Fifth Annual report of the Industrial Fatigue Research Board : to 31st December 1924.

  • Great Britain. Industrial Fatigue Research Board.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fifth Annual report of the Industrial Fatigue Research Board : to 31st December 1924. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    75/80 (page 73)
    The effects of the different shift systems (chiefly ten-hour and eight- hour) adopted in the industry are compared, and the conclusions reached confirm those obtained in other industries involving the same type of work, in showing that a reduction in the length of shift brings about an increase in hourly output, though this increase is not sufficient to bring the output of the shorter shift to the level of the longer shift. The total output per day of twenty-four hours is, however, greater on the shorter shift system. Other points dealt with in the report include the comparative efficiency of the day and night shifts, the seasonal variation in output, the effects on output of temperature and ventilation, practice, and long stoppages.] Light Repetition Work. No. 25.—Two Studies on Rest-Pauses in Industry, by H. M. VERNON, M.D., T. BEDFORD, and S. Wyatt, M.Sc. 1924. (iv and 34 pages.) [Price ls. 6d. net, post free ls. 74d.] [The report deals with the effects of breaking up the spells of work in occupations involving light repetitive work by means of short rest-pauses of definite duration and inserted at definite intervals in the spell. It is divided into two parts. The first part is based on the results of observations in certain factories in which a system of rest-pauses is adopted, and the effect of these is estimated by comparing the output before and after the operation of the system. The second part contains the results of some laboratory experiments, in which different types of light industrial work were reproduced and the effect of interpolated rest-pauses determined. The two methods confirm one another in showing that the introduction of systematic rest-pauses was almost always followed by a small but genuine improvement in output, and there seems to. be justification for stating that in light repetitive work the judicious introduction of rest- pauses may not only tend to reduce monotony and so increase the content- ment of the workers, but may also bring about an improvement in output amounting to 5 to 10 per cent., in spite of the diminution in working-time. Much work still remains to be done on this subject, and the present “report is published at this stage in order that employers may consider the desirability of experiment. ] No. 26.—On the Extent and Effects of Variety in Repetitive Work, by H. M. Vernon, M.D., and S. Wyatt, M.Sc. 1924. (iv and 38 pages). [Price ls. 6d. net, post free Is. 74d.] } , [The report is based on an investigation on different types of uniform repetitive work, and is divided into two parts. In the first part the extent to which repetitive work, when carried out under practical conditions, is really continuous is discussed, and examples of observations on different processes.are quoted showing how far an element of variety enters into work of this type. In the second part the effects on output of experimental changes in the type of work carried out are described. The results, though admittedly tentative, suggest that there is an optimum condition between complete uniformity of work and frequent changes at which maximum output is maintained. Some confirmation on this point is received from some laboratory experiments, which showed that spells of workin which changes of activity were periodically introduced gave a much higher output and less spoiled work than spells in which the same activity was maintained throughout. | :