ABSTRACT
Discusses posture and the evolution of standing in relation to sedentarism and workspace design. The functional anatomy of sitting is described in relation to the lumbo-pelvic mechanism and the associated muscle groups. An HFE approach to workstation design is described, considering the visual and manual requirements of tasks. Checklists for the assessment of chairs and of computer workstations are included and the REBA method described using a worked example. There is also a worked example detailing how simple nonparametric statistics (Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance and Page's L Test) can be used to achieve a structured and systematic approach to user consultation. Examples of cost-effectiveness studies of workstation design are given.
