Introduction
The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in any household. However, many of us are unaware of the potential hazards that can result from poor ergonomics in the kitchen. The job of preparing, serving and cleaning up after meals gets done there. Making sure that the environment fits the user is a critical factor in ensuring satisfaction with one's kitchen. Ergonomics is important because it makes work more efficient, faster, more pleasant and with less fatigue by improving the interface between the human body and the things we need to interact with to get work done.
The movement abilities of the human body are the fixed parts of the equation. We are not going to alter the body to fit the environment. So, to make work more efficient, we have to alter the design to fit human movement. We want to minimise movement by eliminating unnecessary steps and make the kitchen usable for all the individuals in a household. Every aspect of kitchen design is given a new, hard look, from countertop and sink heights to the optimum placement of the microwave and dishwasher and the best depth of the kitchen sink.
The following are some general considerations and guidelines in designing an ergonomic kitchen:
(a) Facilitate Workflow at the Most Used Work AreaWhat is most important here is the workflow of the kitchen, where the serving area, food preparation area and cleaning area must be clear of any barriers. This will make the design of the kitchen more flexible and safer for use.
(b) StorageStorage areas should be near the point of use, to makes it easier to reach anything with an ergonomic position. For example, drawers for knives must be near the wash area because it facilitates taking them out and putting them away after use.
(c) MovementIn ergonomic kitchen design, we should give consideration to movement. Awkward or over extending movements can harm the users' health. Users who perform actions like awkward lifting or overturning are likely to develop back pain or muscle problems.
(d) Hand WorkspacesHand workspaces are workspace which should be at elbow height because it makes it easier to do work like cutting vegetables and other such tasks.
(e) Electric DevicesElectric devices like ovens and refrigerators must not be at bending height. However, they should be put at a low height to ensure easy access to items, in order to prevent any injuries.
The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in any household. However, many of us are unaware of the potential hazards that can result from poor ergonomics in the kitchen. The job of preparing, serving and cleaning up after meals gets done there. Making sure that the environment fits the user is a critical factor in ensuring satisfaction with one's kitchen. Ergonomics is important because it makes work more efficient, faster, more pleasant and with less fatigue by improving the interface between the human body and the things we need to interact with to get work done.
The movement abilities of the human body are the fixed parts of the equation. We are not going to alter the body to fit the environment. So, to make work more efficient, we have to alter the design to fit human movement. We want to minimise movement by eliminating unnecessary steps and make the kitchen usable for all the individuals in a household. Every aspect of kitchen design is given a new, hard look, from countertop and sink heights to the optimum placement of the microwave and dishwasher and the best depth of the kitchen sink.
The following are some general considerations and guidelines in designing an ergonomic kitchen:
(a) Facilitate Workflow at the Most Used Work AreaWhat is most important here is the workflow of the kitchen, where the serving area, food preparation area and cleaning area must be clear of any barriers. This will make the design of the kitchen more flexible and safer for use.
(b) StorageStorage areas should be near the point of use, to makes it easier to reach anything with an ergonomic position. For example, drawers for knives must be near the wash area because it facilitates taking them out and putting them away after use.
(c) MovementIn ergonomic kitchen design, we should give consideration to movement. Awkward or over extending movements can harm the users' health. Users who perform actions like awkward lifting or overturning are likely to develop back pain or muscle problems.
(d) Hand WorkspacesHand workspaces are workspace which should be at elbow height because it makes it easier to do work like cutting vegetables and other such tasks.
(e) Electric DevicesElectric devices like ovens and refrigerators must not be at bending height. However, they should be put at a low height to ensure easy access to items, in order to prevent any injuries.
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