The fact that activity records are made of extremely small elements moving through a short path in a small amount of time means that the fatigue records cover the same short periods. This is a great help in making fatigue study. A new combination of elements of activity will also mean a combination of concurrent, or included, elements of fatigue. The combination may have some effect on the activity. If so, it will also affect the fatigue, but at the present state of the art the most accurate and satisfying work can be done by making use of activity records to eliminate unnecessary fatigue, without waiting for some hypothetical, direct records of fatigue, that may be worked out in the future. In other words, if you have accurate records of fatigue included in your activity records, use these immediately, without attempting to make separate records of the fatigue, that, while valuable, will mean delaying fatigue elimination, perhaps indefinitely.
The Time Element.
Too much credit can never be given to Dr. Taylor for his emphasis on the laws of the time element. He was the first to call to our attention the fact that operations should be divided into the smallest possible, timable units for setting tasks. In this way it is possible for timed elements to be used in many combinations, thus eliminating an enormous amount of unnecessary work. Dr. Taylor also recommended that work periods should be timed separately from the rest periods. Our new measuring devices for time study make it possible to record much shorter intervals of time than were heretofore known, and now the limiting factor in the problem is no longer the quickness with which we can use a stop-watch.
Our methods and devices have been criticised as being specially adapted to problems involving the minutia of motions, but too expensive for the general time study purposes. A moment’s consideration will show that the turning of the crank of the cinematograph may be done as slowly as the requirements of the particular case of time study demand. In fact we have films that were taken at the rate of one picture every ten minutes. With the sixteen pictures to the foot, a foot will last one hundred and sixty minutes, or two hours and forty minutes, at a total maximum cost of six cents. If desired, the speed of the crank can be instantly changed to any desired speed to enable one to take pictures too quickly to be seen with the eye, and more accurately than the highest-priced time study man can take by means of a stop-watch.
Our methods, devices, and records of activity and of output fulfil every requirement, and are now perfectly satisfactory. Fatigue still remains the elusive factor. Nothing but long-continued observation, absolute accuracy and co-operation between all interested will reduce fatigue study to the science which motion study has become.
The Standardization of Work and Rest.
Meantime, in standardizing work and rest periods, it is customary and proper to make a larger allowance for fatigue than the records show to be necessary. We cite as an example a case of folding handkerchiefs. The old method of folding was to have the workers seated at low tables in chairs of ordinary height, working throughout the entire day, with the only rest periods an hour at noon and such ceasing from folding as took place when the workers went for supplies, or took back finished product to be checked, or other rest periods that they took at will, as the work was piece work. After an intensive study of the problem, made not only to increase their output but to better their working conditions and allow them to earn more money with less fatigue, the following schedule of work and rest periods was adopted.
Each hour was divided into ten periods. The work was placed on a work table of the proper height. The handkerchiefs already folded, those being folded, and those to be folded were arranged in the most convenient and efficient manner. All variables of the work had been studied, and the results of the study standardized. The first four periods, that is, the first twenty-four minutes, the girl remained seated. She worked five minutes and rested one; again worked five minutes and rested one. That is to say, she had four minutes’ rest out of the twenty-four, and spent this rest seated so that she might lose no time in getting back to the work. The next two periods, that is for twelve minutes, the girl was standing. Again she worked five minutes and rested one minute, and for the second time worked five minutes and rested one minute. That is, she rested two out of the twelve minutes in the same position in which she worked. The third group, a space of eighteen minutes, she spent either sitting or standing, as she pleased. Here also she worked five minutes, rested one minute; worked five minutes, rested one minute; worked five minutes, and rested one minute in the position, either standing or sitting, which she herself had chosen. The last period, which consisted also of six minutes, was spent by the girl walking about and talking, or amusing herself as she otherwise chose. With this might be combined the last rest minute or period No. 9, which thus gave her seven consecutive minutes for unrestricted rest activity.
This was the schedule for all hours of the day except the hour before noon and the hour before closing time at night. In these hours the first nine periods resembled the first nine periods of the other hours; but the tenth period was spent in work, as a long rest period was to follow.
At the end of the day’s work under these conditions the girls accomplished more than three times the amount of their previous best work, with a greater amount of interest and with no more fatigue. It may be stated here that the primary aim in this investigation was not to eliminate fatigue, but to increase the wages of the girls by raising the output. The operators had not seemed overfatigued at the start. They maintained that they were less tired at the close of the day when using the new method, and certainly the amount of fatigue caused by producing an amount of output such as was made under the old method was reduced to an enormous extent. With further practice these preliminary results will be further improved.