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Work Measurement and Ergonomics

Copyright © May 15, 2019 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

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Click on How to Estimate Production Quotas for New Jobs to read Chapter Twenty-Eight of this book.


ISBN: 978-1732788329
Type of Book: Paperback
Book Size: 6 inches by 9 inches
Number of Pages: 288
Normal Price: $14.95


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Book Description on Amazon.com

This is not a typical college textbook. This book focuses on the knowledge and skills that an engineer needs to know in order to correctly and successfully apply the concepts of motion study and time study to the jobs at his or her company.

In each chapter the topics are explained in a conversational manner and a college degree in engineering is not necessary to be able to understand and master the skills presented in this book. Technical words and engineering terms are carefully explained using simple words. Practical examples are used to demonstrate how to apply each of the concepts presented in this book. Each topic is explained in a way that illustrates how the technique could be used to make a good engineering decision or a good management decision about a job that is currently being evaluated.

This book explains how to use work measurement concepts to create realistic time standards for almost any type of job. This book also clearly explains how to enhance jobs through the strategic application of ergonomics and human factors engineering. Motion economy principles are explained and discussed in detail to illustrate how they can be used to simplify jobs, improve quality, increase production, and enhance employee satisfaction.

The work measurement techniques discussed in this book could be used by almost anyone to help his or her organization become more efficient and more profitable. For example, a manager, production supervisor, or an engineer could benefit from reading this book. This includes mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, chemical engineers, management engineers, manufacturing engineers, industrial engineers, systems engineers, and anyone else whose job requires them to analyze the work of some company employees but who does not have an intimate knowledge of work measurement procedures.

This book includes a condensed explanation of basic statistics, learning curves, job analysis, ergonomics, human factors engineering, motion study, personal fatigue and delay allowances, performance rating, time study, work sampling, predetermined motion time systems, costing methods, and how to create an engineered standard time for a new job. The author has taught college courses in all of the preceding topics at either the undergraduate or graduate level from 1984 to 2019.

From 1982 to 2019 the author has also done industrial engineering consulting work for dozens of organizations such as: Alemite Corp., Amoco, Anheuser-Busch, Bartow County Bank, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Ciba-Vision, Consolidated Groceries, Delta Airlines, Equifax, EMS Inc., FedEx, General Motors, Georgia Marble, Georgia Power, Heatlhcare Atlanta, Herman Miller Furniture, Home Depot, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Marta, Motorola, Nationwide Credit, Porex, Scientific Atlanta, Scovill Fasteners, Siemens, Southern Mills, Southwire, U.S. Can, U.S. Navy, Wayne Farms, and ZF Industries.

This book discusses the concept in each chapter from a traditional perspective without relying on computer software or computer printouts. After you understand how these concepts actually work and when they should be used, then it is not too difficult to learn how to use a software program that will generate the answers for you. However, since software programs are updated and changed every two or three years, this book does not recommend or explain how to use specific software programs.

Finally, in order to keep the publisher's recommended retail price of this book as low as possible, this book does not contain any color pictures because color pictures increase the printing cost by about 400%. The low retail price of this book should make it affordable for anyone who is interested in learning the knowledge and skills described in this book.

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Preface to
Introduction to Work Measurement and Ergonomics

This book does not contain the academic rigor of the normal college textbook. This book was written to assist an individual correctly perform the work measurement duties of an industrial or systems engineer.

This book uses simple English to explain the topics in each chapter and a college degree in engineering is not necessary to be able to understand and master the skills presented in this book.

I graduated from VPI&SU in 1972 with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Then I worked as an Industrial Engineer for 9 years and as an Engineering Manager for 3 years. I was responsible for creating piecework time studied standards on production operations, material handling jobs, and warehousing operations where the employee's daily pay was determined by the standards I established. In 1975 I was responsible for creating MTM standards on all the jobs in my company’s Puerto Rican facility so the information could be used in our new Florida facility that was under construction to train employees and to determine the number of machines and people required to staff that new facility. In 1982 I developed time standards on bank tellers.

From 1984 to 2019 I taught engineering and management courses as a full-time Professor at a major university.

While teaching I also worked part-time as an Industrial Engineering Consultant for dozens of organizations such as: Alemite Corp., Amoco, Anheuser-Busch, Bartow County Bank, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Ciba-Vision, Consolidated Groceries, Delta Airlines, Equifax, EMS Inc., FedEx, General Motors, Georgia Marble, Georgia Power, Heatlhcare Atlanta, Herman Miller Furniture, Home Depot, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Company, Marta, Motorola, Nationwide Credit, Porex, Scientific Atlanta, Scovill Fasteners, Siemens, Southern Mills, Southwire, U.S. Can, U.S. Navy, Wayne Farms, and ZF Industries.

As an Industrial Engineering Consultant I audited the MOST standards of a major Canadian company in order to comply with a request from the company’s labor union for an independent audit of the company's MOST standards because those standards were being used to determine the daily pay of the company’s employees.

Based on my life experiences I intimately understand the difference between academic knowledge and the knowledge required by an industrial engineer who earns a living with both feet on the ground in a manufacturing or service organization.

This book is focused on the topics an industrial or systems engineer will be required to use on a regular basis during his or her professional career when creating engineered time standards.

Respectfully,
Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
May 15, 2019

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Table of Contents

Chapter		Page
1	Introduction	1
2	History of Work Measurement	3
3	Charting Symbols	9
4	Operation Process Charts	13
5	Flow Process Charts and Flow Diagrams	17
6	Left Hand - Right Hand Charts	27
7	Multiple Activity Charts	31
8	The Normal Distribution and the Poisson Distribution	35
9	Quality Standards and Continuous Improvement	47
10	Learning Curves	51
11	Job Analysis and Data Collection Techniques	67
12	Anthropology and Anthropometry	75
13	Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics	77
14	Motion Study and Therbligs	81
15	Motion Economy Principles	85
16	Element Analysis	95
17	Personal, Fatigue, and Delay Allowances	99
18	Work Measurement and Engineered Standards	113
19	Performance Rating, Pace/Speed Rating Systems	123
20	The Best Pace/Speed Rating System & 100% Performance	137
21	Time Study	151
22	Work Sampling	175
23	Predetermined Motion Time Systems (PMTS)	181
24	Walter G. Holmes’ Predetermined Motion Time System	191
25	Methods-Time Measurement (MTM)	211
26	Maynard Operation Sequence Technique (MOST)	235
27	Basic Engineered Standard Times for a Few Activities	239
28	Quotas and Engineered Standard Times for New Jobs	245
29	Minimum Sample Size	253
30	Total Product Cost	257
31	Productivity: How to Measure It and How to Improve It	263
32	Computer Hardware and Computer Software	267
	Appendix: Reference Tables	269
	Index	281
	About the Author	284

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Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com