Authors
Hsiao-H; Whisler-R; Kau-T; Zwiener-J; Guan-J; Spahr-J
Source
Contemporary Ergonomics 2005. Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics, April 4-7, 2005, Hertfordshire, England. London: Taylor and Francis, 2005 Apr; :3-7
Abstract
The harness manufacturing industry has a pressing need to update harness fit charts to accommodate diverse workforces in the construction industry as well as in supporting new roles for women in the workforce. This paper presents an improved harness sizing system for vest-type harness-design applications. Three dimensional (3D) torso-scan data from 108 women and 108 men were obtained using a 3D whole-body scanning system. Human-harness interfaces, both in static and suspended forms, were digitally captured. A combination of weight, height, gender, and 3D information for upper and lower torso regions yielded a logistic regression model that correctly classified 96% of the participants to their best fit size in a validation test. The outcomes suggested the replacement of the current 4-size system with a new system that contains 2 sizes for females and 3 sizes for males. Two approaches to determine the adjustment range for each critical harness component for each harness size were proposed for harness designers to consider.
Keywords
Ergonomics; Anthropometry; Harnesses; Equipment-design; Construction-equipment; Construction-industry; Construction-workers; Women; Men; Weight-factors; Height-factors; Mathematical-models
Contact
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
Document Type
Conference/Symposia Proceedings
Priority Area
Disease and Injury: Traumatic Injuries
Source Name
Contemporary Ergonomics 2005. Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics, April 4-7, 2005, Hertfordshire, England