Palawan State University

College of Community Resources Development

Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

ERGONOMICS AND FACILITIES PLANNING FOR THE HOSPITALITY

INDUSTRY
MODULE 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Ergonomic Interior Design
 Ethics of Ergonomic Interior Designs
 Different facilities and workstation

INTRODUCTION
Ergonomics is the science of making the work environment fit the worker. By understanding the
human factors requirements of work, we can avoid work-related illnesses or injuries. Companies are
in business to bring a product or service to market and anything that makes it more difficult for
employees to perform their jobs is likely to affect productivity and productivity is money. A mismatch
between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker can result in
RSIs (repetitive stress injuries), as well as other CTDs (cumulative trauma disorders).
Ergonomic assessments define the potential risks for injury or illness in a facility and ergonomic plans
are written to mitigate those risks. An ergonomically designed space can increase productivity and
efficiency while reducing stress and fatigue.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module students should be able to:

 Define what interior design is.

 Discuss the ethics of ergonomic interior designs.
 Discuss the different facilities and workstation.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

INTERIOR DESIGN
DISCUSSION
Interior design, a part of environmental design and closely related to architecture, is the planning and
design of man-made spaces. The functional applications of ergonomic intuition to home design are
essential. Ergonomically-minded interior design creates living spaces that promote "easier" living, not
only "happier" to live in, but also because of this convenience.

Story, Mueller, and Mace outlined seven concepts of what has come to be known as "The Universal
Design File: Designing for People of All Ages and Abilities," in North America, and "Universal
Design" or "Inclusive Design" in other parts of the world in their 1998 paper "Design for All"
According to Story et al, these spaces should encompass:

1. Equitable use: To individuals with different skills, the design is useful and marketable.

2. Flexibility in use: A wide variety of individual preferences and abilities are accommodated
by the design.

3. Simple and intuitive use: It is easy to understand the use of the design, regardless of the
user's background, expertise, language ability, or current level of focus.

4. Perceptible information: The layout efficiently delivers important information to the user,
regardless of environmental conditions or the sensory abilities of the s user.

5. Tolerance for error: The layout minimizes risks and the detrimental effects of
unintentional or unwanted acts.

6. Low physical effort: It is possible to use the design effectively and comfortably, and with
minimal fatigue.

7. Size and space for approach and use: Reasonable size and room, regardless of the user's
body size, posture, or agility, are given for approach, reach, manipulation, and usage.

It is not hard to see how it would not only be easier to use living spaces that aspire to reflect these
values, but would most likely improve productivity. For example, imagine a workspace using
thoughtfully crafted lighting fixtures, arranged in such a way that they appropriately illuminate the
areas of interest within the room. It would be easy to move chairs, tables, and footstools, making the
room usable for a broader variety of uses, while each piece of furniture would be able to fit
individuals of all sizes and abilities.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
Ethics of Ergonomic Interior Designs

1. Flexible planning - Flexible planning is a room's adaptability to adjust at a moment's notice. This
means you can't have any set base-walls that make up your room blueprint. Alternatively, build rooms
that are very versatile with the function. A great ergonomic design venture is modular plans. So, prior
to bringing the idea to your consultant, some basic research on them.

2. Comfort of movement - One of the aspects in an ergonomic design that you should always
emphasize size is the ease and comfort of movement. Yeah, your space is likely to be limited, but that
doesn't mean you're going to compromise on the ease of movement.

3. Focus on aesthetics - Physical comfort is very important, but what about psychological comfort?
One can't have a very effective and practical space, but it has poor aesthetics.
It will affect your mind immediately in a negative way. So, always very carefully consider the
aesthetics of a space and do not put feature over shape. Bear in mind that both are equally important
to you.

4. Physiological comfort - Spaces which are built for the body's physical comfort are the best. Before
finalizing your space layout, always remember the minimum and maximum space use criteria.

5. Functional comfort - Imagine this; in a space that was previously used as a shop, you have to
retrofit a study area. Doesn't sound tough, doesn't it? But what if it's a super large or super small
store? What if, in that amount of room, you cannot retrofit your dream study shelf? This is what
determines a space's functional comfort. To make the most of your room, you have to be very careful
about designing these elements!

Different facilities and workstation

Ergonomics should be a preventive strategy. If the environments they build are to be safe, user-
friendly, and OSHA compliant, managers must integrate the elements of human-factors design. In
order to accommodate the vicissitudes of life, such as age, injury, sickness, and disability, the ideal
office design goes beyond the fleeting qualities of style.

Where ergonomics-related issues do occur, profitability and efficiency may be directly affected. If
their positions and uses are not carefully considered, many things found in the work environment can
create possible risks and dangers.

