BY

ARUN MATHEW
Work study
 The generic term used for those techniques,
particularly method study and work measurement,
which are used in the examination of human work in
all its context and which lead systematically to the
investigation of the facts which affect efficiency and
economy of the situation being reviewed, in order to
effect improvement
 Work study includes method study and work
measurement which are used in the examination of
human work and investigation of all the factors which
affect the efficiency and economy of the situation
being reviewed
 Work study is a management tool to achieve higher
productivity in any organisation whether
manufacturing tangible products or offering services
to its customers
 Work study
 Introduction :
Parts of work study
Work study

Method study Work Measurement

Method
Ergonomics
improvement
Objectives
• To analyse the present method of doing a job,
systematically in order to develop a new and better
method
• To measure the work content of a job by measuring the
time required to do the job for a qualified worker and
hence to establish standard time.
• To increase the productivity by ensuring the best
possible use of human, machine and material
resources and to achieve best quality product/ service
at minimum possible cost
• To improve operational efficiency
Benefits of work study
• Increased productivity and operational efficiency
• Reduced manufacturing costs
• Improved work place layout
• Better manpower planning and capacity planning
• Fair wages to employees
• Better working conditions to employees
• Improved work flow
• Reduced material handling costs
Method study
 The systematic recording and critical examination of
existing and proposed ways of doing work as a means
of developing and applying easier and more effective
methods and reducing costs
 Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination of existing
and proposed ways of doing work as a means of developing and applying
easier and more effective methods and reducing costs
 A logical approach to deciding what tasks should be done and how they should
be done is called methods study.

 Methods study utilizes

 structured data collection,
 visual aids and charts, and
 logical procedures to help understand and improve work methods.

 Methods study relies on obtaining good observational and experimental data.

 Methods study focuses primarily on the activities of individual workers or

groups of related workers.
Work measurement
 The application of techniques designed to establish the
time for a qualified worker to carry out a specified job at
a defined level of performance.
 A qualified worker is one who is accepted as having the
necessary physical attributes, possessing the required
intelligence and the education and having acquired the
necessary skill and knowledge to carry out the work in
hand to satisfactory standards of safety, quantity and
quality. - ILO
 Work measurement is the process of establishing the time
that a given task would take when performed by a qualified
worker working at a defined level of performance.

 A qualified worker is one who has acquired the skill,

knowledge and other attributes to carry out the work in hand
to satisfactory standards of quantity, quality and safety

 Work measurement also refers to the process of estimating

the amount of worker time required to produce one unit of
output.

 A goal of work measurement is to develop labor standards

that can be used for planning and controlling operations.
Basic procedure
 Select the job or process to be studied
 Record all the relevant data regarding that job or process
 Examine the data thoughrouly
 Develop the most economic method considering all the
circumstances
 Measure the quantity of work involved in the method selected
and calculate a standard time for doing it
 Define the new method and the related time so that it can always
be identified
 Install the new method as agreed standard practice with the time
allowed
 Maintain the new standard practice by proper control
procedures
The human factor in the applicatio
of work study
 The human factor plays an important role in the
successful conducting and implementation of work
study in organisations.
 The management is responsible for the formulation of
objectives and planning of work
 Supervisor translates these plans into day to day
operations
 Worker carries out the operations
 Work study man conducts the study
Management and supervisor: Their
roles in work study
ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
 Management should define the organisation objectives
clearly
 Planning should be in a way to minimize ineffective
time
 Maintain good relation between workers and provide
good working environment for them
ROLE OF SUPERVISOR
 Connection between management and worker
 Organsational objectives should be clearly
communicated to the worker
 Identify potential areas of improvement
 Help in selecting the proper work for study
 Has to be associated with the study right from
selection of job to be studied to its implementation
ROLE OF WORKER
 Should not neglect his work or waste time
unnecessarily
 Should take interest in work and take initiative with
related factors
THE WORKS STUDY MAN
 In an organisation work study man is the only outsider
 The problem of increasing productivity should be
approached without concentrating on labour productivity
 He should be frank and open to the purpose of his study
Qualities and qualifications
 Education
 Experience
 Personal qualities
 Also sincerity and honesty , enthusiasm , interest in and
sympothy with the people , tact ,good appearence ,self
confidence
INFLUENCE OF WORKING CONDITIONS
ON WORK STUDY
 Work environment involves all the aspects which act and react
on the body and mind of an employee.

