Application of Ergonomic Design Standards in the Procurement of Hospital Furniture in Tertiary Health Institutions in Abuja

Hospital furniture procurement in Nigerian tertiary health institutions is predominantly driven by cost minimisation and vendor availability, with limited consideration for ergonomic design standards that protect patient safety, support clinical workflow, and reduce occupational strain among healthcare workers. This study evaluates the ergonomic adequacy of furniture procured for patient wards, examination rooms, and staff workstations in three tertiary hospitals in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. A mixed-methods investigation combining anthropometric measurement of furniture items, observational assessment of healthcare worker and patient interactions with furniture, and structured interviews with procurement officers and clinical staff reveals systematic mismatches between furniture dimensions and user body proportions. The study applies established ergonomic evaluation frameworks including the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool and international hospital furniture dimensional standards to quantify ergonomic deficiencies across forty-eight furniture types. Findings indicate that sixty-three percent of examined furniture items fail to meet at least one critical ergonomic dimension standard, contributing to elevated musculoskeletal complaint rates among nursing staff. A procurement decision framework incorporating ergonomic compliance criteria is developed and validated through consultations with procurement officers and clinical managers. The framework recommends mandatory ergonomic verification testing before furniture procurement approval. This study contributes professional design knowledge applicable to hospital management and health facility planning in Nigeria, and advocates for the inclusion of design specialists in tertiary hospital procurement committees. Keywords: ergonomic design, hospital furniture, healthcare procurement, Abuja, occupational health.