ISO/TC 159/SC 3 - Anthropometry and biomechanics

This document establishes methods for determining the composition of groups of persons whose anthropometric characteristics are to be representative of the intended user population of any specific object under test. This document is applicable to the testing of anthropometric aspects of industrial products and designs having direct contact with the human body or dependent on human body measurements, such as machinery, work equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), consumer goods, working spaces, architectural details or transportation equipment. This document is also applicable to the testing of such safety aspects of products that are dependent on human body measurements. It does not deal with other aspects of the task or other requirements, such as perception of information (except geometrical arrangement of the viewing targets) and the use of controls (except their geometrical placement). Although this document deals with selecting test persons from an anthropometric perspective, similar general principles can be applied for other test variables, e.g. biomechanical aspects.

This document establishes an ergonomic model for any cyclical human work planned and executed in an industrial competitive environment. It also covers the process of measuring work based on the concept of normal work performance and of the assessment of risk factors commonly associated with body postures, body or hand forces, manual material handling of loads and handling low loads at high frequency. This document applies to the adult working population and is intended to give reasonable protection for nearly all healthy adults. Those areas concerning health risks and control measures are mainly based on experimental studies regarding musculoskeletal loading, discomfort or pain and endurance or fatigue related to work organization and methods. The scope of this document is any cyclical human work planned and executed in an industrial competitive environment. The most typical cases are within industries where there is the need to define an expected output (products or services) based on the optimization of the trade-off between labour productivity and health and safety. The most sensitive organizations to this proposal are those within labour-intensive manufacturing industries with series and batch production systems: — automotive (original equipment manufacturer and tier 1 and 2 suppliers); — industrial automotive (trucks, buses, agricultural and mining equipment); — industrial manufacturing (small domestic and industrial equipment or machinery); — domestic appliances and consumer goods (white goods); — plastic and rubber products (tires, doors, windows, shoes); — consumer electronics (PCs, televisions, printers, radios, hi-fis, alarm systems); — furniture; — textiles and apparel; — food preparation; — packaging; — aerospace and defence; — rail and shipping; — large domestic and industrial equipment or machinery; — logistics.

This document specifies recommended limits for manual lifting, lowering and carrying while taking into account the intensity, the frequency and the duration of the task. It is designed to provide requirements and recommendations on the assessment of several task variables, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. This document applies to manual handling of objects with a mass of 3 kg or more and to moderate walking speed, i.e. 0,5 m/s to 1,0 m/s on a horizontal level surface. This document is based on an 8 h working day, but also covers more prolonged working times, up to 12 h. It also addresses the analysis of combined lifting, lowering and carrying tasks in a shift during a day. This document does not cover the holding of objects (without walking), the pushing or pulling of objects or manual handling while seated. The pushing and pulling of objects are covered in the other parts of the ISO 11228 series. This document does not cover handling people or animals. (For further information on handling people, refer to ISO/TR 12296.) This document does not address the manual lifting of objects while using lift-assistive devices such as exoskeletons and does not address the needs of pregnant women or persons with disabilities.

This document is intended to be used alongside ISO/TR 12295, ISO 11226 and the ISO 11228 series in the agricultural sector. This document gives information on how existing standards can be used in a global sector such as agriculture where, albeit with different characteristics, biomechanical overload is a relevant aspect, WMSDs are common and specific preventive actions are needed. The proposed project aims to: 1) define the user(s) and fields for its application (including non-experts in ergonomics); 2) provide examples of procedures for hazard identification, risk estimation or evaluation and risk reduction in different agricultural settings, through: — more synthetic procedural schemes (main test); — more analytical explanations of the procedures, through mathematical models and application examples, also with the use of specific free simple tools, in: — Annex A (pre-mapping with ERGOCHECK); — Annex B (evaluation of Multitask risk of biomechanical overload on typical agricultural macro-cycles, considering upper limbs repetitive movements, manual lifting and carrying, pushing-pulling); — Annex C (study of awkward postures with criteria derived from the actual standards and scientific literature as TACOS method).

