1、BRITISH STANDARDBS 3044:1990Incorporating Amendment No. 1Guide toErgonomics principles in the design and selection of office furnitureLicensed Copy: Wang Bin, na, Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:1990This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standa
2、rds Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 January 1991 BSI 21 December 2005First published October 1958Second edition January 1991The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard:Committee reference PSM/39Draft for comment 88/44058 DCISBN 0 580 18617 2Committees responsible for this Br
3、itish StandardThe preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Personal Safety Equipment Standards Policy Committee (PSM/-) to Technical Committee PSM/39, upon which the following bodies were represented:AFRC Institute of Engineering ResearchBritish AirwaysBritish Industrial Truck Assoc
4、iationBritish Occupational Hygiene SocietyBritish Telecommunications plcChartered Institution of Building Services EngineersEEA (the Association of Electronics, Telecommunications and Business Equipment Industries)Engineering Employers FederationErgonomics SocietyFurniture Industry Research Associat
5、ionHealth and Safety ExecutiveICE (Ergonomics) Ltd.Institute of Management ServicesInstitute of Occupational MedicineLoughborough University of TechnologyMinistry of DefenceNational Union of MineworkersSociety of Motor Manufacturers and Traders LimitedSociety of Occupational MedicineTrades Union Con
6、gressAmendments issued since publicationAmd. No. Date Comments16084 21 December 2005 Update referencesLicensed Copy: Wang Bin, na, Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:1990 21 December 2005 iContentsPageCommittees responsible Inside front coverForeword iiSection 1. General
7、1Scope 12 Definitions 13 General 2Section 2. Guidelines for purchasers4 General 65 Defining task requirements 66 Relating furniture to workplace requirements 77 User trials 9Section 3. Guidelines for designers8 General 129 Task analysis 1210 People 1411 Furniture 1812 Ergonomic design 1913 Design tr
8、ials 19Appendix A Suggested check list of stages in selection of office furniture 20Appendix B Suggested check list of stages in a design project 20Figure 1 Gaussian (normal) curve 5Figure 2 Common posture when writing 6Figure 3 Influence of desk layout on posture 10Figure 4 Main dimensions for seat
9、/desk design 11Figure 5 Some awkward postures in auxiliary tasks in office work 13Figure 6 Graph showing how to approximate ranges from combined populations 16Table 1 Typical task component requirements in relation to office jobs 7Table 2 List of task characteristics, environmental and personal fact
10、ors 8Table 3 Selected allowances for use with anthropometric data 15Publication(s) referred to Inside back coverLicensed Copy: Wang Bin, na, Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:1990ii 21 December 2005ForewordThis British Standard has been prepared under the direction of t
11、he Personal Safety Equipment Standards Policy Committee. It supersedes BS 3044:1958 which is withdrawn. At the time of publication no international standards exist on this subject.The start and finish of text introduced or altered by amendment is indicated in the text by tags !“. Tags indicating cha
12、nges to text carry the number of the amendment. For example, text altered by amendment A1 is indicated in the text by !“.This revision differs from BS 3044:1958 in the manner in which it covers the needs of both purchasers and designers of office furniture. The general recommendations deal with the
13、importance of comfort and relate this to the task being done, the people for whom the furniture is designed and the furniture itself. Recommendations are given for the use and assessment of both user trials by purchasers and design trials by designers. Attention is drawn to further information on th
14、e use of ergonomics data given in the BSI Publication Ergonomics.A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity f
15、rom legal obligations.Summary of pagesThis document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii, pages 1 to 20, an inside back cover and a back cover.This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendme
16、nt table on the inside front cover.Licensed Copy: Wang Bin, na, Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:1990 21 December 2005 1Section 1. General1 ScopeThis British Standard provides guidance on the ergonomics principles important in the design and selection of office furnitu
17、re to ensure that it will avoid any undue strain on the user.The approach taken has been to provide the information necessary to give a general framework which will enable both purchasers and designers to understand and use ergonomics information applied to their work.The standard does not provide a
