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Introduction
Ergonomics are the most vital consideration in designing a space. Its determine the comfort level of people as a user and encourage productivity. Furthermore, in responds to the children comfort, it is essential for the them to be place in a space that provide the best ergonomic arrangement which will encouraged their productivity and creativity in learning and growing. This research focuses on the furniture and space ergonomics for children in kindergarten. The ergonomics study encompasses the spaces such as classroom, toilet and playground and also the furniture design. This research was conducted through library research, internets articles, case study, observation, field measurement and questionnaire. This research will explain about the problems that were faced by the children in suburban context as well as people perception about ergonomics. Finally, the findings would give some ideas on how the ergonomics affect the wellbeing of our future generation as well as the suitable measurement for children furniture design Children are active participants in learning about the world around them. They begin to understand size by whether they can hold something in their hands or wrap their hands around it. They learn that things can be soft or hard, smooth or bumpy by touching them. To accommodate this active learning process, it is beneficial for the environment to reflect the size of the children and facilitate the childrens ability to see and reach objects and feel comfortable within their surroundings. A space that is reflective of the childrens physical size and abilities heightens their sense of confidence in their ability to perform simple tasks more independently. Appropriates sizes and elements such as windows, tables, chair and playground will prolong the childrens interest and participation in constructive activities. In relation with that, there has been a growing interest in children ergonomics, particularly when it comes to children learning and playing in kindergarten. Media suggest that children experience the same dangers as adults if they are treated the same way as adults in their physical environment. There are several issues related to the research topic which are the condition of the kindergarten in Malaysia and the issues of health, safety and security among children in the kindergarten. In Malaysia, most of the kindergarten does not fulfill the requirement of ergonomics design for children which cause the children to have musculoskeletal disorders and pain for a long
Issue
The main issue is related with health problems among children and adults - musculoskeletal discomfort and repetitive strain injuries. One of the research on ergonomics find out that there is a strong correlation between adults diagnosed with repetitive stress injuries with early onset of repetitive injuries among kindergarten children. Young children spent many hours in kindergarten for playing and studying; average of 5-8 hours per day depending on the programme. If the space and furniture are not child-friendly, children experiencing significant musculoskeletal discomfort, incorrect ergonomics and improper posture when using the facilities provided. These repetitive injuries are developed over a number of years therefore; their postural habits during school years will affect their health as young adults. If these conditions are not dealt with early on, they can easily lead to permanent problems in life later on. Another issue which concerns the designer is the correct body posture when using facilities. Lack of attention when using furniture and other facilities in kindergarten has become a serious health hazard to young children. From the research done, it has been found out that children and most of the teachers are unaware of correct body posture and positioning while doing activities.
Research Problems
Lack of awareness among people towards the needs and safety of young children Manufacturer does not follow the guidelines of facilities design for children. Parents and teacher doesnt conscious about the impact of improper ergonomics towards the children.
Research Questions
How ergonomic are the spaces and furniture in kindergarten? Does improper ergonomic for space and furniture design in kindergarten cause injuries to children? What are the appropriate measurements for children facilities? Does public aware of ergonomics problems among children?
Research Structure
Issues
Identify Problems
Aims
Scope of Research
Scope of study will be covered on the application of ergonomics in terms of furniture design and proper body posture that will reduce the injuries among children in kindergarten. The research will involve analyzing the existing facilities in few spaces. The outcome will be in the basis of; Literature reviews on ergonomics Children, parents and staff perception and experiences in using the facilities Feedback in the case studies Data from field measurement Researcher observation
Objectives
Research Methods
Recommendations
Sample will be taken from two suburban context which are IUM Educare Permata located in Gombak, Selangor and Temiang preschool in Seremban,Negeri Sembilan.
Conclusion
Research methodology
In order to carry out the research, a few strategies to collect data have been formulated. Three types of data will be collected through: Literature Review. Main method will be done through the literature studies to collect data of the understanding detail information on ergonomics and injuries because of ergonomics issues. The data collected from books and internet act as reference in finding the suitable measurement for children. Case Study and Observation. Case study will be the sub-method to get the general views and photos on the ergonomics and a visit to the study building. Case study will be done to observe the application of ergonomics based on the information gathered through the literature studies and to
Limitation of research
The research would be limited to the spaces and furniture design in kindergarten. The research is restricted for spaces that is frequently use only such as classroom, toilets and playground. This limitation also applies to the range of age for children which are between 5 to 6 years old as they share the same dimensions in all aspects.
