COMPATIBILITIES OF ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENT ON CHAIRS AND STUDY TABLES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The study's aim is to improve the compatibility of chairs and study tables use by primary school students. This study emphasises the planning and development of chairs and study tables' design that are appropriate with the anthropometric (size and shape of the physical size) of the student's body and to produce guidelines for the design of chairs. Thus, the corresponding study on the design of chairs and study tables was conducted by analysing the furniture size, body size, and student's posture using anthropometric methods. International standards were used as a reference to analyse the measurement. It is found that male and female students have different sizes and postures while using the table and chair. The assessment on the application of ergonomics in primary schools in the city and rural areas was to uncover the differences anthropometric of study chairs and table and level of exposure and
awareness of teachers, parents, and manufacturers on the importance of ergonomics to the students due to back pain trauma and MSD – Musculoskeletal Disorder. This research examines the compatibility problems in the design of chairs and study tables for primary school students in two states in Malaysia, Penang and Selangor. The study was conducted using the anthropometric method in design chairs and study tables in conformance with the student's anatomy. The study's outcome highlighted the problems and risks
identified through the study, related to the incompatibility between the size of a chair and study table and the students' body size according to the levels.