Employee Motivation, the Organizational Environment and Productivity

Ergonomics

Ergonmic checklists - Work Method

Physical Demands

• Does the task involve a heavy muscular load; if so, does this limit selection of worker?
• Does the work involve overloading small muscle groups?
• Can the workload be transferred by method change to larger muscle groups thus reducing fatigue?
• To what extent can muscular effort be reduced by using suitable equipment?
• To what extent are heavy loads snatched or carried awkwardly?
• Are small or large muscle groups involved in static exertion by holding tools or material; can jigs be used?
• Is alternation of work and rest, and of static and dynamic work built into the work method?
• Is the pattern of movement in agreement with the principles of motion economy?
• Does the task require great accuracy of movement; is there an absence of feedback?

Mental Demands

• Is there the recommended compatible relation between direction of movement of control and the resultant effect?
• Can the controls be recognized easily by shape, size, labeling, color, for both normal use and in emergency?
• Are the controls as near as possible to the corresponding sources of information?
• Are the positions of controls in the right sequence for the performance of the task?
• Do workers receive sufficient information regarding the process flow and output?
• Have data to be processed before required action can be taken?
• Have different data to be compared before action can be taken?
• Are any data to be estimated?
• Are standards of comparison available and used?
• Are parts to be assembled, supplied correctly pre-orientated?
• Can signals be confused?
• Do signals always have the same level of significance?
• Is the task adapted to the capacities of older workers; considering thought, sight, hearing, touch and movement as separate processes?
• Are there adequate rest pauses during the monitoring work; to what extent can rest be taken during the task?

Flow of Information

• Are the data required to carry out the task obvious, unequivocal, and relevant?
• Is every part of these data necessary for performance; are differing and appropriate amounts of data available during the learning process?
• Is the rate of information likely to exceed the mental capacity of the operator and to overload him or her before the end of the task?
• Can the relative advantages of seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, etc. be used to advantage in spreading the information load more evenly?
• Is the rate of information likely to underload the operator?
• How are signals to be detected when the worker's mind is occupied by monitoring actions?
• Do the various displays of different information vary in more than one aspect? To what extent can they be distinguished from each other simply and in emergency?
• How much information has to be retained for longer than three seconds; to what extent is it reinforced by retrieval?
• Is the attention span longer than about 20 minutes if a signal can occur at any time; but does it occur less than about four times per half-hour?
• Can signals from different sources occur simultaneously or almost simultaneously; is this more likely to happen in an emergency when the consequences of misinterpretation could be catastrophic?
• Can preferred signals be easily distinguished?
• Do identical or very similar signals occur for a long time and are they frequently repeated?
• To what extent does the worker have to make one or more choices in response to a signal, and how soon does he or she know if the choice is wrong?
• Are all the factors relevant to a decision presented at the right time and sequence?
• Is adequate time allowed for decisions and resulting actions, not only in the normal circumstance but more importantly in the emergency?
• To what extent does rapid feedback give the results of system adjustment; to what extent is there a knock-on effect?

Next | Ergonomic checklist - Workplace