Design of Adjustable Desks and Chairs for University Classrooms Suitable For Students of Jadavpur University, India

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how adjustability of classroom desks and chairs can help to accommodate students of different body sizes. The first part of the paper deals with REBA analysis, used for ergonomic evaluation where very high final scores in the range of 8-10 were obtained. This indicates a high risk level and demands for investigation and further implementation for changes. A sample of 20 students consisting of 16 males and 4 females, of U.G. students of Production Engineering Department of Jadavpur University, was inspected for REBA analysis. Since attending to lectures on a desk is a sedentary job which is predominantly a long-cycle repetitive task, the injuries primarily involved the back and the neck. The second part of the paper suggests a suitable design for the desks and chairs with appropriate dimensions taking into consideration the anthropometric measurements of 48 students (41 males and 7 females) of Production Engineering department of Jadavpur University, Kolkata. This work will aid in mitigating Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) of students of India