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Safety training for industry
more in the contribution their use can make to production planning, costing and manpower utilisation. This section also discusses criticisms which are made of PMTS and several practical problems which can arise in using them. In the second section some technical aspects of PMTS are examined, including the difficult questions of 'accuracy' (the comparison of a time set by PMTS with some independent yardstick) and 'consistency' (the degree to which the results achieved by use of the system can be reproduced). The main potential sources of variation which can affect these issues are outlined. This section also emphasises the need for analysts to have adequate specialist training. Finally, it comments on the extent to which computer aids are currently used. The last section of Part 1 deals with the practical introduction of a PMTS in a factory or office - the selection of a system, its installation, operation and maintenance. Industrial relations questions which can arise are discussed, special emphasis being placed on the dependence for success of such schemes on the co-operation of everyone concerned. The importance of involving representatives of both employees and all levels of management at every stage is stressed. Part 2 gives detailed factual information about 12 systems currently used in British industry and commerce. The systems can be applied to a wide range of work, both manual and clerical.
Job re-design in Scotland A survey of Scottish companies reveals a growing interest in the application of job re-design to industry and commerce in Scotland. Current projects show that a number of firms have already proved the success of re-designing jobs to make work more satisfying. The survey was prepared by Mary Weir, a Research Fellow at Manchester Business School, and sponsored by the Work Research Unit of the Department of Employment. It is one of a number of the Unit's publications on different aspects of job satisfaction in the UK. The survey was undertaken to examine the extent to which companies in Scotland were engaged in job re-design projects and to explore the opportunities for further research. It introduces seven detailed case studies representing a cross section of on-going projects. All are concentrated in the manufacturing sector and mainly concerned with assembly work.
Each study looks at the original method of work, the reasons for improving jobs, the objects of changes and the ways in which they were carried out. Probably the best-known of the projects is at Philips in Hamilton, where the jobs o f women assembling parts of a fan heater were re-designed so that each woman could assemble a complete machine. This introduced an element of variety into their work and gave more opportunity to develop their skills and abilities. A similar method of this 'unit' production w a s adopted by IBM, Greenock, about a year ago. The idea of extending the length of the work cycle was used by General Time, Strathleven. Here a line of ten women assembling alarm clocks was re-organised into two lines of five. As a result the operators found the work itself more satisfying and relationships improved in a smaller team. They also considered the work less repetitive and boring. The fourth case study describes the changes introduced by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, Edinburgh - a company which has been developing a participative style of management,, for some time. In the brewery the jobs were re-designed to give the men more discretion and greater control over the brewing process. The role of first line managers was changed to enable them to spend more time on support activities. At Ferranti in Edinburgh, technical changes produced more interesting jobs for the workforce. Machines manufacturing complex electronic components were grouped together. Not only did efficiency improve greatly, but the machine operators also found a greater sense of involvement in the work and had the satisfaction of seeing the group doing the entire work process needed to complete a component. Mary Weir notes in her survey that, in the main, it is the larger firms who are exploring the possibilities of job design. In smaller organisations people tend to be more easily involved in the company, communication channels are shorter and therefore more effective and the need for job design and participation less apparent. Perhaps the scope for improvement in such organisations is shown by the developments at Ailsa Trucks, Irvine, a small firm concerned with the assembling of Volvo trucks and manufacturing and assembling buses. Ailsa Trucks has recently become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volvo, famous for its efforts to create more satisfying jobs for its employees. Although the changes are, as yet, in their early
stages, Ailsa Trucks have already adopted policies affecting the assembly lines and worker participation. The survey does not suggest that re-designing jobs is easily accomplished. The last study describes a project in a clothing factory which was only partially successful. This was concerned with establishing an autonomous working group with increased flexibility. The various difficulties which led to the scheme being abandoned are outlined in the survey.
Safety training for industry A new S-T-O-P (Safety Training Observation Programme) for nonsupervisory personnel, designed to improve safety awareness and provide a system for identifying unsafe acts and conditions at that level, has been developed by the Du Pont's Applied Technology Division. The programme, an extension of the original S-T-O-P aimed at training supervisors to become better observers of unsafe acts, contains three subject categories: introduction and reasons for the programme; personal protection equipment and positions of people; actions of people, tools and equipment, procedures and orderliness. Two training methods are used: programme instruction self-study booklets for classroom work, followed by on-the-job inspections with supervision to give the trainee an opportunity to apply the techniques learned in the classroom. 'Unsafe act observation cards' are used, both as training aids and as a systematic way of identifying unsafe acts and conditions which need to be put right. The new S-T-O-P for non-supervisory personnel consists of the administrator's guide (70p), a three-unit set of programmed instruction booklets for each trainee (£2.95), and a packet of 100 unsafe act observation cards (£ 1.10). Further information and course supplies may be obtained from Miss Ruth Isaacs, Applied Technology, Du Pont (UK) Ltd, 18 Breams Buildings, London EC4A 1HT. (Telephone: 0 1 - 2 4 2 9044).
