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Standards and their contribution to child safety
Enqu~te anthropon~trique sur les conducteurs fran~jais (Anthropometric survey of French drivers) Roger Rebiffd, Jacques Gui//ien and Patrick Pasquet Laboratoire de physiologie et de biomecanique de L'association Peugeot-Renault
This book, written in French, presents anthropometric data from a survey of French drivers which was conducted in 1981-82. Twenty-nine measurements were taken from 1665 males and 1587 females from a total of 33 survey points throughout France. The age range for the males was 18-77 years (~- = 39-7, sd --- 12"2) and for the females was 18-75 years, (-K = 35.9, sd = 11-2). The authors provide a detailed account of the sampling procedure and the measurement techniques. In addition, each measurement is depicted by a photograph and a drawing. The specific measurements are: weight, stature (with and without shoes), sitting height (erect and slumped), eye-height, shoulder height and nipple height (above seat surface), eye to top of head, upper arm length, lower arm length, arm length, forward arm reach (two handed, both fingertip and grasping reach), buttock-knee length, buttockpopliteal length, knee height, popliteal height, thigh depth, shoe length, width and heel height, bideltoid breadth, elbow to elbow breadth, interscye, waist, seat breadth, chest depth and stomach depth. Fifth, 50th and 95th percentile data are given for five age categories (18-24, 2 5 - 3 4 , 35-44, 4 5 - 5 4 and 55+ years), and a detailed table of percentile values is given for the entire sample of each sex. Frequency histograms and cumulative frequency graphs are also given for both sexes. The book also contains numerous dispersion diagrams for various pairs of measurements that need to be considered together when designing car interiors. For example, these data can be used to determine the percentage of French people who could not be comfortably accommodated in the rear seat of a car given the maximum sitting height and buttock-knee length that could be accommodated. Although the book is written in French, it is laid out so clearly that it can be easily used by anyone with limited or even nonexistent command of this language. J.M. Porter
Standards and their contribution to child safety Consumers'Association,Castlemead,GascoyneWay, Hertford SG14 1LH. pp 38, £5.
manufacturers, retailers, health professionals, researchers and all those concerned with the Safety of children'S products. The seminar explored some of the issues involved in designing safe products for children and the role that Standards and Regulations play in that process. Seventy,five delegates attended,including a substantial number of manufacturers and retailers (approaching 50%). The proceedings of the seminar have been published by the Consumers' Association. These summarise the speakers' contributions and report fully the two discussion sessions. They include a full list of delegates and a short bibliography. The main conclusions can be summarised as recognising: • the need for a general safety standard covering basic safety criteria for all children's products • the need for existing standards to be used wherever possible; and the fact that they have been used to be made clear to the buyer, e g, by marking the product with the relevant BS number or, when appropriate, by using the Kitemark • the need for data on ownership and usage of nursery products and, particularly, for good data on the dimensions and physical characteristics of children within the relevant age ranges (anthropometric data).
Profession: Journalist G. Boh#re International Labour Office, 96/98 Marsham Street, London SWlP 4LY. pp 177 + ix, £7.50. News is a perishable product in fierce competition, and speed of execution dominates the work pace of a journalist, with the need to adjust working hours to meet prodUctiOn deadlines. This book is concerned mainly with the working conditions and other aspects of life of those who handle current news on a daily basis, such as news agency and daily newspaper journalists in the printed and audio-visual media. Features of employment, ethical standards, career problems, pay and industrial relations are among the subjects singled out for discussion and attention is focused throughout on the question: how have the: livesofjournalists been affected by the profound transformations in recent years in the world of communications and information? What are the implications for journalists of the replacement of traditional methods by advanced technological methods? This book attempts to give answers to these and other related questions.
Accidents are the most common cause of deaths of children over the age of one, and 40% of all home accidents involve children. Nursery products and other products intended specifically for use by or with young children account for a fairly small proportion of these accidents. However, where they do occur, accidents involving nursery goods can be particularly distressing as parents may have put their trust in what can turn out to be a less-than-safe design. It is frequently assumed that children's products have been tested against strict performance criteria, but often this is not the case.
Books received
In May 1984 The Child Accident Prevention Trust, Consumers' Association and the Ergonomics Society cohosted the seminar "Standards and their contribution to child safety" to provide a forum for designers,
Ergonomics recommendations for VDU workplace=
66
AppliedErgonomics March 1985
The managerial challenge ~:new office technology Harry Otway and Malcolm Peltu Butterworths, pp 246 + ix, £15.95.
