• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2006

An ergonomic study of school environment and school desks and chairs was conducted in Incheon metropolitan area. Total of 1,145 students from 11 schools participated in questionnaire survey and ergonomic evaluation of school desks and chairs was performed to study structural appropriateness and usability. Results of the study revealed that overall levels of school environment in terms of noise and dust density in the air were higher than safety standard. Desks and chairs were not properly designed with consideration of student's anthropometric characteristics. Prompt improvement of school environment and re-designing of school furniture are required in order to prevent reduced performance in study and physical disorders such as musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.89-100
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• 2019

Uniform and integrated college desks and chairs have low efficiency of loading for transportation and delivery and low efficiency of storage for warehousing due to their simple uniform physical properties, thus increasing logistics costs for companies and decreasing their competitiveness. In an effort to overcome the limitations of previous studies, this study analyzed the stages of logistics for desks and chairs in college lecture rooms via the transportation route including the factory warehouses and local warehouses and via the delivery route from local warehouses by the region to the orderers including college lecture rooms. The study developed a model for the rationalization of corporate logistics by making a variable folding desk and chair capable of distance adjustment according to height to replace the uniform and integrated college desks and chairs in lecture rooms. A model was developed between the old uniform and integrated college desks and chairs and the new variable folding desks and chairs for three scenarios of cost development including product storage costs, transportation costs from the specialized factory warehouses to the local warehouses by the region, and delivery costs from the local warehouses to college lecture rooms as the orderer. For the generalization of the model, it was applied to each of the 90%, 95%, and 99% service levels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.219-232
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• 1995

This study was conducted to examine both usage rate of standard sized desks and chairs for the middle and high school students and pain complant of students who use standard-size desk & chair in Taegu, Korea, by means of questionnaires with 1,201 students of both male and female middle and high schools in Taegu area from March 20 to April 19, 1995. The result of this study is summarized as follows. It was mostly shown that the desks and chairs used by those middle and high school students were 1-3 higher than their standard sizes, and that they also preferred a little higher size with respect to their desired sizes. The rate of students who use the standard size showed that the desk accounted for 30.5%, and chair for 21.0%, that the size bigger than the standard accounted for 61.3%, respectively, and 65.2, and that the size smaller than the standard accounted for 8.2%, respectively, and 13.8%. The using rate of the standard sized for the middle school students indicated that their desk accounted for 44.1%, and their chair for 26.0% which were higher than 16.1% and 14.7% for the high school students. Then, the rate of the male students indicated that their desk accounted for 31.5% and their chair for 24.5% which were higher than 29.6% and 17.6% of the female students. In addition, the using rate of the standard size for the public schools showed that the desk accounted for 34.2% and chair for 24.5% which were also higher than 27.1% and 17.5% of the private schools. It was shown, however, that the using rate of the standard size for both groups was lower. The most inconvenient factor in the usage of their desks appeared in such orders as their wear, narrow drawers, too low height and uneven face, while the factor in their chairs did in such orders as too hard chair body the surface and back part, wear, lower and higher height and narrow width. Their physical pains resulting from usage of those desks and chairs showed that the male and female middle school students' complaint rate of pains in their neck and shoulder accounted for 32.1%, respectively, and 36.0% which were highest, while those high school students' complaint rate in their waist accounted for 37.9%, respectively, and 44.1% which were hight. It was also shown that the bigger their height, the higher their complaint rate of pain in the waist, and that their complaint rate in the shoulder and neck was totally higher. When using the standard-sized desks and chairs, their complaint rate of pain in the shoulder and neck accounted for 25.4%, respectively, and 23.8%. As compared with them, when using the desks or chairs bigger than the standard size, their complaint rate accounted for 31.5%, respectively, and 31.8% which were high while it did 26.5% and 28.9% when using them smaller than the standard size which were also high, the usage of those standard-sized desks and chairs indicated lower complaint rate of pain in their waist than used the desks and chairs bigger or smaller than the standard size. The rate of the middle and high school students who use their standard size is very low and the size of their desks and chairs are quite different from those they hope to use and many students appeal their discomfort with their desks and chairs. Therefore, the school should try to provide the desks and chairs of the various students' standard sizes in consideration of their physical condition and it also should try to get extra desks and chairs of various sizes according to the students' standard size and their preference.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.124-133
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• 1995

A field study was conducted to assess the preferred height and the range of discomfort recognition of school desks and chairs for students from elementary school to high school. For this study 43 male subjects and 44 female subjects in Taejon area were surveyed. The result shows that the preferred height of chairs is about 1.7cm higher than the popliteal sitting height, while the preferred height of desks shows no significant difference with the elbow sitting height which is known to be the ergonomically proper desk height. The threshold value between comfort and discomfort recognition of chair height is 1.88cm below the most prefeered height and 1.79cm about it. The threshold value between comfort and discomfort recognition of desk height is 1.76cm below the most prefeered height and 2.62cm about it.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 1995

