Physiological Measurements as a Basis of Work Organization in Industry

The measurement of the work-load in industry necessitates the use of reliable methods and of apparatus which is both robust and foolproof. Three methods are usually employed at our Institute: (1) an exact time-study covering the whole working day and including details of all accessory operations and all rest pauses; (2) the measurement of energy cost of work by the use of the respirometer developed at the Institute; (3) the measurement of pulse rate by means of the Muller pulse counter. A number of examples are quoted of the use of these methods in several forging shops and in a motor car factory. The examples include instances of underloading and overloading of the worker, and the reasons and remedies are discussed.