ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the space requirements of people performing jobs in factories, commercial facilities, and offices. Several space-related issues related to workplace design are addressed, to varying degrees, pertaining to the design of work and traffic areas, workstations, work surfaces, work layout, seating, equipment used in workstations, and hand tools. Some of the topics addressed include clearance and reach requirements, accessibility, visibility, accommodation of disabled people, and the need for adjustability. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of the important role of anthropometric data in workplace design, before introducing methods of using anthropometric data, such as drafting templates and computer modeling techniques. The discussion then shifts to selected application areas. As emphasized in the chapter, the topics covered are traditional areas of industrial engineering and ergonomics, but significant changes in the regulatory environment and other factors have resulted in new needs and design constraints.
