06/I139

Especificaciones para el diseño de equipamiento escolar saludable. Ergonomía de concepción.
Rules for the design of healthy school gear and furniture. Preventive ergonomics.

Director: DEL ROSSO, Roxana María
Correo Electrónico: roxana.del.rosso@speedy.com.ar; ergonomia@fad.uncu.edu.ar

Co-Director: EIRIN, Guillermo Rubén

Integrantes: PATTINI, Andrea; ARIZA, Raquel; ONETO, Fernando; TOMASSIELLO, Roberto Luis; CARRILLO, Juan Carlos; RODRIGUEZ, Roberto Germán; LASAGNO, Cecilia Marta; CIRILO, Carlos; OCHOA, Valeria; BARATA, Érica; GARCIA MICHREF, Marisol; MONTEOLIVA, Juan Manuel; RONCHIETTO, Victorio; HINRICHSEN, Enzo Uhe; VERNHES, Marcelo José; BUSTAMANTE, Antonio.

Resumen Técnico: Los excesivos casos de consulta profesional de niños y adolescentes por patologías de columna, hacen considerar la necesidad de revisar los hábitos posturales en las actividades escolares, domésticas y recreativas. En este proyecto se focaliza la actividad áulica por su incidencia en cuanto a obligatoriedad y cantidad de horas de exposición al riesgo. El mobiliario escolar podría constituir una concausa de patologías de columna en niños y adolescentes. Una aproximación visual inicial guiada por criterios ergonómicos por las escuelas de la provincia y del país en general permite concluir que en muchos casos “el mobiliario existente no se adapta a las dimensiones de los usuarios. En este sentido el ideario sobre una buena postura o la denominada postura de Staffel (Dr. Staffel; cirujano ortopedista 1884 (en la Alemania de Bismarck) que implica un ángulo de 90º entre tronco y muslos, ha quedado superada en la actualidad mostrando evidencias de consecuencias sobre las columna lumbar e incomodidad en el usuario por lo cual es imposible mantenerla durante un tiempo prolongado. La misma evidencia de posturas patógenas son observadas en docentes que debe agacharse sobre los bancos de los alumnos. Resulta entonces necesaria una renovación racional del mobiliario escolar, no solo desde lo dimensional, sino desde el canon ergonómico de posicionar al cuerpo en una buena postura para el aprendizaje. El desarrollo del proyecto contempla la selección de un establecimiento escolar piloto, la recopilación de información antropométrica de alumnos, dimensiones, tipologías y distribución del equipamiento en los espacios de clase para luego aplicar los diseños de modelos de prueba. El estudio se enfocará en la postura del estudiante, partiendo de la premisa que el mobiliario, en particular silla y pupitre son las primeras determinantes posturales. Las posturas se analizarán desde el punto de vista de la biomecánica, para validar su salubridad. Por otro lado se ponderará la incidencia de la postura en la eficiencia del trabajo mental, atención y concentración durante el período de trabajo en clase. La información obtenida permitirá convalidar las posturas actuales con las producidas por los modelos de prueba y medir su eficacia. Se utilizarán las técnicas de fotografía, video filmación, entrevistas, listado de chequeo. Los conocimientos obtenidos de la ejecución del proyecto podrían aportar beneficios directos a los estudiantes, los docentes, los fabricantes de mobiliario escolar, a los entes gubernamentales responsables de las decisiones respecto de requisitos y adquisición de equipamiento escolar.  A nivel nacional la transferencia será aplicada por el “Proyecto de equipamiento educativo. INTI PRODISEÑO” y Plan Provincial de Diseño de Mendoza. Es oportuno señalar que el producto de esta investigación será factible de transferir a la enseñanza de la Ergonomía en las carreras de Diseño Industrial, Higiene y Seguridad y Medicina del Trabajo.

Summary: The great number of school professional stuff and students with spinal column pathologies raises the need to revise the postural habits in school, domestic and recreation activities. This project is focused on classroom activities, as they have major incidence on the problem, due to the fact this activity is compulsory and the many hours people are exposed to risk. The school furniture might represent one of the causes of column pathologies in children at school, if we think that they expend five hours in classroom every school day, and this situation extends in some cases up to the completion of university studies. The increasing number of lumbagos and cervical pathologies in young persons is a real concern among the health professionals and those who perform preventive activities. The ergonomic approach to this subject is based on the systemic vision if this discipline, which visualize the relationship person/machine as a set of interactive components that follow a common purpose. A basic visual inspection, guided by ergonomic criteria, of schools province and countrywide allows to conclude that in many cases" the existing furniture does not fit physical dimansion of users, who have in some cases to keep their feet hanging from the edge of the seat because it is to high. In other cases desk are so small that the knees of the user overpass the desk board and the user has to bend over the table for working. It has also been observed that user physical needs that take place during normal school activities are not attended. In this regards the philosophy of good postural posture Staffel's posture, which proposes 90º angle between calf and thighs, has been overcome at present, as lumbar ache and discomfort occurred the user try to keep this postion for a relatively long period.. Similar evidence of pathogenic postures they are has been observed in teachers that need to stoop frequently on student’s desk and tables. It came out from this discussion that a rational renovation of school gear and furniture is needed.. Not only is necessary to redesign and renovate school furniture from the dimensional point of view, but also from the ergonomic principle of posturing to the body in a good an appropriate posture for the learning. The selection of a study case based in an actual real school having the three academic level (initial Level, primary and secondary) has been selected to be used as s testing case is proposed in this project. Once the test school has been selectived, an anthropometric survey is then initiated, which is then documented and compared with existing anthropometric tables and graphs to be able to design the new models. A survey about the type and characteristics of existing furniture, as well as they way they are distributed in classrooms will also be then conducted. This study will focus on student posture, based on the basis that school furniture, especially chair and table are first postural determinants. The posture adopted by the uses on a given piece of furniture will be analyzed from the point of view of bio-mechanic, to validate his health. On the other hand the incident of the posture will be considered in the efficiency of the mental work, attention and concentration during the period of work in class. On the other hand, the impact of posture deficiency on mental performance, including attention and concentration during the work or class periods, will be analyzed. The information and data thus obtained will allow to validate postures current adopted by students against the test model outputs, so that efficacy can be measure. Advanced photography, video, interviews and other means deem to be appropriate for this purpose will utilize to develop this project.