Maximum Acceptable Force Of Closing Overhead Stowage Bin Subject To Female Chinese Flight Attendants

Chinese airlines are facing substantial increases in passenger load,particularly as the nation is expected to be the largest global travel market,as indiciated by Boeing(2014)With evidences of occupational disorders,especially the occurences of the musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs),it is important to figure out the potential risks and the limits of flight attendants while they are performing diffferent in-flight tasks.The work condition of Chinese female attendants should be further improved so that a good health status is ensured,further guarantee the safety of passengers and provide better services.As luggage service is one of their main tasks,focusing on the interaction between over head stowage compartments and the flight attendants can be a start of relevant improvements.The methodology used in this study is divided into three main phases: interview,CAD simulation,and prototype experiment.The goal of this study is todetermine the maximum acceptable bin closing force for Chinese female flight attendants(FAs)to minimize the risk of upper limb and back cumulative trauma disorders and also determine a protocol that can be repeated in the United States for American flight attendants.The conclusion is that the lowest height of the cabin design provides the highest satisfaction score of Chinese female flight attendants when compared to other configuration settings.However,it does not provide the highest maximum acceptable closing bin force.On the other hand,the design that provides highest force have significant effect on discomfort score.The study shows contradicting results from the different aspects of evaluationand to find a balance between the comfort of flight attendants and the satisfation luggage load railsed a number of questions,potentially paving the way for further study to be done in this relatively new field of ergonomis cabin design.