This document addresses protocols for the use of 3-D surface-scanning systems in the acquisition of human body shape data and measurements defined in ISO 7250-1 that can be extracted from 3-D scans. While mainly concerned with whole-body scanners, it is also applicable to body-segment scanners (head scanners, hand scanners, foot scanners). It does not apply to instruments that measure the location and/or motion of individual landmarks. The intended audience is those who use 3-D scanners to create 1-D anthropometric databases and the users of 1-D anthropometric data from 3-D scanners. Although not necessarily aimed at the designers and manufacturers of those systems, scanner designers and manufacturers can find it useful in meeting the needs of clients who build and use 1‑D anthropometric databases.

ISO 7250-1:2017 provides a description of anthropometric measurements which can be used as a basis for comparison of population groups and for the creation of anthropometric databases (see ISO 15535). The basic list of measurements specified in this document is intended to serve as a guide for ergonomists who are required to define population groups and apply their knowledge to the geometric design of the places where people work and live. In addition, the list serves as a basis for extracting one- and two-dimensional measurements from three-dimensional scans (specified in ISO 20685). It serves as a guide on how to take anthropometric measurements, but also gives information to the ergonomist and designer on the anatomical and anthropometrical bases and principles of measurement which are applied in the solution of design tasks. ISO 7250-1:2017 is intended to be used in conjunction with national or international regulations or agreements to ensure harmony in defining population groups and to allow comparison of anthropometric data among member bodies. In its various applications, it is anticipated that the basic list will be supplemented by specific additional measurements. Annex A shows the correspondence of dimensions described here with their use in ISO 14738 and ISO 15534.

ISO 7250-3:2015 provides worldwide and regional tables of design ranges for use with product standards for equipment design and safety that require ISO 7250 body measurement data input.

ISO 20685-2:2015 addresses protocols for testing of 3-D surface-scanning systems in the acquisition of human body shape data and measurements. It does not apply to instruments that measure the motion of individual landmarks. While mainly concerned with whole-body scanners, it is also applicable to body-segment scanners (head scanners, hand scanners, foot scanners). This International Standard applies to body scanners that measure the human body in a single view. When a hand-held scanner is evaluated, it has to be noted that the human operator can contribute to the overall error. When systems are evaluated in which the subject is rotated, movement artefacts can be introduced; these can also contribute to the overall error. This part of ISO 20685 applies to the landmark positions determined by an anthropometrist. It does not apply to landmark positions automatically calculated by software from the point cloud. The quality of surface shape of the human body and landmark positions is influenced by performance of scanner systems and humans including measurers and subjects. This part of ISO 20685 addresses the performance of scanner systems by using artefacts rather than human subjects as test objects. Traditional instruments are required to be accurate to millimetre. Their accuracy can be verified by comparing the instrument with a scale calibrated according to an international standard of length. To verify or specify the accuracy of body scanners, a calibrated test object with known form and size is used. The intended audience is those who use 3-D body scanners to create 3-D anthropometric databases including 3-D landmark locations, the users of these data, and scanner designers and manufacturers. This part of ISO 20685 intends to provide the basis for the agreement on the performance of body scanners between scanner users and scanner providers as well as between 3-D anthropometric database providers and data users.

ISO/TR 12295:2014 is an application document that guides users of the ISO 11228 series of International Standards, which address manual handling, and ISO 11226, which deals with static working postures. Specifically, it guides the user and provides additional information in the selection and use of the appropriate standards.

ISO/TS 20646:2014 provides information and guidelines to properly utilize various ergonomics standards concerning the factors related to musculoskeletal workload (MSWL), and helps develop activities to reduce or optimize MSWL in workplaces and non-professional activities, in an effective and efficient manner. The activities are intended to be based on a risk assessment. ISO/TS 20646:2014 is intended primarily for employers, ergonomics and occupational health-related staff and workers in enterprises, and workers. Prevention of MSWL is not always a matter of reducing the load. The approach to reducing MSWL also involves assessing the work environment and organization as a system to identify how changes can help to safely manage MSWL. Although it provides ideas of effective and efficient measures to reduce or optimize MSWL, ISO/TS 20646:2014 does not certify the complete prevention of health problems caused by MSWL.

