An innovative ergonomic design of classroom furniture based on anthropometric measurements at tertiary institutions.

Abstract

In many institutions, classroom furniture does not meet any national ergonomic criteria. This study aimed to use the concept of ergonomics to design a classroom desktop–chair for students in Uasin- Gishu County, Kenya. Anthropometric data were collected from a total of 382 students of both genders. The fourteen anthropometric measurements were taken from students with the help of anthropometric tools. The research applied fundamental engineering principles of product design and was carried out in compliance with ISO 7250-1:2017. The data obtained was analysed using Minitab 17.0 statistical package. Using the collected anthropometric data, a students’ desktop–chair was proposed. In conclusion, one type of ergonomically suitable classroom desktop–chair design was proposed to improve the match between classroom desktop–chairs’ dimen- sions and students’ anthropometric characteristics. It is highly recommended that similar scientific research should be carried out in other countries.