For example, the number one known office "near misses" is slides, spills, and falls on frayed rugs,
thresholds, and rough or slippery: surfaces. A "near miss” is an OSHA target statistic that refers to the
almost-occurring accident. Office risks are often known by tripping over extension cords, getting cut
on sharp corners, and making a top-heavy file cabinet tip over.

As opposed to human-factor-related, these hazards are called environmental. They can quickly receive
attention because they similarly affect everyone and are easily managed. Such standard risks that
should be considered by a facility manager when determining ergonomic stressors in the workplace
include:

 Workstation design: Worker strain and pain may result from improper positioning of office
equipment and materials. For performance, the architecture | of an office and the density of
space are important. To achieve these tasks, providing a central place for shared resources
decreases the steps and stress taken. The shorter the distance from resources, the more
effective employees will be.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

 Workstation furnishings: To have the most versatility and adaptability for staff, office
furniture must be carefully chosen.
 Lighting: To minimize glare and to enhance the contrast on working surface (paper or
furniture), and not on computer screens, light sources should be chosen. To improve
displayed contrast, brightness, and character resolution computer monitors should be
modified. There should be no over-illuminate work zones.

 Noise: Background noise contributes to high-speed printers, shredders, copiers, fans, and
other office devices. Some experts feel that the quality of the work environment can be
adversely affected by these noises. Whenever its function makes it impossible to carry out a
regular conversation, the equipment should be masked or isolated.

 Desks and tables: The height should be adjustable for desks and tables. To allow for a body-
neutral role, many typing desks are built to be lower. Desks and tables should allow clearance
of the legs and feet for height, depth, and width. For both standing and seated postures, this is
important. Using an adjustable chair to achieve the correct alignment if it is not possible to
change the desk or table height.

 Work surfaces: The working surface should be a size that allows workers to reach forward
and to both sides comfortably in order to do their work. To accommodate papers, machinery,
computers, instruments, and tools, the work surface should also be large enough.

 Keyboard and mouse trays: Common causes of ergonomic issues are flexible keyboard
trays that slide in and out from under the desk or table. The tray should allow the user to
maintain a neutral wrist-to-keyboard and mouse alignment. Ideally, about one inch below the
keyboard, the mouse surface is adjusted. This avoids straining of the shoulder and wrist.

 Chairs: Adjustability and ease of use are the most important things to look for. The height,
width, volume, and angle of the seat pan should be changed. The lower back should match the
lumbar support. For stability, the chair should be on a five-caster base and have the proper
“roll” for the contact surface; not too fast on cement or rubber surfaces, for instance. Ideally,
armrests should be side to-side flexible, enabling the worker to switch in and out of their chair
and workstation easily.

 Footrests: Be careful not to permit the feet of shorter staff to dangle. To mitigate this
problem, angled footrests can be bought. Furthermore, to allow sufficient legroom and
posture changes, the desk or tabletop should have a large enough opening.

 Special devices: Equally critical is accommodating required aids, such as a headset or

speakerphone, to reduce head and neck movement during high intensity phone demand with
concurrent keyboard activity.

 Other accommodations: It is advisable to have an energy-absorbent floor surface to

minimize worker exhaustion if employees must stand for long periods. Stools, given they are
sufficiently large, can also assist.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

Learning Activities/Exercises

IDENTIFICATION

Directions: Read each statement or question below carefully and fill in the blank(s) with the correct
answer.

__________1. It means you can't have any set base-walls that make up your room blueprint.
__________2. Is an OSHA target statistic that refers to the almost-occurring accident.
__________3. Are often known by tripping over extension cords, getting cut on sharp corners, and
making a top-heavy file cabinet tip over.
__________4. Spaces which are built for the body's physical comfort.
__________5. It should be a size that allows workers to reach forward and to both sides comfortably
in order to do their work.
__________6. It may result from improper positioning of office equipment and materials.
__________7. The height should be adjustable.
__________8. A part of environmental design and closely related to architecture, is the planning and
design of man-made spaces.
__________9. The layout efficiently delivers important information to the user, regardless of
environmental conditions or the sensory abilities of the s user.
__________10. It creates living spaces that promote "easier" living, not only "happier" to live in, but
also because of this convenience.

B. Reflection or Insights

1. How does ergonomics affect interior design?

CRITERIA POINTS
Content (Relevance of Topic) 5pts
Organization (Unity of thought, flow of discussion) 5pts
TOTAL: 10 Points

References/Reading Materials
Ergonomics and Facilities Planning for The Hospitality Industry
By Lolita O. Mendoza