ERGONOMIC PERSPECTIVE OF KITCHEN DESIGN

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to analyze the ergonomic perspective of the kitchen newlinedesigns. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in three newlinephases with heterogenous population.. Phaae-1 was household survey conducted among 500 newlinehomemakers using conventional kitchens and 500 homemakers using modular kitchen, market survey newlineof 25 shops selling kitchen brands of design and lastly opinion survey of 100 Architects and 100 newlinebuilders in Chennai city. Phase-2 involved ergonomic analysis of kitchen with 25 abled and 25 newlinedisabled homemakers who were shortlisted from the household survey and those who consented to newlineparticipate in the cooking experiment. Phase-3 was development of an accessible kitchen design plan newlinewith the help of an Architect. Interview schedule was tool used which was framed by the newlineinvestigator. Chi Square test, t-test and percentage analysis were the statistical techniques used for newlineanalyzing the data. From the survey, it was found that majority of homemakers preferred to have an newlineaccessible kitchen with all the ergonomic benefits. It could be concluded that homemakers using newlineconventional kitchen had been facing lot of health issues like stress, fatigue, back pain and leg pain newlinedue to unplanned storage, counter heights and reach levels in comparison with modular kitchens newlineusers..The ergonomic analysis of the kitchens showed that though kitchens built with standard newlinemeasurements , kitchens were not making it accessible for the disabled homemakers. An inclusive newlinedesign with proper reach zones, knee clearance space for wheel chair users, easy passage for wheel newlinechairs to spin and move about in the kitchens were also incorporated in the developed kitchen design newlinefor disabled women. newlinei) Major objectives : newlinea) To analyse the kitchen features in the conventional and the modular kitchen of the selected newlinehomemakers. newlineb) To assess the work efficiency and fatigue encountered by the homemakers in using the newlinekitchen. newlinec) To evaluate the ergonomic suitability in the kitchens of the sele