This section provides engineering data and guidance on ergonomics and human factors, including anthropometric data, human strength, access space requirements, machine interface design and practical applications of human factors in engineering. These resources support the design of equipment, workplaces and systems for a wide range of users, with consideration of safety, usability, maintainability and efficiency.
This ergonomics section covers key engineering considerations including anthropometric data, human strength, access space requirements, machine interface design, and human work and energy.
Human strength, endurance and physical capability for engineering design.
Human StrengthEngineering guidance, relevant standards and common machine interfaces and controls.
Machine ControlsHuman work rates, energy expenditure and physical activity levels.
Work & EnergyHuman access and clearance requirements for different working postures.
Access SpaceHuman body dimensions, hand capacities, reach and anthropometric data.
Human SizesGlovebox work combines several human-factors considerations, including anthropometry, reach, posture, manual handling, grip and dexterity. Fixed gloveports and the separation between the operator and the work can restrict normal arm movement and make workstation layout particularly important.
The RoyMech glovebox ergonomics guides bring these considerations together using publicly released research and technical publications from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), and other publicly available technical sources.
Engineering guidance on glovebox working reach, gloveport position, lifting and manual handling, glove fit, grip and dexterity.
Glovebox ErgonomicsHuman factors should be considered as part of the overall engineering design rather than applied in isolation. The significance of an ergonomic requirement depends on the task, the intended users and the conditions under which the equipment will be operated or maintained.
The frequency and duration of a task are important considerations. A reach, posture or movement that would be undesirable for a repetitive production operation may, following appropriate assessment, be acceptable for an infrequent inspection, adjustment or maintenance task.
Conversely, relatively small ergonomic disadvantages can become significant when an action is repeated frequently or a posture is maintained for long periods. Frequency should not be considered alone; force, load, reach, posture, duration, environmental conditions and the consequences of error should also be considered.
The preferred ergonomic solution may sometimes conflict with other engineering requirements. Safety, security, containment, environmental protection, maintainability or operational requirements may place restrictions on access, control position or equipment layout.
Where deviation from preferred ergonomic criteria is permitted, the resulting human factors implications should still be considered and appropriate measures used to reduce the associated risk where practicable.
Engineers should distinguish between mandatory requirements and ergonomic recommendations or preferred design criteria. Any departure from applicable requirements should be assessed against the legislation, standards and procedures governing the particular industry and application.
Anthropometric and human capability data are normally obtained by measuring a population and describing the variation statistically. Values may be expressed using means, standard deviations or percentiles.
For data that can reasonably be represented by a normal distribution, approximately 68.3% of values lie within ±1 standard deviation of the mean, approximately 90% within ±1.645 standard deviations and approximately 95% within ±1.96 standard deviations.
However, engineers should not assume that every human characteristic follows a normal distribution or that designing for the middle 95% of a population is automatically appropriate.
Anthropometric data are often expressed as percentiles. The appropriate percentile depends on what is being designed.
| Design Requirement | Typical Consideration |
| Reach | Smaller users may determine the required position of controls or items that must be reached. |
| Clearance and Access | Larger users may determine the space required for access, movement or accommodation. |
| Operating Force | The capabilities of weaker users may determine an acceptable operating force. |
| Structural Loading | Larger or heavier users, together with appropriate design factors and applicable standards, may determine the required design load. |
The required user population should therefore be established before selecting anthropometric or strength data. Designing simply for the "average person" can exclude a significant proportion of the intended users.
I recommend that anyone involved in the design and planning of buildings, structures or equipment that interface with people should obtain a copy of the reference handbook linked on this page: Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data.
For detailed anthropometric data used in ergonomic design, see anthropometric data and human body dimensions.
Ergonomics in engineering is the application of human data such as size, strength and behaviour to the design of equipment and systems.
It ensures equipment is safe, efficient and suitable for the intended users, reducing injury risk and improving productivity.
Engineers use anthropometric data, strength data, reach limits and energy requirements to design human-compatible systems.