Anthropometrics

Anthropometrics deals with the dimensions of average humans.  It provides a means by which conventions can be set for kitchen design.  Some of these are:

• Access and egress
• Seating requirements
• Clearances for tables and chairs
• Reach ability

Anthropometrics is the science concerned with the measurement of humankind. Inevitably it is bound up with statistics, as people vary considerably in most dimensions. Anthropometrics is of crucial importance to architects as the ultimate basis of the design of most buildings must be the size of the people using them. Average dimensions for adults are given but in most cases the use of an average dimension will not produce satisfaction for the majority of users

Worktop heights

The most common ailment after the common cold is probably the ‘bad back’.  Many believe that this can be caused by working on a surface that is too low, causing stooping.  Both when standing and sitting to work, it is important that the worktop should be as follows:

• For manipulative tasks involving moderate degrees of both force and precision: between 50 and 100 mm below elbow height of the person concerned
• For delicate tasks: between 50 and 1000 mm above elbow height
• For heavy tasks, particularly those involving downward pressure on the workpiece: between 100 and 300 mm below elbow height.

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