Work Study and Ergonomics

What the page covers

The page sits in the Work Methods and Continuous Improvement strand of Industrial engineering and quality. It brings together two linked ideas: how work is studied and measured, and how workplaces are designed around people.

On the work study side, the mind maps on Motion and time study talk about reducing and controlling costs, improving working conditions and motivating people, and note that the operator's safety must be considered. Other maps cover Steps of method study, WORK MEASUREMENT, METHODS ENGINEERING and Advantages of Standard Data. A work sampling flowchart is also included.

The ergonomics side

Several maps look at ergonomics and human factors as a discipline, including systems ergonomics, with ideas such as context, interactions, emergence and holism. There are also maps on Anthropometry, MENTAL LOAD AND ERGONOMICS and Human-machine interactions.

The slide sets go deeper. The workplace design set explains that a poor design places excessive demands on the user, and the alarm design set looks at how an alarm should alert an operator and allow time to respond.

Where to start

1. Open the Work Design mind map for an overview of the efficiency, motivation and quality perspectives.
2. Move to the motion and time study maps, then the method study steps.
3. Read the workplace design slides, then the alarm design slides.
4. Use the flashcard decks to check key terms.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take the Method study quiz without looking back. Note which questions went wrong, return to the matching branch of the map and try again. The IO Lecture 7 and 8 quiz gives you a second check, and teachers can use these in class or set them as revision tasks.

Every resource here is free to open and was made by GoConqr users. Choose one map, work through it, and see what you can add yourself.