“YARMOUK UNIVERSITY”

‘Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology’

{Industrial Engineering Department}

((I.E 423))

^ Human Lab ^

Experiment # 2

“Hand tool design”

& Ali Emad Ghassab &

# 2014986069

Date: 18/3/2018

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1. Objectives:
1- To study the human hand anatomy and the major types of hand tools injuries.

2- To discuss the design rules for purposeful and effective hand tools.

3- To analyze certain hand tools and recommend changes for better performance
and comfort

2. Introduction:
The use of hand tools is as old as human kind. The art developed from simple
beginnings (using stones
And bones) to the power driven tools (drills and hammers). Although hand tools
are used to enhance the Physical capabilities of workers, their poor design may
cause decrease in productivity with slower work and more errors. A primary
concern of good hand tool design is mechanical advantage in applying force. An
important corollary is that this mechanical advantage should be made with the
body part in its natural orientation, not bent. Numerous cases of Cumulative
Trauma Disorder (CTD) are reported when people are forced to work with their
bodies unnaturally positioned. Also, the posture of hand and wrest affect the
potential for developing a musculoskeletal injury. When the wrest deviate, the
potential of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) increases. Neutral posture
of hand and the ways wrest can be deviated. The major principles of hand tool
and device design are listed here :
1- Fit the tool to the hand sizes of the tool users.
2- Do not bend the rest, always bend the tools.
3- Shape tool handles to assist grip.
4- Provide finger and gloves clearance.
5- Don’t let the tool vibrations travel to the hand.
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 6- In addition to vibration insulation, grips should also insulate from heat and
electrical energy.
7- Don’t operate tools frequently and forcefully by hand.
8- Fit the form of the tool handle to the human hand.
9- The tool center of gravity shouldn’t be too far away from the handle.
10-It is better to design tool to be used with both hands

3. Equipment’s:
1. Measurement tapes

2. Circumference cone

3. Screwdrivers

4. Pliers and different hand tools

4. Procedure:
1. Clean the workstation area and the equipment’s

2. Take the safety tips in considers.

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3. Students will work in groups; each group will be given certain hand tool to
check their design features.
4. Take the hand anthropometric measures.
hand Student #1 Student#2 Student#3 Student#4
anthropometri
c
Circumference 8.5 cm 8 cm 10 cm 9.5cm
of hand
Hand breadth 10 cm 10 cm 12cm 10 cm
Circumference 18 cm 17 cm 20 cm 16 cm
of wrist
Maximum grip 45 cm 34.5 cm 40 cm 45 cm
size

Tool 1 (Hummer) Length =13.5 Diameter=7

Tool 2 (plier) Length =9 Diameter=11.5
Tool 3 (steel plier) Length =11.7 Diameter=12

Mean standard deviation

5. Calculate the upper limit (95th %), and the lower contact limit (5th %):

; Z = 1.65

Dimension Dimension name gender mean SD 5th % 95th %

no.
1. Circumference of M 9 0.91 7.5 10.5
hand F
2. Hand breadth M 10.5 1 8.85 12.15
F
3. Circumference of M 17.75 1.7 14.945 20.55
wrist F
4. Maximum grip size M 41.125 5 32.875 49.375

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 F

5. Discussion of the result:

Based on the mean, I made these checklists:
hand Circumfere Hand Circumfere Maxim Hand
dimensions nce of bread nce of um injury
hand th wrist grip
size

Hand
tool
Wrist
Sprain,
Hand-
Arm
Vibrati
on
Syndro
me
(HAVS).
Wrist
Sprain,
Hand-
Arm
Vibrati
on
Syndro
me
(HAVS),
shocks
Wrist
Sprain,
injuries
,
shocks,

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 damag
e to
muscle
s,
tendon
s,
nerves,
ligame
nts,
joints,
cartilag
e,
spinal
Discs or
blood
vessels,
shocks.
Hand-
Arm
Vibrati
on
Syndro
me
(HAVS),
shocks.

Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Hand injury
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11
principles

Hand
tool
Wrist
Sprain,
Hand-Arm
Vibration
Syndrome
(HAVS).
Wrist
Sprain,
Hand-Arm
Vibration
Syndrome
(HAVS),
shocks

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 Wrist
Sprain,
injuries,
shocks,

damage to
muscles,
tendons,
nerves,
ligaments,
joints,
cartilage,
spinal
Discs or
blood
vessels,
shocks.
Hand-Arm
Vibration
Syndrome
(HAVS),
shocks.

6. Report your recommendations to redesign the tool and eliminate the errors in
the original design. Discuss the consistency of your new design with hand
anthropometry.

-> The tools I suggest to design have to be as followings:

Its cross section has to be in this range:

38.6984 cm -46.1016 cm

->The tools center of gravity has to be in this range:

8.46210 cm-9.93790 cm

It has to be made from isolate material to prevent shocks; also it must have
allowances to use gloves.

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7. Switch the tools between groups and repeat the procedure.

6. Questions:
Q1) what is the effect of bending the wrest? Is it always the best to bend the tool
not the wrest?

S1 > Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition affecting the hand and wrist. The
carpal tunnel is spaces in the wrist surrounded by wrist bones and by a rigid
ligament that links the bones together, yes it always right to bend the tool not the
wrest.

Q2) Why is it necessary to train the operators when using a new hand tool?

S2 > To prevent injuries, diseases, and to maximize the work efficiency.

Q3) what is the effect of tool maintenance on reducing the risk for injuries?

S3 > - Proper tools will reduce the vibration.

-It makes the tool fit the worker hand, which will reduce the injuries.

Q4) what are the disadvantages of contouring the handle of the hand tool to fit
the hand closely?

S4 > Cause injuries because of the closeness to the working area, maximize the
efforts.

Q5) what are the problems associated with the powered hand tools?

S5 > Shocks minimize work effectiveness because of afraid to use these tools.

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8. References:
1. https://medlineplus.gov/handinjuriesanddisorders.html

2. Laboratory gaudiness.

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tape_measure
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screwdriver

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliers

7. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/carpal.html