Fatigue study : $b the elimination of humanity's greatest unnecessary waste. A first step in motion studyGilbreth, Lillian Moller
Science
Fatigue study : $b the elimination of humanity's greatest unnecessary waste. A first step in motion study
Gilbreth, Lillian Moller
Fatigue; Industrial efficiency; Motion study
These pictures are of meetings of the Foreman’s Club at the New
England Butt Co. examining films of methods of least fatigue, proposed
for standardization.]
Social “Happiness Minutes” will consist of the sum of the individual
“Happiness Minutes” plus that intangible thing called “social spirit.”
It is exemplified in a case like this: A certain group of workers had
been studied from the motion study and the fatigue standpoint. The
result of the work had been incorporated in their daily practice,
and they had been working for a period of many months under
the readjusted working conditions and with the new methods. At the
end of this time they were gathered at a foremen’s meeting, where a
micromotion film, showing the development of the methods which they
used, was presented. In discussing the film the speaker took the
occasion to say that on observing the work in the plant he felt that
some lapses from the method prescribed were in existence. The next
morning, when he walked through the plant, he was stopped by a worker,
who said, “See here! I don’t believe we are falling away from that
method a bit. If we are, just show us where, and we will go straight
back to it. We want to play the game right.” This is the test of the
outcome. Is the organization lined up as one man back of the work? If
so, the problem of maintenance and of automatic improvement is solved.
Summary.
At any stage in the process of fatigue elimination the results may be
tested. The general health of the worker, his prolonged activity, his
posture, his behaviour act as such tests. To these may be added the
amount of skill transferred and being transferred, and the effect, in
particular, on “Happiness Minutes.” If the organization endorses the
work and co-operates in it, the work may be rated successful.
CHAPTER X
THE FUTURE: WHAT EACH ONE OF US CAN DO
The Work of the Colleges.
It should be the work of the colleges to gather together what has been
done in fatigue elimination, and to put it at the disposal of all
interested. Each college should start a fatigue museum, and should
invite its graduates first, and all those in its vicinity second,
to co-operate and to send exhibits or pictures of exhibits to its
museum. The colleges are recognized as not interested in any particular
industry, as fair and impartial, and as standing for uplift in the
community. It is, therefore, their duty to act as repositories for
the data, at least until such times as the national government takes
over the leadership in the entire fatigue question, and becomes the
custodian of the data.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account