Anthropometry as ergonomic consideration for hospital bed design in Nigeria

Adeodu, A. O. and Daniyan, I. A. and Adaramola, O. O (2014) Anthropometry as ergonomic consideration for hospital bed design in Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 5 (5). pp. 1-8. ISSN 2229-5518

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Abstract

The aim of this research is to study selected health care workstations to establish the current practices with reference to the use of anthropometry. Also to re-design the work station, if necessary, in order to improve productivity, health safety and comfort of the patients and staffs using the work stations. Anthropometric dimensions of the patients in the examined health care system were used to design intensive care unit bed (ICU) and medical/surgical bed which can accommodate 5% - 95% of patients male and female. The work stations were examined and analyzed under the combination of different anthropometric parameters. The analysis of the results indicates some deficiencies in the design of the workstations based on the design parameters and standard values from the literatures. Based on the analysis of these results the patients and their care givers may likely be exposed to back pain, fatigue, poor blood circulation and other related diseases. For demonstration of the application of the extreme design approach, a hospital bed work station (health care system) has been re-designed as a real case. It is hope that the new design will contribute to improvement in productivity, health safety and comfort of the patients and staffs using the workstations. In the proposed extreme design approach, I suggest to every health care organization operating, before any decision on making or buying equipment, industrial engineers are to be consulted depending on the design factor, for proper guidance. Anthropometric dimensions of the workers should also be considered for any category of hospital bed design.

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