CIEE CIEE Anthropometry & Human Factors 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anthropometric percentile range is typically used when designing workstations to accommodate the widest range of workers?
- 5th to 95th percentile (Correct answer)
- 1st to 99th percentile
- 25th to 75th percentile
- 10th to 90th percentile
Correct answer: 5th to 95th percentile
The 5th to 95th percentile range is the standard design target, ensuring workstations fit the vast majority of the workforce without extreme over-engineering.
Question 2: What is 'functional reach' in the context of industrial ergonomics?
- The maximum reach distance achievable with full body lean
- The reach distance attainable while maintaining a stable, supported posture (Correct answer)
- The horizontal distance from shoulder to fingertip at full extension
- The overhead reach measured from the floor to extended fingertip
Correct answer: The reach distance attainable while maintaining a stable, supported posture
Functional reach refers to the distance a worker can reach while maintaining a stable and balanced posture, which is more practical for workstation design than maximum anatomical reach.
Question 3: In anthropometric data, what does 'stature' refer to?
- Shoulder height in a seated position
- Standing body height from floor to top of head (Correct answer)
- Eye height measured from the floor
- Trunk length from seat surface to top of head
Correct answer: Standing body height from floor to top of head
Stature is the standard anthropometric term for total standing height measured from the floor to the top of the head.
Question 4: Why is it important to consider both static and dynamic anthropometry when designing workstations?
- Static data covers seated workers while dynamic data covers standing workers
- Static data captures body dimensions at rest while dynamic data captures ranges of motion during tasks (Correct answer)
- Dynamic data is collected from injured workers to guide accommodation
- Static data applies only to male workers while dynamic data applies to female workers
Correct answer: Static data captures body dimensions at rest while dynamic data captures ranges of motion during tasks
Static anthropometry provides fixed body measurements, while dynamic anthropometry accounts for the changes in body dimensions and reach envelopes during movement and task performance.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a 'manikin' or digital human model in ergonomic workstation design?
- To simulate the cost of a proposed ergonomic intervention
- To visually represent different anthropometric percentiles and evaluate fit within a virtual workspace (Correct answer)
- To replace physical prototypes entirely during product development
- To calculate the RULA score automatically from CAD drawings
Correct answer: To visually represent different anthropometric percentiles and evaluate fit within a virtual workspace
Digital human models allow ergonomists to visualize how workers of different sizes will interact with a workstation design before physical construction, identifying clearance and reach issues early.
Question 6: When designing for gender diversity on an assembly line, which approach best ensures accommodation of both male and female workers?
- Design for the average male worker and provide step stools for shorter workers
- Design for the 95th percentile male to ensure everyone fits
- Design adjustability into the workstation to cover 5th percentile female to 95th percentile male (Correct answer)
- Use separate workstations for male and female workers
Correct answer: Design adjustability into the workstation to cover 5th percentile female to 95th percentile male
Building adjustability into workstations to span from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male accommodates the broadest range of workers without discrimination.
CIEE CIEE Anthropometry & Human Factors 1
Which anthropometric percentile range is typically used when designing workstations to accommodate the widest range of workers?