ISO 15535:2012 specifies general requirements for anthropometric databases and their associated reports that contain measurements taken in accordance with ISO 7250-1.It provides necessary information, such as characteristics of the user population, sampling methods, measurement items and statistics, to make international comparison possible among various population segments.

ISO/TR 12296:2012 provides guidance for assessing the problems and risks associated with manual patient handling in the healthcare sector, and for identifying and applying ergonomic strategies and solutions to those problems and risks. Its main goals are to improve caregivers' working conditions by decreasing biomechanical overload risk, thus limiting work-related illness and injury, as well as the consequent costs and absenteeism, and to account for patients' care quality, safety, dignity and privacy as regards their needs, including specific personal care and hygiene. It is intended for all users (or caregivers and workers) involved in healthcare manual handling and, in particular, healthcare managers and workers, occupational safety and health caregivers, producers of assistive devices and equipment, education and training supervisors, and designers of healthcare facilities. Its recommendations are primarily applicable to the movement of people (adults and children) in the provision of healthcare services in purposely built or adapted buildings and environments. Some recommendations can also be applied to wider areas (e.g. home care, emergency care, voluntary caregivers, cadaver handling). The recommendations for patient handling take into consideration work organization, type and number of patients to be handled, aids, spaces where patients are handled, as well as caregivers' education and awkward postures, but do not apply to object (movement, transfer, pushing and pulling) or animal handling. Task joint analysis in a daily shift involving both patient handling, pulling and pushing or object handling and transport is not considered.

ISO/TR 7250-2:2010 provides statistical summaries of body measurements together with database background information for working age people in the national populations of individual ISO member bodies. The data are intended for use in conjunction with ISO standards for equipment design and safety, which require body measurement input, wherever national specificity of design parameters is required.

ISO 11228-2:2007 gives the recommended limits for whole-body pushing and pulling. It provides guidance on the assessment of risk factors considered important to manual pushing and pulling, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. The recommendations apply to the healthy adult working population and provide reasonable protection to the majority of this population. These guidelines are based on experimental studies of push-pull tasks and associated levels of musculoskeletal loading, discomfort/pain, and endurance/fatigue. Pushing and pulling, as defined in ISO 11228-2:2007, is restricted to the following: whole-body force exertions (i.e. while standing/walking); actions performed by one person; forces applied by two hands; forces used to move or restrain an object; forces applied in a smooth and controlled way; forces applied without the use of external support(s); forces applied on objects located in front of the operator; forces applied in an upright position (not sitting). ISO 11228-2:2007 is intended to provide information for designers, employers, employees and others involved in the design or redesign of work, tasks, products and work organization.

ISO 11228-3:2006 establishes ergonomic recommendations for repetitive work tasks involving the manual handling of low loads at high frequency. It provides guidance on the identification and assessment of risk factors commonly associated with handling low loads at high frequency, thereby allowing evaluation of the related health risks to the working population. The recommendations apply to the adult working population and are intended to give reasonable protection for nearly all healthy adults. Those recommendations concerning health risks and control measures are mainly based on experimental studies regarding musculoskeletal loading, discomfort/pain and endurance/fatigue related to methods of working. ISO 11228-3:2006 is intended to provide information for all those involved in the design or redesign of work, jobs and products.

