Lab10

Write three paragraphs to define the term 'ergonomics'. (3 paragraphs)

What is the 'Gilbreth system of motion analysis' (1 paragraph)

Who was Henry Ford influenced by the efficiency expert, Frederick Taylor? (2 paragraphs)

What are the four basic principles of McDonaldization? (List of 4)

1. Simply put, ergonomics refers to the study of people's efficiency in their working environment. This is an applied science. It calls for creating a physical work setting that fits and supports the worker. The idea is to help the worker be physically safe and comfortable. This is important to the worker’s health while he or she does daily tasks. It could mean having the right chair, keyboard, desk or a headset if the worker has to be on the telephone a lot.

Ergonomics is necessary because it reduces the chance of injuries, lost productivity and poor quality. IT promotes goo employee and public relations as well as increases morale within the workplace. Ergonomics is applied to improve productivity, quality and quality of worker environment. Practicing ergonomics also increases profit and pro-activity.

Proactive ergonomics is the best approach but is often forgotten. ergonomists are usually contacted after a work related injury is reported, or after experiencing loss, rather than before. Practicing proactive ergonomics will increase the probability that the benefits exceed the cost in the short and long term.

2. The Gilbreth system of motion analysis was developed by Frank Gilbreth while he was an apprentice as a brick layer. He had an interest in finding the best method in motion and fatigue studies. Gilbreth lived at the turn of the last century and was a student of Frederick Taylor. He studied work to make it more efficient. He worked out the "one best way" to lay bricks. In doing so he made bricklaying more efficient but also safer. Excessive stooping and walking resulted in fatigue and wasted energy. He designed a non stooping/scaffolding platform. This device maintained the level of mortar and bricks. The motion of bricks was reduced and the number of bricks laid down per hour increased.

3. At the turn of the 20th century, most cars were handmade. These handmade cars were so expensive, they developed a wide gap between hose who can afford them and those who cant. Henry Ford was determined to change that by producing the simplest car ever; The T-Model. Ford knew he had to change the way cars were built as well as the way his workers worked.He was influenced by the efficiency expert, Fredrick Taylor. Taylor devoted his life to speed worker's processes. He first tied the workers with stopwatches and noted their every movement. He redesigned the workplace so workers worked faster.

In Ford's car manufacturing, Taylorism led to dividing automobile production into simple repetitive steps.This eliminated the need of experts or skilled craftsmen. Men learned to do any job quickly. Wheel making for example was broken down into a hundred steps, with each workers assigned to specific step, with machines to help them. This allowed Ford's factory to produce 200 cars a day but this was still not enough. This forced him to invent his most revolutionary device: The assembly line. Instead of moving the men past the car, why not move the car past the men? Soon assembly line were up and running leading to a new system of producing things; Mass production.

4. The 4 basic principles of Mcdonaldization: - Efficiency: Look for the best route to the goal at hand - Predictability: things are the same from one time/place to another - Calculability: emphasis on quantity rather than quality - Non Human Technology: Taking skills away from people and building them into technologies.