18、 fixed set of prescriptive rules and, as a consequence, does not include detailed dimensional recommendations: !such details are given in BS EN 527-1 and BS EN 1335-1 and BS EN ISO 9241-2.“The standard indicates how designers and purchasers can ensure that the needs of the end-user are at the centre
19、 of their decisions, thus creating a situation where work can be carried out comfortably and efficiently.NOTE The titles of publications referred to in this standard are listed on the inside back cover.2 DefinitionsFor the purposes of this British Standard the definitions given in !BS EN 527-1 and B
20、S EN 1335-1 and BS EN ISO 9241-5“ apply, together with the following.2.1 anthropometrythe branch of ergonomics that deals with body measurements, particularly those of size, strength and physical capacity2.2 musculo-skeletal systemresponsible for maintenance of posture and for movement of the body t
21、hrough space. The term musculo-skeletal disorders is used to encompass a range of conditions affecting the soft tissues (striated muscle, tendon, nerve, blood supply) affecting the upper or lower limbs, the back, trunk, neck and shoulders, which can range in severity from relatively minor aches and
22、pains to chronic disabling diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Such disorders typically present themselves with loss of function2.3 modern office systemsa system of furniture that not only incorporates the office desk and chair but considers the lines of communication, the lighting levels, noise
23、interference, and the users personal environment2.4 static loadingexerting a force for a period of time without producing motion2.5 body seat heightthe maximum height of the undersurface of the thigh behind the knee (from the ground) when seatedNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “poplitea
24、l to floor height”.2.6 seat lengththe maximum length of the seat front to backrestNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “buttock to popliteal length”.2.7 hip widththe width across the hipsNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “width of bitrochanter”.2.8 operator eye heighteither the
25、erect eye height from the floor (of a seated person) or the erect eye height from the seat squab (of a seated person)NOTE The technical terms for this dimension are “sitting eye height” or “plane of vision to the seat”.2.9 body armrest heightthis dimension is best described by the height of the elbo
26、w above the seatNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “elbow to seat height”.2.10 body armrest lengththe depth of the trunk or stomach regions of the bodyNOTE The technical terms for this dimension are “trunk thickness” or “abdominal depth”.2.11 armrest separationthe distance between elbow a
27、nd elbowNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “elbow to elbow breadth”.2.12 shoulder heighteither the sitting shoulder height from the floor or the sitting shoulder height from the seat squabNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “sitting shoulder height”.Licensed Copy: Wang Bin, na,
28、Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:19902 21 December 20052.13 seat to underside of deskthe maximum thickness of the thigh above the seat, with a further allowance made for movementNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “maximum height of thigh”.2.14 kneehole depth
29、the distance between the back of the buttocks and the front of the knee, with a further allowance made for movementNOTE The technical term for this dimension is “buttock to front of knee”.2.15 seat backrest heightto establish this dimension, two measurements are needed:a) the minimum lower boundary;
30、NOTE 1 The technical term for the minimum lower boundary is “buttock height above seat level”.b) the maximum upper boundary.NOTE 2 The technical term for the maximum upper boundary is “height of the bottom corner of the scapula”.3 General3.1 Basic elementsOffice furniture exists to enable people to
31、carry out their work efficiently. To achieve this objective the furniture has to be able to cope adequately with two variables:a) it should accommodate the range of tasks in a particular job and the equipment associated with those tasks;b) it should accommodate, comfortably and safely, all people wh
32、o are likely to use the furniture on a regular basis.These two apparently obvious, but often overlooked, statements immediately identify the design, purchase and use of office furniture as an interaction between the following.The skills required in good office furniture design, therefore, involve th
33、e matching of the needs of a range of tasks with the requirements of a variety of users. Similarly, the primary decision in the purchase of office furniture has to be based on the suitability of each item of furniture to enable the range of people in the job to carry out their tasks efficiently and
34、comfortably. Equally, as it is unlikely that this objective can be achieved without some form of adjustment by the user, they should also be aware of the reasons for, and benefits of, the adjustment available and be trained in the correct use of such adjustment. Only when all three groups (designers
