De lange Nederlandse militair in de verdrukking [The tall Dutch soldier squeezed in tight workplaces]
article
The material used by the Dutch armed forces is designed according to Milstandards. These standards are based on an average stature of 1.74 m. The average stature of 20 year old Dutch males, however, is approximately 1.83 m. With this height they belong to the tallest in the world. Consequently, when working in confined spaces such as cockpits and tanks many of the taller users suffer from backaches. The new Dutch law on working conditions requires the adjustment of workplaces to the physical dimensions of the users. Therefore demands have to be made regarding the acceptable body dimensions of the users. This means in practice that a large part of the taller users should be excluded from working in such tight places. As the percentage of men to be excluded can rise to 30, staffing problems arise.
In this article these problems are illustrated by means of practical examples. It is argued to revise the Milstandards such that the equipment designed according to these standards can be used for the population of all NATO countries.
In this article these problems are illustrated by means of practical examples. It is argued to revise the Milstandards such that the equipment designed according to these standards can be used for the population of all NATO countries.
Topics
TNO Identifier
7735
Source
Militaire Spectator, 162(4), pp. 158-164.
Pages
158-164