Fatigue study

The Tests of General Health.

We will now assume that the reader has attacked the fatigue problem in his particular plant, and has applied either preliminary or more permanent fatigue elimination. There are various general measurement tests which he may apply to the results, in order to see how much better the working condition of his organization actually is than it was when he started in upon his fatigue-eliminating work.

The first of these is the test of general health. It is, of course, perfectly possible that an individual worker’s general health may go down under far better working conditions; this, because of some home influence, or something in his general condition or his life away from work, which pulls down his health. It would not be fair to blame the work for any illness easily traceable to home conditions, to an epidemic prevalent, or to some certain outside source; but, if conditions away from work have remained fixed, there is every reason to expect that general health should improve with fatigue elimination. This we find in actual practice is the case. Even where fatigue is not materially cut down during working hours, because measurement shows that the worker is not getting over-fatigued, the general health is apt to improve because of greater regularity in habits of work, and because of better physical and mental habits, while doing the work. The path along this line is a continuous, never-ending, upward spiral. Fatigue is eliminated by establishing proper habits. Proper habits improve health. The improved health allows of more work with less fatigue, etc.

The Test of Prolonged Activity.

In order to be thoroughly satisfactory, observations of the effect of the changes upon the worker must be made during a long period. The worker’s greatest asset is his ability to work. In order to prove its value, fatigue eliminating work must actually show results in prolonging the years that he is able to devote to his life work. This in practice it does. Not only does the average worker remain physically able to work more years than where no fatigue elimination has taken place, but also through the fatigue study, and motion study, which he has co-operated to make, he learns to be able to teach that thing, or those things, at which he is most skilled, and thus to prolong his years of economic value. You must note how many of your workers are beyond the usual working age, and are still at work. Some of these will be working at the work itself; that is, in the performing department. Others will be planning or teaching the work in some way. The number of these and their condition will form an admirable unit of measurement of the success of your work.

The Test of Posture.

The third test is that of posture. Take another walk through your plant, and look at those workers to whom fatigue elimination work has been applied, and note how they are sitting, or standing, or walking.

Fig. 31

A. Set of experiments in fatigue study for proving that times of motions have little close relation to lengths of motions unless the same length of motion is repeated consecutively many times. (See Fig. 21.)

B. Micromotion of workman reaching with both hands for pieces of a machine which is being assembled. The microchronometer in the foreground registers divisions of time to the half a thousandth of a minute, and therefore gives us much data relating to time study, motion study, and fatigue study.

C. Penetrating screen in the plane of the motions for the purpose of registering exactly the distance of motions in fatigue study experiments.

The American Posture League, with headquarters at 30 Church Street, New York City, will gladly furnish standards for proper posture in various positions. It will be impossible, of course, to eradicate wrong habits of posture in a short time, no matter how radical the change may be, but you should note improvements. At least each worker should be so placed that he could work in the proper posture if he chose, and so that the proper posture will be the easiest for him. If the chairs, benches, levers, or devices force him to assume the proper posture, so much the better. Consideration of the devices shows, unfortunately, that few are designed for operation with least fatigue; more being designed to use the least quantity of material.

In the case of young workers, especially, it is surprising how quickly the proper devices will induce the correct posture, especially if the betterment staff co-operate to explain the correct posture, and its effect upon health. Where no betterment staff exists, the posters of the Posture League will serve as desirable examples and object lessons. Here again, as in so many other places, “fashion of work” is a most important element. Let correct posture become the fashion, and let the devices make the posture possible, and astonishing results will follow.

It is, of course, always a great aid to make anything that one desires the easiest thing to do. The proper chairs and work places make correct posture the easiest posture to hold. This is a great force towards maintaining it.

The Test of Behaviour and Implied Mental Attitude.

The fourth test is to observe the behaviour of the workers. Do their actions, their resulting work, and whole attitude towards the work indicate that the fatigue eliminating work has been effective? There should be better “habits of work” than have ever existed before. More work should be turned over to the habit processes, and the formation and maintenance of good habits should become a part of the day’s work. It should be noted just exactly what seems to be the kind and amount of incentive that keeps the workers at the work. If the fatigue elimination has done what it should along its line, the reason for doing the work as it is being done will be the belief that this way is the best way yet found, a belief that one is safe in following the method, since proper allowance for fatigue has been made. There should also be present a desire to contribute to the welfare of all by looking for easy ways, as well as scientifically-derived ways, to eliminate fatigue, while at the same time following the best method as yet available.

