Page 303 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

296 Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

Standard anthropometry (traditional contact methods) dimensions are measured
from one point on the body (or fixed surface such as the floor) to another. In the case
of circumferences, the dimension is measured around a part of the body at a specified
level. These measurements are taken with specific instruments: anthropometer, mea-
surement tape, caliper.
Sufficient extensive anthropometric studies are required to ensure the fit of pro-
duced uniform/working clothing series, with sufficient understanding of the measure-
ments for that part of the population for which the designed PPE is to be produced. For
example, when designing firefighters’ clothing, it is appropriate to establish only mor-
phological characteristics of firefighting and rescue workers. If work is not associated
with a severe physical load, the sizing system of the common population will also be
essential. The design of the garment may then be used for existing anthropometric
databases, which are collections of:
– individual body measurements (anthropometric data—dimensional measurements, such as
heights, lengths, depths, breadths, and circumferences, of the human body and its compo-
nent parts),
– background information (demographic data—such as sex, dwelling or working place, occu-
pation, education).
Anthropometric databases are used to describe members of the user population (pop-
ulation segment or segments for whom a technological design is intended) and/or pop-
ulation segment (group of people having one or more common background
characteristics that influence their anthropometric distribution) recorded on a group
of people (the sample) (ISO 7250-1:2017, 2017).
It is desirable that the number of subjects needed for a database be established using
a statistical power formula based on the accuracy of results desired by the investigator
(ISO 15535:2012). However, in reality, the selection of subjects is often influenced by
various factors, such as a population size, number of people who agree to participate,
and cost and period of time required for the investigation. Sample size shall be suf-
ficient to estimate the value of a given measurement in a specified group. In most
cases, anthropometric data for technological design are of interest at the 5th and
95th percentiles.
The majority of the body measurements and derived measurements will serve to
fulfill multiple design and sizing purposes and will be used in some of the following
categories: basic body descriptors, key measurements, garments including personal
equipment, clothing manikins, load-carrying systems, head and face equipment, foot-
wear, handwear, workspace and body clearance, vehicle accommodation, biomechan-
ical body links, computer manikins, and body templates.

11.3.2 User population characteristics

The standard figure of the human body is a spatially simplified form of anthropometric
classified bodies, for which a set of the rest body measurement values are proportion-
ally calculated, so that this form is representative of a certain age-sex group, which
would be a commercially or otherwise significant number of consumers (for example,