Seated 

work activities 

Ergonomic considerations in seated work

How do we think we sit?

How do we actually sit?
Rani Lueder, CPE
Humanics ErgoSystems, Inc. How should we sit? 
www.humanics-es.com 
Humanics  Humanics 

Bernardino Ramazzini (1777)  Many of the same risk factors a century ago. 

“First, constant sitting, secondly the

incessant movement of the hand and always
in the same direction…”
“Incessant driving of the pen over paper
causes intense fatigue of the hand and the
whole arm because of the continuous and
almost tonic strain on the muscles and
tendons, which in course of of time results
in failure of power in the right hand”. 
Bernardino Ramazzini on the Diseases of Writers 
Ramazzini (1777) from Essai sur les Maladies de Disseus 
Original translation from Latin in "De Mortis Artificum" by M. De Foureau  Humanics  Humanics 

Over 1,000 postures people can sustain 

Often reflect
national, cultural
and gender
differences. 

Hewes, G.W. (1957) The 
anthropology of posture.  Scientific 
Hewes, G.W. (1957) The anthropology of posture.  Scientific American.  Feb. 123­132.  Humanics  American.  Feb. 123­132. Humanics 

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Seated work activities 

If all you have is a hammer, When our posture is not supported,

. . . you think everything is a nail. 
most comfortable ≠ what‛s best 

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Comfortable Symptoms are

≠ best complicated
postures  and
ß Healthy ligament
unpredictable 
Damaged ligament (below)

Provenzano et al (2001) Microstructural 
morphology in the transition region. 
Connective Tissue Research. 42, 123­133.  Humanics  Humanics 

Tunnels  Screw up
one thing,
screw up
everything!

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Seated work activities 

What are good postures?

How do we support the back? 

Neutral postures
l Balance muscle loads

l Reduce physical demands

l Relieve physical stress 

“The case for & against movement for its sake”, by Rani Lueder, CPE 
www.humanics­es.com/movement­ergonomics.htm 
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Keegan x-rayed one man 13 times  Pelvic tilt 

Standing Sitting erect Sitting relaxed 

Keegan, J.J. (1953) Alterations of the lumbar curve related to posture  Keegan, J.J. (1953) Alterations of the lumbar curve related to posture and 
and seating. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 35A, 3, 589­603.  Humanics  seating. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 35A, 3, 589­603.  Humanics 

Intradiscal pressures  Intradiscal pressures 

Andersson, B. J.; Ortengren, R.; Nachemson, A.; Elfstrom, G. (1974) Lumbar 
disc pressure and myoelectric back muscle activity during sitting. I. Studies on  Wilke, H. J.; Neef, P.; Caimi, M.; Hoogland, T.; Claes, L. E. (1999) New in vivo 
an experimental chair. Scand J Rehabil Med. 6(3), 104­114.  Humanics  measurements of pressures in the intervertebral disc in daily life. Spine. 24(8), 755­762. Humanics 

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Seated work activities 

Lumbar fit  The seat pan 

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Zazen sitting “Rotatory” movements 

Sacral support 

van Deursen, D. L.; Lengsfeld, M.; Snijders, C. J.; Evers, J. J.; Goossens, R. H. (2000) Mechanical 
www.humanics­es.com/zenseating.htm  Humanics  effects of continuous passive motion on the lumbar spine in seating. J Biomechanics. 33(6), 695­699. Humanics 

The “gender gap”  “Fit”: user and seat pivot point

Female Male 
Tichauer, E. R. (1978)  Biomechanical basis of ergonomics: Anatomy applied  Dunk, N. M.; Callaghan, J. P. (2005) Gender­based differences in postural 
to the design of work situations. John Wiley & Sons, p. 99.  Humanics  responses to seated exposures. Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol). 20(10), 1101­1110.  Humanics 

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Seated work activities 

Seat height and depth  Seat compression 

Rani Lueder review at www.humanics­es.com/seatheightrevis.htm  Humanics  Humanics 

Postural constraints  Fit? 

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Fit?  Lines of sight

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Seated work activities 

Standing and sitting viewing angles  And then, the training

l Critical information is missing

l Content is wrong
l “Blame the victim” (for bad design) 

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Training effects The practice effect …

l Practice effect l Practice as a group, using their own chair

(stay away from a work surface).

l Order effect l Demonstrate all chairs they need to adjust.

l Direction of adjustment effect  l Find a way to fully adjust in one minute. 

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The order effect Direction of adjustment

l Seat height. Seat height: Down, then up then down

l Seat pan depth. Back height: Down, then up, then down
l Backrest height and angle. Seat tension: Low, then high, then down
l Backrest tension – unlocked.
l Armrest width and height. 

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Seated work activities 

Seat adjustments… More on adjustments…

l Active vs. passive controls l Keep adjustment steps consistent

l Adjustments
l Can employees with CTDs adjust?
à obvious, easy, intuitive
l Left-handed users 
à from seated position
l Adjustment controls interact 

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Best time to train… Seat design trends

l Dynamic backrests for a dynamic back.

l ASAP
l Rethink forward seats.
l When the new furniture arrives l Keep moving!
l When moving / starting a job  l Foot support, finger height, line of sight.
l Neck supports.
l One size does not fit all. 

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Download handouts 

www.humanics-es.com/seating.htm

Thank you!

Rani Lueder, CPE

Humanics ErgoSystems, Inc.
Ph: (818) 345-ERGO (3746)
Humanics  www.humanics-es.com Humanics 

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 About Rani Lueder

Rani Lueder, MSIE, CPE is President of Humanics ErgoSystems, Inc. an ergonomics

consulting firm in Encino, California that she established in 1982. She has consulted,
performed research and served as an expert witness in occupational ergonomics,
posture and the design and evaluation of products and places for adults, children and
people with disabilities for more than two and a half decades. She has consulted for
corporations, governments and universities in seven countries and has provided expert
testimony on a range of cases related to product design, occupational health and
accommodating people with disabilities.

She has performed large-scale evaluations for organizations and served on retainer for
numerous organizations. She continues to serve on retainer to the Japanese Scientific
University, the University of Waseda. She also served on retainer for several years with
the Japan Institute of Human Posture (Tokyo), The University of Waseda and
ErgoSeating in Japan. She was a member of the ANSI committee revising the American
National Standard for workstation design.

She teaches human factors and ergonomics in industrial design at the Art Center College
of Design in Pasadena on a regular basis. Her service-related activities include
participating in various ergonomics standards committees and chairing a Human Factors
and Ergonomics Society Task Force on their online human factors and ergonomics
content and services.

She edited and co-authored the book "Ergonomics for children: Designing products and
places for toddlers to teens (2008; Taylor and Francis, London and New York). Her
second edited book, "Hard Facts about Soft Machines: The ergonomics of seated
posture" is available in seven countries from Taylor and Francis (1995). Previously, she
edited and was a joint author of the book "The Ergonomics Payoff; Designing the
electronic office" (HRW). She was United States co-organizer for the “2nd International
Conference on Seated Posture”, held in 1988 at Waseda University near Tokyo, Japan.

Rani has an MSIE in Ergonomics/Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech, and is a

member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (US). The Board of Certification
in Professional Ergonomics certifies her (#258).

Her website at www.humanics-es.com contains extensive content in ergonomics.