• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.86-101
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• 1994

The primary objectives of this research are to survey actual condition and propose the improved standard size for office chairs. In order to accomplish this objectives, questionnaire method was used. The subjects for investigation are 271 office sedentary workers from 19 office workplaces. The survey of a actual condition showed that the office chairs included many contr- oversial points which cause occupational health problems. The main causes of office sedentary worker's health problems are insufficient adjustabilities and inappropriate design specifications. Expecially, insufficient adjustabilities led harmful sitting postures. To improve the existing Korean standard size for office chairs, anthropometric procedure was developed. In this approach, six design factors were determined, that is, seat pan height, seat pan width, seat pan depth, seat pan inclination, armrest height and width. The study found that improved Korean staneard size was strikingly different from existing standard.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.81-85
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• 2000

The present study investigated the processes of selecting and modeling of design variables based on HIEs for developing the evaluational model on the physical suitability of office chairs. Evaluational model can be used for development of the new products or improvement of the old products. For the best utilization of the evaluational model, the process of scrutinizing the variables and the complex interactions among the variables is indispensible. Also, for this, it is necessary to select only the right HIEs which influence the physical suitability of products greatly.The present study suggested analytical processes for making the evaluational model on the physical suitability (Comfortability, Suitability, Stability, Adjustability, Clearance) of office chairs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 1994

The objectives of this study are twofold : (1) to investigate musculoskeletal discomfort for sedentary workers in offices ane (2) to revise the Korean Standard for the design of office chairs in order to reduce or eliminate the physical discomfort or the office workers. Two hundred seventy-one office workers from nineteen different companies companies were selected to evaluate the musculoskeletal discomfort and indibidual features of chair design. A statistical analysis of the survey rebealed that the office currently being used had two major deficiencies such as insufficient adjustability and inappropriate design specifications in ergonomic sense. A stepwise regression analysis showed that the deficiencies on the musculoskeletal discomfort of the workers. Based on the ergonomic design pronciples, was debeloped to revise the Korean Standard for the design specifications of office chairs. An application of the methodology was made amend the design specifications of the four factors such as seat pan height, seat pan width, and seat pan inclunation. Their effects were evident in the musculoskeletal discomfort of the workers.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 2005

A chair is a necessary tool in modern life and people spend a lot of time on it. But there Ere so many chairs which the human body size Is not considered that many users usually feel fatigue. The purpose of this study is to analyze the fundamental items human factors engineering which have to be applied to chairs and then to make user choose chairs, considering them as an index. The extent of this study is limited to chairs for office work used for sitting for a long time to work. We also profoundly analyze functional matters of chairs, user's posture and so on. We'll present all suitable factors and the assumed tentative plan by inferring items', the function chairs have coincides with the human body.

• 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 Korea Furniture Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 1999

All chairs are uncomfortable in the long run and some chairs become uncomfortable more rapidly than others. In a particular chair, some people feel more uncomfortable than others. Comfort will depend upon the interaction of chair, user, and task characteristics. In this study, we intended to design a comfortable office chair by investigating anthropometric and biomechanical aspects for Koreans. We determine the design dimensions by analysis the anthropometric data. With these body parameters, we determined the design dimensions such as seat height, seat depth, seat width, seat backrest width, etc. This research, hopefully contributes to the development of ergonomic chair and improvement of the chair design technologies.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.376-380
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• 2000

All chairs are uncomfortable in the long run, but some chairs become uncomfortable more rapidly than others, and in any particular chair, some people will be more uncomfortable than others. Comfort will depend upon the interaction of chair characteristics, user characteristics, and task characteristics. In this study, we intend to design the comfortable office chair by investigating the anthropometric and biomechanical aspects for Korean. Therefore, we determine the design dimensions using the analysis of anthropometric data. With these dimensions, we design the chair mechanism of which backrest reclines with increasing chair pan declination. This mechanism allows the back to get adequate support at the correct level for any backrest declination. Also, the lumbar support in the backrest descends with increasing backrest reclining. By using this chair, a considerably better sitting posture can be obtained, and uncomfortable feeling and back pain may be prevented.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.609-622
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• 2015

Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation between office and work environment satisfaction levels and workers' musculoskeletal symptoms by conducting surveys asking office workers to state their musculoskeletal symptoms and office and work environment satisfaction levels. Background: The increased number of office workers and their indoor work hours using computers have led to new understandings of the importance of office environment including its temperature, humidity, noise levels, lighting and quality of air, and work environment including monitor arrangement, space arrangement and the functions of desks and chairs. Method: Specific details on office work, office environment satisfaction levels, work environment satisfaction levels, musculoskeletal symptoms, absence from work and treatment due to musculoskeletal related symptoms were analyzed based on the survey answers given by 397 office workers who were the subjects of this research. Results: Office workers showed different characteristics of musculoskeletal symptoms depending on their gender, age, work experience, office hours, break time and time spent on computers. Also, differences in symptoms were found for workers'with different satisfaction levels for office environment (temperature, humidity, noise levels, quality of air, lighting) and work environment (location of monitors, area and display of office space, chairs and desks). ANOVA shows the differences between groups of subjects classified by the experience of work-absences and treatments or pain complaints. Conclusion and Application: Relationship between workers' satisfaction levels with the office and work environment and their musculoskeletal symptoms is expected to be served as essential data for systematic management of the workplace.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.151-165
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• 2015

Objective: This study aims to develop and scientifically investigate the efficacy of the Spine S-curve Reactive Backrest that responds to the spine curvature of the user when seated, and maintains and enhances the natural S-curve of the lower back, thereby helping to relieve fatigue, correct posture and prevent spine deformities. Background: The focus of current development, design guidelines and/or standards for office chairs is mainly placed on the chair's dimensions, incline angle, adjusting features and lumbar support. Research and development was called for developing a chair backrest that maintains and improves the S-curve of the full spine. Method: The Spine S-curve Reactive Backrest was ergonomically designed to maintain correct posture and enhance user comfort. When leaned on, the backrest responds to the user's spine line and the whole lower back sits closely against the backrest, thereby aligning the user's lower back and backrest as one to maintain and improve the natural S-curve formation of the spine. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the newly designed chair (new design) and the comparison target (chair), five male college students of standard body type with normal spine curvature were selected as test subjects, and a motion analyzer and electromyography were utilized to measure S-curve and erector spinae muscle activity when seated. Results: The spine S-curve was better maintained and improved when sitting in the new design than in the comparison chair. Particularly notable was the greater displacement gap of the thoracic spine than the cervical spine, and also that of the lumbar more than the thoracic spine, with the increase of the backrest tilting angle. Furthermore, the electromyogram results showed the new design caused a lower fatigue level of the erector spinae muscles compared to the comparison chair, and also earned a higher preference in the subjective opinion results. Conclusion: The newly designed chair in this study responds to the user's spine curvature and maintains and enhances the lower back's natural S-curve, and thereby relieves fatigue, promotes better posture, and helps to prevent spine deformities better than existing office chairs. There is a need to widely introduce and supply this new design. Application: The new design is applicable to office and student chairs, and is expected to improve concentration and work efficiency.