A Review of Anthropometric Databases for an Inclusive Workforce: Constructing Databases

Poor design of products and processes across different industries may contribute to accidents, injuries and productivity losses, but it can be improved with the aid of anthropometric databases. However, many anthropometric databases lack a good representation of the intended work population. Through a literature review, this paper identified the diverse methods in constructing anthropometric databases and best practices for the design of products for an inclusive workforce. It was found that manual measurements are the most commonly-cited method in peer-reviewed literature because of its low cost and long-standing tradition. Meanwhile, 3D scanners have been reported in a few recent studies, but there is a surge of interest in these methods. We recognized a need for increased representation of different segments of the population to better characterize the cultural and ethnic mosaic present in different countries.