home is very important. For young and healthy persons, rather unusual designs might be quite attractive, for example, spiral staircases and lofts—but such features may be difficult to use and laborious to maintain, even dangerous for pregnant women and children, and impractical for elderly and impaired persons.

17.1 Designing for mother and child

“Child-proofing”

Most homes serve, usually for many years, as a safe haven for children and their mothers. This requires the design of the interior to be child-friendly, mostly in terms of safety for young children. Examples of “child-proofing” are not having stairs, or at least blocking them off; not having protruding hard and sharp objects; avoiding hot items that can burn skin, like a stove surface in the kitchen, or scalding hot water in the bath—all measures that make the home safe for everybody else.

Design for pregnancy

During pregnancy, many everyday tasks become more difficult for the mother-to-be. Most of the difficulties derive from reduced reach and mobility, often related to back pain. Owing to the increasing bulk of the trunk with pregnancy, objects on the ground near the feet are hard to see, and stumbles and falls are feared dangers, especially if the sense of balance is affected. Frequent urination is a common symptom of pregnancy, which requires convenient access to a toilet and washroom.

What is difficult to do

With advancing pregnancy, in general, come decreases in the ability to perform work that requires great exertions, extends over long periods, and involves a great deal of mobility, such as low bending and far reaches. The following are typical responses to a survey in which pregnant women listed their most difficult activities:

• Picking objects up from the floor

• Walking upstairs

• Driving a car

• Getting in and out of a car

• Using seat belts in a car

• Ironing

• Reaching high shelves

• Getting in and out of bed

• Using public toilets

Overall, the answers (not counting those referring to car use) indicate that the proper overall layout of the home, and the specific design measures already mentioned, contributes to achieving a design that helps pregnant women and suits all inhabitants.

17.2 Designing for impaired and elderly persons

During a resident‘s illness or recuperation from an injury, the home serves as a temporary care facility, which may have to accommodate a wheelchair, possibly even a gurney. Such use makes thoughtful layout and detail design highly important, especially of the bedroom, the toilet and bath, and the hallways. The same carefully incorporated design features also accommodate aging occupants° who are losing some of the physical and mental abilities that they had in younger years. Continuing to live in one’s own home has the major advantage of being in a familiar setting with all its physical and emotional implications. These include feeling at home, being comfortable, enjoying privacy, and having the satisfaction of self-sufficiency and independence.

Remodeling

Unless designed with prudent foresight, private homes are commonly ill-suited for the aging resident; so alterations are usually necessary to passage areas, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Future-looking carefulness when building or acquiring a house can save much effort and huge expenses because the reworking of an existing residence can be substantial and costly.

17.3 Access, walkways, steps, and stairs

In the United States, perhaps the best-known house expressly built for use by a person with restricted mobility is the Top Cottage in Hyde Park, New York, which President Franklin Roosevelt designed to accommodate himself in his wheelchair. Fortunately, most persons can walk about freely, but designing a house for a wheelchair user will certainly make it convenient for every inhabitant, even if disabled, including aging persons who are no longer as agile and powerful as in their youth. Thus, a (real or imaginary) wheelchair is a good instrument to assess the suitability of passageways.

Passageways

Passages to and from a dwelling and within it must be safe and comfortable to use even for a frail person. The walking surface should be flat, without barriers such as stairs or thresholds, and best not sloped. Doors and passageways should be wide enough to allow a wheelchair to pass and turn, and flooring should provide enough friction for safe stepping even when wet. Straight hallways are easier to pass through than passages with turns and corners. Passages must be well illuminated, as should be all other rooms of the dwelling.

No steps

Flights of stairs, steps, and thresholds often make it impossible for wheelchair users to roll up or down; they make moving difficult for everybody and cause many falls, often resulting in serious injuries. Even low sills at doorways or shower stalls can be a nuisance and cause stumbling, as do the rims of carpets and loose rugs. Lifts and elevators facilitate moving about if a residence spans several stories. Elevators connecting the ground floor with the next one are fairly simple and relatively inexpensive to set up, especially when the dwelling is planned to accommodate them and installation is done early during construction or remodeling°.

Doors and windows

Doors and windows must be easy to open and close, even when an additional insect screen or storm door is present. They require clear space in front to provide access. All exterior doors should open to the outside to make for a quick escape in case of a fire. Controls must be handy and require little strength to operate yet provide security. Push bars and lever handles are easier to operate than round knobs. A transparent or translucent curtain can replace some interiors doors.

17.4 Kitchen

Work flow in the kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most frequently used and important rooms of the house for many people. This is often a gathering room, a social place, and a communication and message center; although, basically, it is the location to prepare, serve, and store food. Many design concepts° follow the idea of a “work triangle.” Its cor...