STEP 9 – ELIMINATE FATIGUE IN YOUR KITCHEN
All the items that you use often (within one week) should be stored so you do not have to bend, stoop, climb, or stretch to reach them. The farther you reach away when doing a task, the more energy you expend. It will take you 4 times as much energy to reach 72 inches above the floor (a top shelf) as to reach 42 inches, and 19 times more energy to grab a pan from the bottom shelf of a base cabinet than to take the handle at your elbow height. To reduce fatigue and gain efficiency in your kitchen, it makes sense to store items you use often within what is called your “normal” working circle (shown in the drawing above). To determine your reach within your “maximum” and “normal” working circles, do the following:
DO THE FOLLOWING TO DETERMINE YOUR WORKING CIRCLES:
“Maximum Reach” – Swing your arm in a full circle without straining.
“Normal Reach” – Hold your upper arm parallel to the floor, then extend your hand upward.
(The height of your hand is the uppermost point of your “normal” working circle).
Therefore, the water glasses that you retrieve from a cupboard 10 times a day should be put within your “normal” working circle. The divided-vegetable dish used only once a month can be put on a higher shelf. The turkey- roasting pan, used only once a year, can be stashed in a cupboard as far away as the garage if you like.
When working at the centers in your kitchen, other factors will influence your ease of reach. A wider than normal counter top draws you farther away from the upper cabinets and shortens the height to where you can reach the shelves. Likewise, items stored at the back of deep shelves will require more reach than those stored on shallow shelves at the same height.
USE WORKSHEET 9 TO MEASURE POINTS YOU CAN AND CANNOT EASILY REACH IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN!
Check out Lifestyle Systems complete line of drawer and shelf organizers for the home and office at www.lifestylessystems.com. If you want to be an active participant to change/plan your kitchen download the corresponding worksheet for the workshop by clicking on the worksheet below:
Worksheet 1 – Cooks Profile
Worksheet 2 – Draw Your Kitchen
Worksheet 3 – My Work Triangle
Worksheet 4 – Location Of My Work Centers
Worksheet 5 – Measure My Counterspace
Worksheet 6 – Measure Heights of Work Surfaces
Worksheet 7 – Part 1 – Kitchen Storage Test
Worksheet 7 – Part 2 – Measure Your Kitchen Storage
Worksheet 8 – Part 1 – Kitchen Equipment Checklist
Worksheet 8 – Part 2 – Kitchen Equipment Checklist
Worksheet 8 – Part 3 – Tableware Storage Checklist
Worksheet 8 – Part 4 – Tableware Checklist Continued
Worksheet 8 – Part 5 – Supplies and Food Items Checklist
Worksheet 9 – Measure Points You Can Easily Reach In Your Kitchen
Worksheet 10 – How To Place Items In A Work Center
Worksheet 11 – Part 1 – Suggestions For Maximizing Storage Space In My Kitchen
Worksheet 11 – Part 2 – Suggestions For Maximizing Storage Space
Worksheet 11 – Part 3 – Suggestions For Maximizing Storage Space In My Kitchen
Worksheet 11 – Part 4 – Suggestions For Maximizing Storage Space In My Kitchen
Worksheet 12 – A Shopping List For Kitchen Equipment And Tableware
Worksheet 13 – Survey The Lighting And Electrical Outlets In My Kitchen
Worksheet 14 – Decorating Your Kitchen
Worksheet 15 – Gather Samples For My Kitchen
Worksheet 16 – Part 1 – Sources And Appointments
Worksheet 16 – Page 2 – Budget and Priority Schedule For My Kitchen
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