ABSTRACT
Value analysis evaluates the benefits associated with the costs of imparting functions to a product. Working postures are affected by the relationship between the axis of the torso and the direction of gravity, the thigh-torso angle and curvature of the spine. Office working postures were analyzed in terms of the thigh-torso angle and back inclination. The curvature of the spine is associated with the angle of the torso/back. The neck angle, which is affected by the torso/back angle, was also measured. A qualitative correlation was found between the ergonomic evaluation and temperature distribution of each chair. Value analysis represents an ergonomic tool for evaluating office seating. Upper body fatigue: the seated subjects experienced particularly high fatigue in the shoulders and neck. The subjects expressed less subjective neck fatigue when they sat in chairs in which the seat pans and backrests were integrated.
