The following is a list of key indicators that mitigate for the need for human factors engineering to be considered and applied. If any items in this list pertain to your workplace, pause, think and ask the question "Can we better fit the work to the worker(s)?"
• Is absenteeism on this task too high?
• Is turnover on this task too high?
• Is production efficiency on this task too low?
• Do employees complain frequently about this task?
• Is personnel assignment on this task limited by age, sex, or body size?
• Is the training for this task too long?
• Is product quality too low?
• Have there been too many accidents on this job?
• Have there been too many medical visits?
• Does the worker frequently make mistakes?
• Is there excessive equipment damage on this job?
• Does this task result in too much material waste?
Organization of work:
• What are the actual hours of work? Are there any customs and practices that need close scrutiny?
• What is the average overtime? Is overtime income built into the job? Should this be recognized?
• What formal meal and refreshment rates are provided; are they organized effectively?
• Is the work formed in shifts; if so what system is used? If rotating, what are the extra psychological and physiological loads imposed upon the worker? Are there any social implications?
Environmental load:
• Are any conditions legally stressful? Are all recommendations under health and safety complied with?
• Do you know the air temperature, humidity, radiation and air movement? What are the limits in summer and winter?
• How are preventative measures used to mitigate adverse climatic conditions and do they impede performance?
• Is the worker exposed to rapid environmental changes during the course of his or her single shift?
• What is the noise level; does it interfere with performance; what risk is there of hearing loss?
• If noise level is high, how should preventative measures be taken; are hearing losses of workers screened on recruitment?
• Are there any other potential environmental hazards, e.g. dust, chemical agents, ultra-violet light, ionizing radiation? In cases of doubt has specialist advice been obtained in writing?
• Adequately protected from adverse weather as well as from hazardous substances?
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 under load 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?
Physical Demands:
• Is the workspace adequate?
• Does the position of equipment, controls and workbench allow a satisfactory posture and correct control by hand and foot?
• Does the worker have to stand for all or most of the time; alternatively, must he or she remain seated for all the time?
• Is the provision for the worker to sit adequate in relation to the task?
• Is the height of the worktable satisfactory in relation to posture and viewing distance; if posture is unsatisfactory is it due to the construction of the machine, workbench, controls, or portable instruments?
• Is the surface of the workbench satisfactory in regard to hardness, smoothness, color, and slope?
• To what extent are any foot controls required?
• Are pedals satisfactory in respect of position and size, and is special allowance made if there are more than two for sitting postures or any used for a significant time for standing postures?
• Are foot rests and/or supports for arms, hand, back, available if required; do any of these restrict the safe and effective operation of the task?
• Are the characteristics of the hand controls compatible with the forces required to operate them (shape, size, surface) and are the forces acceptable?
• If hand tools are used, are they the correct ones for the task; are they adequately maintained, and are they accessible to the operator in the most effective way?
• Are containers used; is their position, size and weight satisfactory?
• To what extent can the speed of the machine be adjusted according to the skill and/or preference of the operator and how does this affect output?
• Is design and layout of the equipment satisfactory for repair and maintenance?
• Are any of the considerations unsatisfactory so as to bring liability under health and safety regulations; are recommendations as to operator comfort and stress clearly distinguished?
Visual Displays and Dials:
Legibility:
• Can the required data be obtained from display quickly with the required accuracy?
• Are the scales correctly graduated and are as simple as possible; not giving needless or spurious accuracy?
• Do the letters, numbers, graphics and markings conform to the relevant standards in relation to the required reading distance; is the required reading distance different from the normal reading distance?
• Are pointers and other indicators simple and clear, and do they allow numbers to be read without obstruction?
• Are pointers mounted so that the visual parallax is minimized?
• Have great differences in brightness between displays, dials and surroundings been avoided?
• Is the legibility of the display impaired by reflection of light sources?
• Is the legibility of dials impaired by bright lights visible within the same area of vision?
• Has shadowing by pointers, edges, or controls been avoided?
• Does the chosen numerical progression minimize reading errors?
Grouping:
• Is it possible to group the different categories of dials and displays in different planes or surrounds of mounting?
• Can groups of displays of a specific category be divided by area or color patterning; are the layouts of displays so contrived as to highlight when the normal changes to abnormal?
• Are displays located near to their corresponding controls?
• Have the most important and/or the most frequently used instruments the best position in the normal visual field?
• Are the most frequently used instruments grouped together in one and in the same area of the visual field?
Positioning:
• Is the positioning of controls on similar machines or displays correctly standardized?
• Does reading of instruments require undue movement of head and/or body?
• Is the location and size of the display correct in regard to sitting posture, arm reach and viewing direction?
Accuracy and speed:
• Is the accuracy of the instrument compatible with the required reading accuracy?
• Are reading errors minimized by the design of the instrument?
• Is the time lag between changes in the system and indication of it in the display minimized as far as possible?
• Are digital displays used for accurate reading and for adjusting to a predetermined value?
• Is a moving pointer display used for estimation of the degree of deviation and for adjusting deviation?
• Is the dial as simple as possible in regard to the desired information; can colored zones (e.g. red, amber, green) be used instead of numbers and markings when only check information is required?
• Is a satisfactory signal used to indicate the breakdown of a measuring instrument; and is the knock-on effect whereby several alarms may occur simultaneously avoided in favor of the most important?
Conformity:
• Does the grouping and arrangements of displays conform to the required reading sequence?
• Do pointers and other graphics point in the same direction when equipment is working correctly?
• Does the direction of the movement display have a similar meaning in different displays? Is the positioning of displays in different colors the same where these panels serve a similar purpose?
Controls:
• Is it possible to see immediately which situation is indicated by the position of the control?
• Does the controlling hand impede the reading of the dial?
• Is it possible to indicate the zero position by a stop?
• Is it possible to recognize controls or visual graphics by means of differences in shape, color or size?
Integration of Human Resource Strategy and Strategic Planning:
Developing a human resource (HR) strategy to support the business plan requires human resource management (HRM) planning to be recognized as a fundamental part of the business planning process. This paper argues that integrating HR strategy and strategic planning is fundamental to achieving business excellence.
There are four underpinning themes to this paper: first, that achieving business excellence is more than a simple accumulation of a range of best practices (Dahlgaard et al., 1998); second, that achieving excellence in corporate business strategy (process and inputs) is the single most important factor in achieving vision, mission and goals; third, this provides a unique opportunity to view the organization holistically, with the principle focus being on the `total organization' and the `total team' as the underpinning concepts (Senge, 1990); and fourth, that people tend to do two things well, i.e. the things they regard as important and/ or enjoy and those things that the boss regards as important and will check. The themes are explored in relation to empirical research investigating the importance of HR within a sample of new technology-based small-medium enterprises (NTBFs) where the knowledge of key individuals is crucial (Keogh & Evans, 1999).
Methodology:
This included policies senior managers may have put in place to achieve their strategic goals, including how they managed quality and HR. An exploration of the process of innovation within the organizations was included in the research design. An instrument was developed which provided the structure for in-depth interviews with owner-- managers or founder directors of the sample organizations.
Areas of interest included:
• The importance of strategic elements in the planning process (including quality);
• Self-assessment and the approach to improvement effort;
• HRM, motivation, reward and development strategies;
• The identification and definition of organizational processes within the companies.
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