The Effect of Tram Driver’s Cab Design on Posture and Physical Strain

Abstract

The ergonomic quality of a tram driver’s cab is essential to ensure the physical well-being of the drivers and the general attractiveness of the workplace. We investigated the ergonomic quality of the cabs of two different trams in a field study during real operation. The results show that the experienced physical strain differs significantly between the two trams. A video analysis relates this to different posture and movement patterns. The main factor for these differences is the position of the main control panel, which needs to comply with visibility requirements according to DIN 5566. However, our study shows that an ergonomic workplace cannot be accomplished by only pursuing isolated factors, instead the interaction of all relevant factors has to be considered.