ISO 15536-2:2007 establishes the requirements for the verification of the functions and validation of dimensions of computer manikins. These requirements concern the documentation of the data employed to construct computer manikins and the methods employed to verify and validate their functions with regards to their dimensional accuracy. ISO 15536-2:2007 extends to anthropometric and biomechanical data and to software functions as they are applied to create computer manikins. Although this document primarily refers to anthropometric data and methods, some biomechanical parameters are required to build and apply computer manikins and are therefore included. ISO 15536-2:2007 provides a framework for reporting computer manikin accuracy and human-source data. The standard is intended to enable even non-specialist users of the manikin systems to independently perform measurements of each function under field testing conditions using automated software tools provided by developers. It is not intended to require developers to perform specific verification and validation of their manikin systems.

ISO 15536-1:2005 establishes the general requirements for the design and development of computer manikins, body templates and manikin systems. It addresses their anthropometric and biomechanical properties, taking into account their usability and restrictions for structural complexity and functional versatility, and is also intended as a guide for the selection of manikins and manikin systems and for the evaluation of their accuracy and usability for the specified use. It specifies the documentation of the characteristics of manikins and manikin systems and their intended use, for the guidance of their users. It provides means for ensuring that computer manikins and body templates for the design of work space are appropriately accurate and reliable in their anthropometric and biomechanical aspects. It aims to ensure that users of manikins are able to choose an appropriate manikin system for particular design tasks and use it in an appropriate way. It sets requirements only on the static accuracy of the manikin, but provides recommendations on the other factors that can influence the accuracy of the analyses and determinations performed using them.

This International Standard establishes principles for deriving dimensions from anthropometric measurements and applying them to the design of workstations at non-mobile machinery. It is based on current ergonomic knowledge and anthropometric measurements. This International Standard specifies the body's space requirements for equipment during normal operation in sitting and standing positions. This International Standard does not specifically include space demands for maintenance, repairing and cleaning work. This International Standard does not give recommendations specifically for visual display terminal workstations at machinery. For this purpose ISO 9241-5 can be used in conjunction with this International Standard. Situations where people are to be prevented from reaching a hazard are dealt with in ISO 13852.

This International Standard establishes ergonomic recommendations for different work tasks. This standard provides information to those involved in design, or redesign, of work, jobs and products who are familiar with the basic concepts of ergonomics in general, and working postures in particular. It specifies recommended limits for static working postures without any or only with minimal external force exertion, while taking into account body angles and time aspects. It is designed to provide guidance on the assessment of several task variables, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. It applies to the adult working population. The recommendations will give reasonable protection for nearly all healthy adults. The recommendations concerning health risks and protection are mainly based on experimental studies regarding the musculoskeletal load, discomfort/pain, and endurance/fatigue related to static working postures.

This part of ISO 15534 specifies current requirements for human body measurements (anthropometric data) that are required by ISO 15534-1 and ISO 15534-2 for the calculation of access-opening dimensions as applied to machinery. The anthropometric data originate from static measurements of nude persons and do not take into account body movements, clothing, equipment, machinery-operating conditions or environmental conditions. The data are based on information from anthropometric surveys representative of population groups within Europe comprising at least three million people. Both men and women are taken into account. Measurements are given, as required by ISO 15534-1 and ISO 15534-2, for the 5th, 95th and 99th percentiles of the relevant population group within Europe.

This part of ISO 15534 specifies the dimensions of openings for access into machinery as defined in ISO/TR 12100-1. It provides the dimensions to which the values given in ISO 15534-3 are applicable. Values for additional space requirements are given in annex A. This part of ISO 15534 has been prepared primarily for nonmobile machinery; there may be additional specific requirements for mobile machinery. Dimensions for access openings are based on the values for the 95th percentile, whereas reach distances are based on the values for the 5th percentile, in each case the least favourable body dimension of the expected user population being used as a basis. The same considerations apply to the location of access openings. The anthropometric data given in ISO 15534-3 originate from static measurements of nude persons and do not take into account body movements, clothing, equipment, machinery-operating conditions or environmental conditions. This part of ISO 15534 shows how to combine the anthropometric data with suitable allowances to take these factors into account. Situations where people are to be prevented from reaching a hazard are dealt with in ISO 13852.

