Ergonomic compatibility between sewing workstation and Bangladeshi apparel workers

Prolonged sitting with awkward posture during sewing results in musculoskeletal disorders among sewing operators. This study aimed to identify the compatibility of the sewing furniture with operators' anthropometry. Therefore, 13 anthropometric measurements of 368 sewing operators were collected and compared with sewing furniture dimensions. The results showed that all anthropometric measurements other than hip breadth were larger for male participants. In addition, statistical analysis performed on the collected data showed significant variation compared to the existing dimensions of sewing machines. Results also indicated a high mismatch for different dimensions of the sewing table and chair, such as seat height, seat width, seat depth, table depth, etc. For this reason, sewing operators often experience musculoskeletal disorders. Finally, this study recommends some guidelines for designing the sewing workstation, which might act as a basis for manufacturers or importers to set provisions for sewing machines.