ABSTRACT
The previous chapters have looked at the design of workplaces and at how best their design can be optimised to fit the variation in anthropometry among their user populations. It is time to consider in more detail the tasks that are performed in those workplaces and the tools and equipment used. One of our distinctive features as humans, compared to most other species, is how we have evolved to use our hands. Most physical aspects of work involve the dexterity, precision, psychomotor control or strength of hand movements. We first, therefore, need to consider these anthropometric characteristics and then to understand the related parameters which influence the effectiveness, efficiency, comfort and health of work performed by the hands, particularly during the use of tools.