Moreover, this research will study the application of ergonomics for kindergarten in suburban context only as to know the level of exposure as well as the awareness of teachers and parents regarding the importance of ergonomics for children.
Literature Review
This research will emphasize on the importance of ergonomics for children as it will affect the children behavior. Literature study is done on the aspect of children, kindergarten and ergonomics as it is crucial to give generic ideas and overall picture on the proposed research topic. This background study consist of four main core begins with definition of children, followed by definition, history and types of kindergarten in Malaysia. Second part gives an overview for better understanding about the concept and the philosophy of ergonomics for children in terms of facilities and spaces. While the third part briefly elaborate on the issues and problems for ergonomics in kindergarten. Children World Health Organization (WHO) has officially defined a child as one who is below the age of 18 years old. The definition has applied globally and this range of age is also adapted in Malaysia. Based on the statistic released by Department of statistic and economic planning
In context to the children in suburban areas in Malaysia, the daily routine of these children are similar, attending kindergarten from 5 to 6 years, starting primary at 7 till 12 years and going to religious classes, skill classes and tuition after school. According to Anita Ruil (1987), Children use the environment to improve themselves; adults use themselves to improve the environment. Children work for the sake of process, adult work to achieve and end result. This shows that children learn from their environment and activities through movement, promote imagination, social interaction and learning through play. Kindergarten Merriam-Webster dictionary (2010) defined kindergarten as a program or class for 4 to 6 years old children that serve as an introduction to school. Referring to Wikipedia, kindergarten is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. It is education for pre- and emergent-literate children before the age of 6 or 7. UNESCO, Institute of Statistic (2008) elaborates the statistic of kindergarten in Malaysia based on surveys in
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is knowledge about body sizes and muscular capabilities which is fundamental for proper human factors design. David Caple stated that according to International Ergonomics Association (IEA), ergonomics or human factors is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Ergonomists contribute to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people. There are few keys to take into consideration when we talked about ergonomics which are physical, cognitive and organizational. In terms of children ergonomics, ergonomics researchers stressed that children ergonomics is different from adults. Thus, appropriate furniture design and facilities should be adapted to avoid hazard or injuries to children such as muscular disorder. The ergonomics will focused on the suitable height of furniture for children, the width, length, the materials and the design itself. Ruth (2000) set a design standard for childrens environments which comprise of all the details of anthropometric and ergonomics design for children. Children spend about five hours per day sitting down while doing their school work. Considering this as well as the potential inadequate use of school furniture, it is likely that some anatomical
The aim of this study was to compare facilities and space layout within three different kindergartens with the anthropometric characteristics and ergonomic standard guidelines in order to evaluate the most appropriate design for children. Most (1993) and Mark (1996) emphasize that there is an inadequate match between the design process and the imaginative spatial needs of the young child. The principle is that; the needs and requirements children up to age of six or at most seven at particular, their right (as individuals) to high quality educational environments that care for them and rigorously support their social development.
Literature review provides detail information on ergonomics and injuries because of ergonomics issues. This data act as reference in finding the suitable measurement for children.
Questionnaire
From the questionnaire, public satisfaction about kindergarten had been analyzed to know their level of understanding and awareness about ergonomics.
Observation
The observation done have been used to compare with public perception about ergonomics in the kindergarten. Observation also support the data on how children response with certain height and dimension when using the facilities in the kindergarten.
Case study
Both case studies have provided sufficient data to use in the research. The data included the measurements of facilities and the measurement of the children dimension in order to get the range of height, knee height, and arm length.
The average height for children are : 113 cm The average knee height for children are: 30 cm The average arm length for children are : 29 cm The tallest children : 122cm /33/32 The shortest children : 104cm /37/26
Types of furniture Chairs -seating -back support Tables Table for audio visual Multipurpose table Adjustable whiteboard Three-tiers drawer for toys Reading table Multipurpose drawer
Width (cm) 360 x 340 330 x 330 720 x 1300 1380 x 600 1200 x 600 610 x 900 1500 x 600 1900 x 700 1500 x 600
Materials
Wood
The chairs are suitable for children with average height. It can be considered as ergonomics except for the tallest and shortest children. The tables are ergonomics for children with average height. The height of the table does not ergonomics for children as the children need to seat down on the floor to watch television. Will cause injuries to neck. The tables is ergonomics for children if the seat on the floor. The adjustable whiteboard is appropriate for children to do activities. Adjust to their height.