ISO 20685:2010 addresses protocols for the use of 3-D surface-scanning systems in the acquisition of human body shape data and measurements defined in ISO 7250-1 that can be extracted from 3-D scans. It does not apply to instruments that measure the location and/or motion of individual landmarks. While mainly concerned with whole-body scanners, it is also applicable to body-segment scanners (head scanners, hand scanners, foot scanners). The intended audience is those who use 3-D scanners to create 1-D anthropometric databases and the users of 1-D anthropometric data from 3-D scanners. Although not necessarily aimed at the designers and manufacturers of those systems, scanner designers and manufacturers will find it useful in meeting the needs of clients who build and use 1‑D anthropometric databases.

ISO 7250-1:2008 provides a description of anthropometric measurements which can be used as a basis for comparison of population groups. It is intended to serve as a guide for ergonomists who are required to define population groups and apply their knowledge to the geometric design of the places where people work and live.

ISO 15535:2006 specifies general requirements for anthropometric databases and their associated reports that contain measurements taken in accordance with ISO 7250. It provides necessary information, such as characteristics of the user population, sampling methods, measurement items and statistics, to make international comparison possible among various population segments. The population segments specified in ISO 15535:2006 are people who are able to hold the postures specified in ISO 7250.

ISO 20685:2005 addresses protocols for the use of 3-D surface-scanning systems in the acquisition of human body shape data and measurements defined in ISO 7250 that can be extracted from 3-D scans. It does not apply to instruments that measure the location and/or motion of individual landmarks. While mainly concerned with whole-body scanners, it is also applicable to body-segment scanners (head scanners, hand scanners, foot scanners).

ISO 15537:2004 establishes methods for determining the composition of groups of persons whose anthropometric characteristics are to be representative of the intended user population of any specific object under test. ISO 15537:2004 is applicable to the testing of anthropometric aspects of industrial products and designs having direct contact with the human body or dependent on human body measurements, e.g. machinery, work equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), consumer goods, working spaces, architectural details or transportation equipment. ISO 15537:2004 is also applicable to the testing of such safety aspects of products that are dependent on human body measurements. It does not deal with other aspects of the task or other requirements, such as perception of information (except geometrical arrangement of the viewing targets) and the use of controls (except their geometrical placement).

ISO/TS 20646-1:2004 provides information and guidelines to properly utilise various ergonomics standards concerning the factors related to local muscular workload (LMWL), and helps develop activities to reduce LMWL in workplaces, in an effective and efficient manner. ISO/TS 20646-1:2004 is intended primarily for employers, ergonomics and occupational health-related staff in enterprises, and workers. Specific measures to reduce LMWL can be applied to non-professional activities. Although ISO/TS 20646-1:2004 provides ideas of effective and efficient measures to reduce LMWL, it does not certify the complete prevention of health problems caused by LMWL.

ISO 11228-1:2003 specifies recommended limits for manual lifting and carrying while taking into account, respectively, the intensity, the frequency and the duration of the task. ISO 11228:2003 is designed to provide guidance on the assessment of several task variables, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. ISO 11228-1:2003 applies to manual handling of objects with a mass of 3 kg or more. ISO 11228-1:2003 applies to moderate walking speed, i.e. 0,5 m/s to 1,0 m/sec on a horizontal level surface. ISO 11228-1:2003 does not include holding of objects (without walking), pushing or pulling of objects, lifting with one hand, manual handling while seated, and lifting by two or more people. Holding, pushing and pulling objects will be included in other parts of ISO 11228. ISO 11228-1:2003 is based on an 8 h working day. It does not concern analysis of combined tasks in a shift during a day.

ISO 15535:2003 specifies general requirements for anthropometric databases and their associated reports that contain measurements taken in accordance with ISO 7250. It provides necessary information, such as characteristics of the user population, sampling methods, measurement items and statistics, to make international comparison possible among various population segments. The population segments specified in ISO 15535:2003 are people who are able to hold the postures specified in ISO 7250.