35、, purchasers and users) are working toward optimizing the inter-relationship between furniture, tasks and people will efficient and comfortable working postures be achieved.The extent to which furniture provides a good match between the people and their work should always be the primary consideratio
36、n. Other issues commonly given high levels of importance in the purchase of office furniture, such as the status of the user, should be of secondary importance. Moreover, achieving this match is not necessarily more expensive.There is a need to involve actual or potential users at all stages in the
37、design and purchase of office equipment.3.2 Importance of comfortThe significance of comfort for efficiency is often underestimated.There are many well-documented examples which show the value of expenditure on carefully chosen furniture (to improve the working comfort of office staff) on improving
38、overall business efficiency.The returns can be seen in four areas:a) direct improvement in efficiency, in terms of both output and error reduction arising from reduced fatigue;b) increase in general well-being, thereby reducing absenteeism and short periods of sickness absence;c) reduction in the pr
39、obability of the incidence of certain prescribed industrial diseases associated with some forms of office work, such as cramp of the hand or tenusynovitis. Not only does this reduce often lengthy spells off work but also avoids potentially expensive compensation costs;d) improved morale and general
40、job satisfaction and, thereby, reduced labour turnover, in addition to the benefits of a more motivated workforce.Licensed Copy: Wang Bin, na, Fri Mar 17 03:16:41 GMT 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSIBS 3044:1990 21 December 2005 3Although the emphasis has been placed on the returns to the employer,
41、who will have to finance any improved provision, each of the above points is also clearly beneficial to the workforce. These benefits also provide a good marketing base for designers and manufacturers.Improving the comfort of the office worker is therefore an important goal for all those involved in
42、 design, provision and use of office furniture.As a high proportion of office work is sedentary, the factors which govern comfort are those primarily concerned with the seated posture. Comfort is, however, extremely subjective and people vary considerably in terms of what they consider comfortable.
43、Fortunately, it is now possible to define the major parameters which will create discomfort. It is therefore possible to ensure that the major potential problems can be avoided by the careful use of the general principles of good seated posture which have been derived by research in ergonomics and r
44、elated sciences.3.3 Good seated postureThe three most important considerations in the pursuit of good seated posture are as follows.a) The working arrangement should impose the minimal static loading on the joints and muscles of the body, as this type of load is particularly fatiguing.b) The working
45、 position should allow the posture to be varied at will by the person during his/her work.c) The range of postures that can be adopted should not be artificially constrained by the furniture or equipment used.At work, seated office workers are in direct contact with their environment in three places
46、: the floor; the seat; and the desk (or, more specifically, in some tasks the keyboard). To achieve the objectives described in items a) to c), at least two of these three contact points should be adjustable. Unless at least two are adjustable it is unlikely that static loading of muscles and joints
47、 can be avoided. For example, a seat height which is too high will create pressure on the under side of the thighs which will reduce circulation to the lower legs causing “pins and needles”, swollen feet and considerable discomfort. Alternatively, a seat height which is too low will cause greater fl
48、exion of the spine, leading to backache, and will also require more leg room.Incorrect adjustment of one element will also interact with the other factors, e.g. too low a seat height will also tend to raise the required hand position thus increasing the load placed on the shoulder and arms.More deta
49、ils of the critical dimensions to ensure good posture are given in sections 2 and 3. It should, however, be remembered that adjustment can often be provided by relatively simple provisions. It may seem extreme, for example, to imply that the floor level should be adjustable, but it can be successfully achieved in many instances simply by providing a foot-rest.In many modern office tasks, the eye position is also an important factor in addition to the points of physical contact. For example, in word processing and data entry tasks, if the source documents are placed ho