600 660
Wood Wood
Wood + steel
Woods
Located on the floor. The height of each drawer is appropriate with children measurement. The tables are ergonomics for children if the seat on the floor while the width suitable for children to seat together and discuss. Located on the floor. The height of each drawer is appropriate with children measurement. Children use this type of drawer for keeping books and bags.
390
Woods
Woods
As located in suburban areas, Temiang preschool have only three classrooms for kindergarten and a shared facilities. Most of the furniture is made of woods but not too heavy for children to In overall, the design of the classroom is appropriate with the children with average height and measurement. The children will not facing any repetitive injuries if they seat properly with good posture. Seating on the floor for reading and discussion is a good approach for children; however, children tend to seat with wrong posture as there is no back support.
Study on toilet
types of furniture Toilet dimension Cubicles size Toilet bowl -overall size -bowl size Pipe inside toilet Door Sink Sink bowl Shower tap Mirror Height (cm) 3000 Width (cm) 2400 x 1650 1060 x 1120 500 x 500 250 x 280 Materials Analysis from observation
The toilet dimension is suitable for children height and width as well as movement dimension. It can be considered as ergonomics for children. 2 cubicles. The dimension of cubicles also suitable for children. The height of the toilet bowl ergonomics for children as the average knee height for children is 300cm. Ergonomics for children to use. Too height for children toilet. The height and width of the sink are appropriate with children of average measurement.
3000 300
630 from floor 2100 600 900 from floor 130 from sink 460 460 x 460 800 790 x 500 390x300
Galvanized iron
Galvanized iron
Height for children to use. Located on top of the sink. The height of mirror is appropriate with children measurement.
In overall, the design of the toilet is appropriate with the children average height and measurement. The tallest children will have difficulties in using the dimension that is provided for the average height of children
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Sink area
First playground
Second playground
Toilet area
Swing
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Playhouse
Types of equipment Overhead ladders -overall -steps -ladders Slide -overall height -railings -steps Swing
Height
Width
180 frm ground 300 1600 frm grnd 800 200 300 from ground 450
See-saw Slide
Playhouse
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Steel
The chairs are suitable for children with average height. It can be considered as ergonomics except for the tallest children. The tables are ergonomics for children with average height. But it is too heavy and not safe if children are playing around. Easy to fall. The tables are ergonomics for children with average height. The shelves are ergonomics for children to take the books. The whiteboard is meant for the teacher to use only.
300 290
Tables
500
Wood
Book shelves Whiteboard Three-tiers drawer for toys Reading table Multipurpos e drawer
Wood + steel
Woods
Located on the floor. The height of each drawer is appropriate with children measurement. The tables are ergonomics for children if the seat on the floor while the width suitable for children to seat together and discuss. Located on the floor. The height of each drawer is appropriate with children measurement. Children use this type of drawer for keeping books and bags.
Woods
Woods
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Discussion table
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Chair Design
Two types of chairs were used in the kindergarten. One is chairs made from steel while another one is chair made of mix of steel and woods. Children are in variety of sizes and height, thus, the same height of chair design or fixed chair sometimes does not ergonomic with all children. From the observation done, some children can sit properly while a few other cannot because of their height. When a child grows up above the average size of standard children, their needs are different. The new chair design can cause repetitive injuries to the children as the chairs are made of heavy woods and steel. Each time the children need to carry the chair or put it on the table after class, they will suffer from disorder. The older version of chair is light to carry but does not comfortable in terms of design as well as maintenance.
Sink Design
The height of the sink is actually appropriate for the children. However, the sink becomes not ergonomics when it was confined with the shelves. Children need to raise their foot to reach the tap and wash their hand. This can lead to repetitive strains injuries as children used the sink every time they have art activities in class.
View from the back of the sink showing the child use the sink.
The child needs to raise his feet to reach the tap; not ergonomic to use
The former chair used is simple, light but easy to have defects.
From above, it shows that the sink size is actually meeting the ergonomics standard but the shelves length makes the sink not ergonomic to use.
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Other measurements
Measurement is also done on the other facilities and component of the buildings such as the window, doors, table for teacher and also whiteboard.
