Ergonomic evaluation and customized design of kitchen

Abstract

Ergonomics is the science of planning the environment for comfortable working. Ergonomic plays an important role in designing a kitchen area free from fatigue, decreasing the unnecessary movements and excessive expenditure of workers energy and time. A poorly planned kitchen construction affects work efficiency requiring more effort and more time while working on the poorly designed kitchen counters. Kitchens vary from area to area which may or may not be designed on the basis of ergonomics. However, some women working in the kitchen experience discomfort or injury when working in the kitchen. A standard-design of a kitchen was considered as reference to have the optimal dimensions of the various components of the kitchen. For this, first a survey questionnaire was prepared to know about the problems encountered by the women working in kitchen. Anthropometric data of 30 participants from different cities was collected. The kitchen and its counters heights were designed on the basis of the anthropometric data of the same participants. Rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and Rapid entire body assessment (REBA) Employee assessment worksheet was used for the analysis of postures of kitchen workers while working in the Standard-designed kitchen. Images of various postures of all the women volunteers were captured while working in the kitchen. After analysis of which, it was concluded that the participants were working exceeding the safe limit. Again the participants were asked to work in the kitchen designed on the basis of anthropometric data. The same procedure was followed and the results were evaluated for both standard-designed kitchen and ergonomically designed kitchen. Subsequently, it was inferred that there is a lack of ergonomics awareness among the kitchen workers and its designers. Assessment of postures using REBA and RULA shows that the majority of women are working beyond their safe limit in the standard-designed kitchen. In future, the work can be done to rationalize the kitchen dimensions that should be used in its designing.