A field study was conducted to assess the preferred height and the range of discomfort recognition of school desks and chairs for students from elementary school to high school. For this study 43 male subjects and 44 female subjects in Taejon metropolitan area were surveyed. The result showed that the preferred height of chairs were found to be about 1.7cm higher than the popliteal sitting height, while the preferred height of desks showed no significant difference with the elbow sitting height which is known to be the ergonomically proper desk height. The threshold value between comfort and discomfort recognition of chair heigth was 1.88cm below the most preferred height and 1.79cm above it. The threshold value between comfort and discomfort recognition of desk height was 1.76cm below the most preferred height and 2.62cm above it.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 1986

This study intends to improve the efficiencies of school works by proposing a method of determining the standard sizes of chairs and desks. To achive this purpose, eight measurements were taken of 1248 school children. The main results drawn from this study are : 1. There are significant correlations between stature and popliteal height and between stature and elbow height (seated). 2. There are significant differences between men and women of similar stature in respect of popliteal height. 3. The standard sizes of chairs and desks ought to be based on the characteristics of human body size and their relationship.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2007

This paper reviews KSG2010(Korean Industrial Standard for Student's Desk and Chair) compared to student's body size and suggests its new design guideline. It is found that the chairs are too high to sit straight up, and it is not easy to sit at student's ease because of backbone rest bar not existed in a right place. It is also found that the desks are too high to sit at desk to accept student legs under a drawer. So student's visibility range becomes decreased and it produces a harmful posture for eye protection. This paper also found that step number of student's desks and chairs needs to expand to 12 different steps inserted 5 steps between the existing 7 steps. A reason is that there is gap between the sizes of desk and chair and human height and width. Another reasons is that it is difficult to arrange desks and chairs appropriated to student body sizes in a class room.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.140-143
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• 2009

KS G 2010 규격은 학생용 책상 및 의자에 대한 호수와 치수를 규정하고 있다. JIS 를 참조한 이 규격은 지난 10 여 년 간 사용되어 왔는데, 그간 학생집단의 신체 크기가 크게 성장해 이에 대한 검토와 개정이 요청되고 있다. 본 연구는 이러한 개정의 필요성과 방향을 알아보기 위해 초,중,고등 학생들을 상대로 한 설문조사를 계획, 실시하였다. 설문 조사 결과 많은 학생들이 책상과 의자에 대한 많은 불편을 느끼고 있으며, 허리와 엉덩이 등 신체부위에도 불편함으로 느끼는 것으로 조사되었다. 이러한 조사 결과는 학생용 책상 및 의자의 규격 개정 방향에 대한 참조 자료로 사용될 것이다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2009

This research aims to measure and analyze the dimensions of typical office chairs and desks sold in domestic market, and to suggest the modifications of national guidelines considering Korean peoples' body characteristics. The scope of this study was limited to the desktop type of computer jobs, excluding laptop environment. The dimensions of 24 different office chairs and 7 tables were measured, and their dimensions were analyzed against the Ministry of Labor (MOL) Notification and Korean Standards (KS). At the same time, the data from the Size Korea was also considered. As a result, the KS guidelines were overall fulfilled by the measured products, while the MOL Notification was not. It was found that the guidelines on the chair height, seat pan depth, lumber support height, and armrest height need to be modified. Some inconsistencies between the MOL Notification and KS were also found. It is suggested that the required dimensions specified by both guidelines should be unified.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2015

Objective: The purposes of this study are to investigate ergonomic problems and to propose their improving measures in office environment of big general hospitals. Background: Office tasks have varying risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The first symptom resulted from the office work was recognized as an occupational disease in Korea in 1986. Although the symptoms have increased since its first recognition, there has been few study on the effect of office work environment settings. Method: First, the author took pictures of working scenes performed in three big university hospitals. Next, the pictures were analyzed in view point of ergonomics. Based on the analysis, their improving measures were proposed for reducing work stress. Results: The results showed that most physical office environment settings such as dimensions of tables/desks and chairs, leg room, thigh, knee and foot clearances, and chairs used did not satisfy the ergonomically recommended design guidelines. In addition, some clerks placed personal belongings under their desks, put monitors in high position and did not lean against the backrest of chairs in seated tasks, which resulted in poor working postures of leg, back, neck etc. It is recommended that the hospital management should provide their clerks with ergonomically designed office furniture and continuously perform ergonomics training program for raising clerks' recognition for office ergonomics. Conclusion: Most office environment settings investigated in this study were not in good condition in view point of ergonomic design for the settings. Application: It would be useful as basic data for establishing ergonomically good office environment in hospitals.