Citation

Gallwey TJ. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1992; 9(3): 205-212.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Traditional work measurement ignores differences between individuals and treats work-times as constant values. Investigations into human variability due to physiology, psychomotor skills, and work-times are described. These show that multiple regression equations can give reasonably good estimates for maximal oxygen uptake (for calculating relaxation allowances) and the times for basic motions of MTM. Work-times on an assembly line had coefficients of variation up to 0.829 and could not be approximated adequately by the Exponential or Normal distributions, nor could their logarithmic, reciprocal and square root transformations be fitted adequately to the Normal. Test data on individual performance characteristics are needed before work-time variability can be accommodated. Once adequate estimation techniques become available the problem will be changed to one of how to cope with the idea of having different times for different workers on the same job. At present Ergonomists have difficulty coping with this problem.