Lab+10

Write three paragraphs to define the term 'ergonomics'. (3 paragraphs) Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment that fit the human body. In the workplace, ergonomics is relevant in the design of chairs, keyboard, lighting, and monitors. Such furniture allows the user to control their environment, which helps increase productivity and decrease sickness and turnover.

Repetitive work, in the office, in a factory or at a jobsite, can cause various strains on the human body. Ergonomics can prevent or reduce: (1) injuries to the to the back from bending or sitting for long periods of time, or (2) injuries to the wrist such as Carpal tunnel syndrome from typing on the keyboard.

Physical comfort in the workplace not only allows users to invest more time into their work but also become more respectful of their employers. Ergonomics stresses a concern people do to give a lot of thought to. The better equipment is designed to meet human comfort needs, the more ergonomics better helps us understand the science behind interactions between humans and the equipment they use and their workplace.

What is the 'Gilbreth system of motion analysis' (1 paragraph) Frank Gilbreth was one of the first people to understand systems analysis. Through a series of photographs and footage, Gilbreth analyzed a worker's ability to complete repetitive tasks, such as brick laying. More specifically, Gilbreth would analyze a unit of action over a period of time in search of finding a solution. For example, he observed that the traditional method of brick laying involved stooping, walking, and reaching. A 225 pound man would bend to his shoe tops, twice for each brick, expending more energy than in moving the 4 1/2 pound brick. Excessive stooping was the unskilled part of the job that was required most of the time; it caused much of the wear and tear on a bricklayers back. With these observations Gilberth sought solutions that could guarantee no wasted exertion and the least liability in the workplace, thus leading to the creation of a series of scaffolding that reduced the bricklayer’s need to bend down.

How was Henry Ford influenced by the efficiency expert, Frederick Taylor? (2 paragraphs) From the beginning, craftsmen worked their own way, at their own pace. It took weeks to build a car and because they were so expensive, there became a gap between those who bought them and those who made them. As a result, Henry Ford set out to make the simplest car ever; a car for rural America. To produce the car cheaply, Ford had to change the way the car was built, which meant changing the way his workers worked. Therefore, Ford turned to Fredrick Taylor's methods. Taylor invested time noting workers every movement and Ford applied this scientific method to the management of workers to greatly improve productivity. These management methods essentially simplified jobs enough for workers to be trained and perform specific and repetitive tasks.

Henry Ford applied Taylor's methods through assembly lines. Assembly lines were first created after Ford decided that instead of moving the men past the car, why not move the car past the men. The workers became an integral part of the machine. Henry Ford's method led to not only mass production but also low cost and higher wages for workers.

What are the four basic principles of McDonaldization? (List of 4) 1. Efficiency 2. Predictability 3. Calculability 4. Emphasis on non-human technology