The whiteboard is only meant for teachers. Not at suitable height for children. Sinks are design in various heights and next to shower area
The sink is not suitable for children as it is manufactured for adults dimension. The railing is at suitable height for safety reason to prevent children from open the window and fall.
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The dimension of cubicles is suitable for children. The height of the toilet bowl not ergonomics for children as the average knee height for children is 300cm. Ergonomics for children to use. Suitable height for children toilet. The width of the sink is not ergonomics for children as the distance to the pipe is 460.
Pipe inside toilet Door for cubicles Sink Sink bowl Shower tap.
700 from floor 1500 700 800 from floor 1220 800 1270 540 x 50
Galvanized iron
Galvanized iron
Shower tap and the shower are ergonomics for children to use. They are design based on children height. Quite suitable from the children height as they can reach the hook.
Clothes hook
Entrance to toilet
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Rocking animal chair are design with appropriate for children under age 5
Bird eye view toward the play ground 4 numbers swings provided
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Types of equipment See-saw Slide --railings -steps Swing Spring rider Stepping area
Height 530 940 300 500 from ground 450 230 300
Questionnaire analysis
The Questionnaires question is on what features that building must have to classify as a green building concept.
The entrance
Entrance
Number of staff/parents
Assessed criteria
In responds to the entry, most of the interviewee agrees to have a wide entrance with a safety swing door. However, there are some people who did not agree with the swing door as they prefer the sliding more than the swing.
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Classroom
Number of staff/parents
20 15 10 5 0
Totally agree
Accessible
Design ergonomicall y
Assessed criteria
For the class room, the questionnaire shows that an adequate access to the work station and accessibility to the class room is the most imperative aspect to be considering the most. Ergonomically aspect however is the second together with the comfort and sufficient space required for the class room. For the least case, the respondents found it not very significant to for the space to be free from obstruction as they understand that most of the classrooms in kindergarten are free from the hazardous furniture or equipment that may dangerously barricade the children.
3.5
3 2.5 2 1.5 Totally agree
Agree
Average
1
0.5 0 Ergonomic in design Suitable height for use Assessed criteria
Specifically for drawer and bookshelves, the most respondents agree to have an ergonomically design bookshelves and drawer with a suitable high in responds to children with various ages.
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Justification of research
Ergonomics can be integrated as a lifestyle/philosophy in order to live life to its fullest. Ergonomics can be incorporated as a subject in the educational curriculum of teachers Ergonomics learning activities can be developed by subject matter, e.g., science, math, reading, social studies, physical education. Children can learn to apply concepts of ergonomics in their daily activities and environments; and encouraged to teach others
Solution
Some of the solution for ergonomics problems is to educate people about ergonomics for public awareness. Other is to implement the new technology in manufacturing the furniture for children which can be adjustable.
Conclusion
Both of the case study and findings shows that not all people aware of ergonomics issues among children. Some of the facilities provided does not take into account the suitability and comfortability of children. Thus, the result of this study is to emphasizes on the importance of ergonomics and to provides the ergonomics information about children in kindergarten to variety of people and professional. This study also will lead to a new intervention of furniture design which will be integrated for children well-being as to avoid unhealthy future generations.
Significance
The significance of this study is to find the solution of reducing health problems among children and adults musculoskeletal discomfort and repetitive strain injuries due to incorrect ergonomics and improper posture at workstations. This study attempts to provide information to formulate new design recommendation for kindergarten by emphasizing on ergonomics issues while taking notes on advantages and disadvantages. People rarely talk about ergonomics for children. Overall view will be on how to encourage more people to support the promotion and practice of proper workstation health within the structured school environment will influence young people to practice proper sitting posture during both school and non-school hours. In order to prevent widespread health problems in students as they grow older, we need to make the importance of correct posture and proper ergonomic workstation set-up and proper posture habits while activities. Promotion and practice of proper workstation health within the structured school environment will influence young people to practice proper sitting posture during both school and non-school hours.
References
Anita Rui Olds (1987) Child Care Design Guide, New York,Ny; Mc Graw-Hill Bandini (1994), Typological Theories in architectural design, Companion to Contemporary Architectural Thought,Routledge,London. Hadith Bukhari and Muslim Most.P (1993), Environment, Quality in Services for Young children- A discussion Paper, European commission Child Care Network, Thomas Coram Research Unit,2728 Woburn Square, London, p.11 Mark Dudek (1996), Kindergarten
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