DIN SPEC 33402-5:2010-11

Body mass data are extremely important for the ergonomic design of products and workplaces. However, the metrological acquisition of body mass data is costly and the acquired data become obsolete relatively quickly (for instance, through the growth rate of the population). As a result of this, the development of a statistically sustainable extrapolation or assessment model would make sense, with which, with available measurement data, the changes in each body mass can be depicted as best as possible over time. Within the framework of a study sponsored by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft (BMWi) (German Federal Ministry of Economics) for "Innovation mit Normen und Standards" (INS) ("Innovation with norms and standards") of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) e. V., the University of Potsdam examined the possibility of developing methods for extrapolation or assessment of body mass. A workshop took place as a part of the project in 2008, in which external experts and the experts of NA 023-00-03 GA "Anthropometrie und Biomechanik" ("Anthropometry and biomechanics") participated. DIN SPEC 33402-5 is based on the results of this study. It deals with the known biological and social factors of influence (secular acceleration, migration, social changes...) on body mass within a population and analyses the current national data availability with regards to body mass as a basis for possible extrapolation or assessment methods. Moreover, an appropriate extrapolation or assessment method is sought and evaluated. The Committee responsible is NA 023-00-03 GA "Gemeinschaftsarbeitsausschuss NAErg/NAM: Anthropometrie und Biomechanik" ("Joint Working Committee NAErg/NAM: Anthropometry and Biomechanics") at DIN.