 An attractive and supportive work environment can be described

as an environment that attracts individuals into the health
professions, encourages them to remain in the health workforce
and enables them to perform effectively.
 The unfavorable working conditions may lead to creation ,
sustence ,and regeneration of dissatisfaction which lead to
 reduced labour productivity ,
 increased rejections ,
 reduced overall economy
FACTORS EFFECTING WORKING
CONDITIONS

a) Occupational Safety and Health elements

b) Fire Prevention and Protection elements
c) Layout and Housekeeping elements
d) Lighting and Ventilation element
e) Noise and Vibration element
f) Ergonomics elements and
g) Arrangement of Working time
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ELEMENTS
 To prevent an occurrence of accidents and thereby
to increase the occupational safety level is to
exercise the highest possible control on the
potential causes both of human and technical
nature aiming at their total elimination.

 Safety of the worker performing to complete any given

task is determined by a rather complex interactions of
in-built product safeties of the different aids being
used by the the worker ,layout and house keeping of
the workplace ,work posture ,etc
 The effort of providing a high level of occupational
safety and health standards must contain
sufficient emphasis on training, educating and
retaining of workers, analysis of past accidents,
health hazards and methods already adopted as
well as required to be adopted.
Fire Prevention and Protection elements
o The First principle of prevention of fire is to adopt design
and construction strategies of buildings which offer in-
built fire resistance capabilities.
o Second principle is to give adequate training to workers
and impose ban on smoking and prohibiting usage of
potential ignition source and naked flames.
o Third principle is to make available fire fighting devices
in easily and commonly accessible locations.
o Fourth principle is to adopt a suitable reliable alarm
system or warning system
o Fifth principle is to have the management to be well
acquainted and vested with their role in the event of a
fire taking place and the kind of leadership they should
provide to the work-force
Layout and housekeeping elements
For good work layout should have
 Sufficient window area
 Proper Ceiling height and floor area for worker along with
availability of 10 cubic metre of air
o Traffic aisle should be wide enough to allow free movement of
vehicle and of workers
o Walls and ceiling should have a finish which prevent
accumulation of dirt, dust and absorption of moisture. Floor
covering should be of non-slip
 Housekeeping, comprising cleanliness, tidiness, systematic
location and in-process storing of materials
 Provision of sufficient amount of water
Lighting and ventilation elements

 Presence of good visibility ensures an accelerated rate of

production and hence increased productivity
 As a general rule the light should be uniformly diffused yielding
shadows to the extent that help to distinguish objects.
 Natural lighting should be used wherever possible, but should
always be supplemented with artificial light to make up
variations in the intensity of natural light.
 The choice of color schemes also influence the ultimate level of
illumination intensity besides having a considerable
psychological effect.

 Natural ventilation obtained through window opening or wall or

roof air vents is found to be effective
Noise and vibration elements

 Noise is defines to be unwanted sound to which an

individual is exposed.
Effect of noise are
 Disturbs concentration
 Interfaces communication
 Interfaces with warning system
 Causes noise induced hearing loss
 Exposure to vibration can be controlled by,
 Control at source by balancing all revolving and rotating
parts, reducing speed of moving parts, reducing no: of
impacts and regular maintenance of machinery and tool.
 Control of transmission by isolating vibrating machinery
from floor and wall through use of damping foundation.
Ergonomics
 Ergonomics is about how people, based on their physical
capabilities, can best organize and conduct their activities.

 Ergonomics, which is also known as human factors, is a

systematic order which is in the process of understanding and
improving human communications with types of products,
equipment, environments and systems.

 Ergonomics is aimed at developing and applying knowledge

and techniques to enhance system performance. It also focuses
on the health, safety, and well-being of the individuals involved.
The concentration of ergonomics is further taken across work,
leisure and other aspects of our daily lives.
 It is application of knowledge about human
capabilities and limitation to the design of workplace,
equipment, tools, work methods, products and
organizational structures.
 The purpose of the ergonomics is to promote physical
comfort , productivity and efficiency.
 The term ergonomics is derived from two Greek words.
‘Ergo’ means work and ‘nomoi’ means natural laws.
 It studies the human capabilities in relationship to
work demand
 Principles of ergonomics
 While working all activities should permit the worker to
have several different healthy and safe postures.
 Work activities should be perform with the joints at about
mid point of their range of movement . This applies
particularly to the head, trunk, upper limbs.
it is impossible to understand the control of movement
without understanding the human bodies as a mechanical
system with respect to its internal external force.
 The factors, which affect while men is on the job

 Force used by man. Its exertion.

 Repetition of same action again and again.
 Awkward posture of un natural style.
 Overexertion due to excessive strength used on job.
 Temperature, ventilation and humidity at the workplace
due to typical condition.
 Noise created by machines, persons, speeches etc.
 Seeing continuously at unnatural level and positions and at
lighting etc.
 Physical postures
1

Lifting weight
2

lifting weight
3

Posture while sitting on a chair

Posture while sitting on a chair and looking at…
5

Pc monitor and sitting posture

Ergo reminders