Developments in design methodology Nigel Cross John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp 357 +x, £27.50,
European Computer Manufacturers Association, 1t4 Rue du RhSne, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. pp 32. No charge.
This book, written in French, presents anthropometric data from a survey of French drivers which was conducted in 1981-82. Twenty-nine measurements were taken from 1665 males and 1587 females from a total of 33 survey points throughout France. The age range for the males was 18-77 years (~- = 39-7, sd --- 12"2) and for the females was 18-75 years, (-K = 35.9, sd = 11-2). The authors provide a detailed account of the sampling procedure and the measurement techniques. In addition, each measurement is depicted by a photograph and a drawing. The specific measurements are: weight, stature (with and without shoes), sitting height (erect and slumped), eye-height, shoulder height and nipple height (above seat surface), eye to top of head, upper arm length, lower arm length, arm length, forward arm reach (two handed, both fingertip and grasping reach), buttock-knee length, buttockpopliteal length, knee height, popliteal height, thigh depth, shoe length, width and heel height, bideltoid breadth, elbow to elbow breadth, interscye, waist, seat breadth, chest depth and stomach depth. Fifth, 50th and 95th percentile data are given for five age categories (18-24, 2 5 - 3 4 , 35-44, 4 5 - 5 4 and 55+ years), and a detailed table of percentile values is given for the entire sample of each sex. Frequency histograms and cumulative frequency graphs are also given for both sexes. The book also contains numerous dispersion diagrams for various pairs of measurements that need to be considered together when designing car interiors. For example, these data can be used to determine the percentage of French people who could not be comfortably accommodated in the rear seat of a car given the maximum sitting height and buttock-knee length that could be accommodated. Although the book is written in French, it is laid out so clearly that it can be easily used by anyone with limited or even nonexistent command of this language. J.M. Porter
Standards and their contribution to child safety Consumers'Association,Castlemead,GascoyneWay, Hertford SG14 1LH. pp 38, £5.
manufacturers, retailers, health professionals, researchers and all those concerned with the Safety of children'S products. The seminar explored some of the issues involved in designing safe products for children and the role that Standards and Regulations play in that process. Seventy,five delegates attended,including a substantial number of manufacturers and retailers (approaching 50%). The proceedings of the seminar have been published by the Consumers' Association. These summarise the speakers' contributions and report fully the two discussion sessions. They include a full list of delegates and a short bibliography. The main conclusions can be summarised as recognising: • the need for a general safety standard covering basic safety criteria for all children's products • the need for existing standards to be used wherever possible; and the fact that they have been used to be made clear to the buyer, e g, by marking the product with the relevant BS number or, when appropriate, by using the Kitemark • the need for data on ownership and usage of nursery products and, particularly, for good data on the dimensions and physical characteristics of children within the relevant age ranges (anthropometric data).
Profession: Journalist G. Boh#re International Labour Office, 96/98 Marsham Street, London SWlP 4LY. pp 177 + ix, £7.50. News is a perishable product in fierce competition, and speed of execution dominates the work pace of a journalist, with the need to adjust working hours to meet prodUctiOn deadlines. This book is concerned mainly with the working conditions and other aspects of life of those who handle current news on a daily basis, such as news agency and daily newspaper journalists in the printed and audio-visual media. Features of employment, ethical standards, career problems, pay and industrial relations are among the subjects singled out for discussion and attention is focused throughout on the question: how have the: livesofjournalists been affected by the profound transformations in recent years in the world of communications and information? What are the implications for journalists of the replacement of traditional methods by advanced technological methods? This book attempts to give answers to these and other related questions.
Accidents are the most common cause of deaths of children over the age of one, and 40% of all home accidents involve children. Nursery products and other products intended specifically for use by or with young children account for a fairly small proportion of these accidents. However, where they do occur, accidents involving nursery goods can be particularly distressing as parents may have put their trust in what can turn out to be a less-than-safe design. It is frequently assumed that children's products have been tested against strict performance criteria, but often this is not the case.
Books received
In May 1984 The Child Accident Prevention Trust, Consumers' Association and the Ergonomics Society cohosted the seminar "Standards and their contribution to child safety" to provide a forum for designers,
Ergonomics recommendations for VDU workplace=
66
AppliedErgonomics March 1985
The managerial challenge ~:new office technology Harry Otway and Malcolm Peltu Butterworths, pp 246 + ix, £15.95.
Developments in design methodology Nigel Cross John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp 357 +x, £27.50,
European Computer Manufacturers Association, 1t4 Rue du RhSne, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. pp 32. No charge.