ICAO Alphabet Our attention has been drawn to a slip on page 77 of the June 1976 issue. The article by Audrey Hull on reducing sources of human error in transmission of alphanumeric codes listed the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Authority for identifying letters by words. We understand that the recommended word for the letter 'P' should be "Papa".
Applied Ergonomics December 1976
249
Job re-design in Scotland A survey of Scottish companies reveals a growing interest in the application of job re-design to industry and commerce in Scotland. Current projects show that a number of firms have already proved the success of re-designing jobs to make work more satisfying. The survey was prepared by Mary Weir, a Research Fellow at Manchester Business School, and sponsored by the Work Research Unit of the Department of Employment. It is one of a number of the Unit's publications on different aspects of job satisfaction in the UK. The survey was undertaken to examine the extent to which companies in Scotland were engaged in job re-design projects and to explore the opportunities for further research. It introduces seven detailed case studies representing a cross section of on-going projects. All are concentrated in the manufacturing sector and mainly concerned with assembly work.
Each study looks at the original method of work, the reasons for improving jobs, the objects of changes and the ways in which they were carried out. Probably the best-known of the projects is at Philips in Hamilton, where the jobs o f women assembling parts of a fan heater were re-designed so that each woman could assemble a complete machine. This introduced an element of variety into their work and gave more opportunity to develop their skills and abilities. A similar method of this 'unit' production w a s adopted by IBM, Greenock, about a year ago. The idea of extending the length of the work cycle was used by General Time, Strathleven. Here a line of ten women assembling alarm clocks was re-organised into two lines of five. As a result the operators found the work itself more satisfying and relationships improved in a smaller team. They also considered the work less repetitive and boring. The fourth case study describes the changes introduced by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, Edinburgh - a company which has been developing a participative style of management,, for some time. In the brewery the jobs were re-designed to give the men more discretion and greater control over the brewing process. The role of first line managers was changed to enable them to spend more time on support activities. At Ferranti in Edinburgh, technical changes produced more interesting jobs for the workforce. Machines manufacturing complex electronic components were grouped together. Not only did efficiency improve greatly, but the machine operators also found a greater sense of involvement in the work and had the satisfaction of seeing the group doing the entire work process needed to complete a component. Mary Weir notes in her survey that, in the main, it is the larger firms who are exploring the possibilities of job design. In smaller organisations people tend to be more easily involved in the company, communication channels are shorter and therefore more effective and the need for job design and participation less apparent. Perhaps the scope for improvement in such organisations is shown by the developments at Ailsa Trucks, Irvine, a small firm concerned with the assembling of Volvo trucks and manufacturing and assembling buses. Ailsa Trucks has recently become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volvo, famous for its efforts to create more satisfying jobs for its employees. Although the changes are, as yet, in their early
stages, Ailsa Trucks have already adopted policies affecting the assembly lines and worker participation. The survey does not suggest that re-designing jobs is easily accomplished. The last study describes a project in a clothing factory which was only partially successful. This was concerned with establishing an autonomous working group with increased flexibility. The various difficulties which led to the scheme being abandoned are outlined in the survey.
Safety training for industry A new S-T-O-P (Safety Training Observation Programme) for nonsupervisory personnel, designed to improve safety awareness and provide a system for identifying unsafe acts and conditions at that level, has been developed by the Du Pont's Applied Technology Division. The programme, an extension of the original S-T-O-P aimed at training supervisors to become better observers of unsafe acts, contains three subject categories: introduction and reasons for the programme; personal protection equipment and positions of people; actions of people, tools and equipment, procedures and orderliness. Two training methods are used: programme instruction self-study booklets for classroom work, followed by on-the-job inspections with supervision to give the trainee an opportunity to apply the techniques learned in the classroom. 'Unsafe act observation cards' are used, both as training aids and as a systematic way of identifying unsafe acts and conditions which need to be put right. The new S-T-O-P for non-supervisory personnel consists of the administrator's guide (70p), a three-unit set of programmed instruction booklets for each trainee (£2.95), and a packet of 100 unsafe act observation cards (£ 1.10). Further information and course supplies may be obtained from Miss Ruth Isaacs, Applied Technology, Du Pont (UK) Ltd, 18 Breams Buildings, London EC4A 1HT. (Telephone: 0 1 - 2 4 2 9044).
ICAO Alphabet Our attention has been drawn to a slip on page 77 of the June 1976 issue. The article by Audrey Hull on reducing sources of human error in transmission of alphanumeric codes listed the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Authority for identifying letters by words. We understand that the recommended word for the letter 'P' should be "Papa".
Applied Ergonomics December 1976
249