The question of motivation is one demanding understanding and serious consideration in every field of activity to-day. This is true in education. It is also true in the industries. The motive of getting all that one can for one’s work must always exist, and is a perfectly justifiable motive, but the fatigue-eliminating work cannot be considered successfully, unless this motive of self interest has also with it the motive of interest in the welfare of others, and in cutting out all fatigue that can effect any member of the group in any way. This feeling should express itself in a social attitude, which is another behaviour test. If every member of the organization stands ready to endorse the fatigue elimination, and to co-operate in further fatigue elimination for the good of all, the social attitude shows that the work that has been done is worth while.

The Test of Transference of Skill.

The amount of skill that is successfully transferred may be used as a test of fatigue elimination. Each member of the organization is supposed to transfer skill, and also to acquire skill. He transfers to others the skill in the lines of work in which he is proficient, yet which are not the highest types of work that he can do. He learns from others such types of work as are of the highest type that it is possible for him to learn, that he has never had an opportunity to learn because of the time taken by work requiring less skill, that it was necessary under the old plan for him to do.

It is a fallacy to suppose that work which does not demand all the skill at one’s disposal is less fatiguing than work which does. Work is not less fatiguing because it demands less skill. It is less fatiguing when it is done with ease and when there is a joy of achievement requiring skill; that is, when it is satisfying. Because of lack of opportunity, one may only perform with ease the work which does not demand much skill. As soon as he learns to perform the skilled work with ease, it causes even less fatigue, other things being equal, than does unskilled work, because it holds the interest, hence the attention, more easily.

We enjoy doing that which we can do well. Whether we improve in the doing because we take pleasure in doing it, or simply because the pleasure makes us do more, and we improve with the practice, is not of great importance. Psychologists are divided in their opinions as to the effect of pleasure upon work, but all agree that, directly or indirectly, pleasure in the work does affect the work favourably. Through the transference of skill this pleasure is given to the work, or increased in the work, and, therefore, the amount of skill transferred is a test of fatigue elimination.

Test of “Happiness Minutes,” Individual and Social.

The final test of fatigue elimination, as of every other change made in doing things, is its influence upon the total output of “Happiness Minutes.” The aim of life is happiness, no matter how we differ as to what true happiness means. Fatigue elimination, starting as it does from a desire to conserve human life and to eliminate enormous waste, must increase “Happiness Minutes,” no matter what else it does, or it has failed in its fundamental aim. Have you reason to believe that your workers are really happier because of the work that you have done on fatigue study? Do they look happier, and say they are happier? Then your fatigue eliminating work has been worth while in the highest sense of the term, no matter what the financial outcome. Naturally the savings that accrue must benefit every one, but saving lies at the root of fatigue elimination, and, if every member of the organization, including the manager and the stockholders, is getting more “Happiness Minutes,” you surely are working along the right lines.

Fig. 32

Fig. 33

These pictures are of meetings of the Foreman’s Club at the New England Butt Co. examining films of methods of least fatigue, proposed for standardization.

Social “Happiness Minutes” will consist of the sum of the individual “Happiness Minutes” plus that intangible thing called “social spirit.” It is exemplified in a case like this: A certain group of workers had been studied from the motion study and the fatigue standpoint. The result of the work had been incorporated in their daily practice, and they had been working for a period of many months under the readjusted working conditions and with the new methods. At the end of this time they were gathered at a foremen’s meeting, where a micromotion film, showing the development of the methods which they used, was presented. In discussing the film the speaker took the occasion to say that on observing the work in the plant he felt that some lapses from the method prescribed were in existence. The next morning, when he walked through the plant, he was stopped by a worker, who said, “See here! I don’t believe we are falling away from that method a bit. If we are, just show us where, and we will go straight back to it. We want to play the game right.” This is the test of the outcome. Is the organization lined up as one man back of the work? If so, the problem of maintenance and of automatic improvement is solved.

Summary.

At any stage in the process of fatigue elimination the results may be tested. The general health of the worker, his prolonged activity, his posture, his behaviour act as such tests. To these may be added the amount of skill transferred and being transferred, and the effect, in particular, on “Happiness Minutes.” If the organization endorses the work and co-operates in it, the work may be rated successful.