Dear all,
Professor Bruce Etnyre (of Rice University) has mentioned a few things that
are designed for right-handers that can be dangerous when used by left-
handers:
· firearms
· gear shifts & gas/brake pedals (in countries driving on the right-hand
side of the road)
· all power tools.
He mentions that are some are merely annoying for left-handers such as
watches, musical instruments and corkscrews.
Another safety problem is often found with controls designed for industrial
countries where they drive on the "wrong" side of the road. Sharon Fan (of
Waterloo University, Canada) has provided me with some interesting
information on accidents due to discrepancies between international road
laws on traffic re the so-called "correct side of the road";
see "anecdotes" and "steering wheels";
http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm
Does anyone know of any cranes and backhoes that have controls that are
designed for left-handers?
Regards,
David McFarlane
Ergonomist, WorkCover Authority
New South Wales, Australia
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