WORK SYSTEMS DESIGN

In the past, the man has been first; in the future, the system must be the
first.

Frederick Winslow Taylor (1911)

INNOVATION

In 1913, Henry Ford installs the first moving assembly

line for the mass production of an entire automobile.

His innovation reduced the time it took to build a car

from more than 12 hours to 93 minutes.
Ford Motor Company
Ford’s introduction of the moving assembly belts

Productivity improvement:
14 hours to 93 min
Factors to be addressed

• Optimization
• Dimensions
• Work Scheduling
• Load handling
• Ergonomics
Factories Today
 What is a System?
• There is a difference between ‘System’
and collection of ‘things’.

• A system is a set of elements, the

relations between these elements, and the
boundary around them.
Systems perform some functions
 Six directional interactions of HME:

• H>M
• H>E
BASIC WORK • M>H
•
SYSTEM •
M>E
E>H
• E>M

Human involvement in 4 places

BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

H > M: The basic control actions performed by the human on

the machine.
Application of large forces, “fine tuning" of controls, stocking
raw materials, maintenance, etc.
BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

H > E: Effects of the human on the local environment.

Humans emit heat, noise, carbon dioxide, etc.
BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

M > H: Machine may exert forces on the human due to

vibration, acceleration, etc. Machine surfaces may be
excessively hot or cold and a threat to the health of the human
BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

M > E: Machine may alter working environment by emitting

noise, heat, noxious gases.
BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

E > H: The environment may influence the human's ability to

interact with the machine or to remain part of the work system
due to temp, smoke, noise etc.
BASIC INTERACTION IN A WORK SYSTEM

E > M: The environment may affect the functioning of the

machine.

It may cause over-heating or freezing of components.

 Develop a Human Factors and Ergonomics
(HFE) Integration Plan

Specify the requirement for Human in systems

to
INTEGRATION OF HFE
• Make best use of human capabilities
IN SYSTEM DESIGN • Understand and provide for human needs
AND MANAGEMENT • Provide mitigation for human limitations
• Use people in ways that maximize system safety
• Use people cost –effectively

3. Understand how to test whether

requirements have been met
Human – Machine Systems

Human requirements –

o Machine is usable and safe

o Tasks are compatible with people’s expectation and limitation

o Environment is comfortable and appropriate for the task

o System of work organization recognizes people’s social and

economic needs
Compatibility: Matching demands to capabilities

Reason for incompatibility:

1. Human requirements not considered (failure to consult

appropriate standards, guidelines)

2. Inappropriate task design (new device incompatible with

users knowledge, habits, incompatible with other tasks)

3. Lack of prototyping (user satisfaction needs from conceptual

stage to pre-production stage)
Approach

FMJ (Fit the Man to the Job)

Selecting workers with right aptitude for a particular job. Skills to

fill particular posts – Firemen, Lifesavers, Armed Forces.

FJM (Fit the Job to the Man)

Design tasks to suit the worker.

Job design according to the workers characteristics-anatomical,
physiological and psychological.
 System Design

1. Formulation of systems goals

2. Analysis and allocation of
functions
3. Design concept
4. Detailed design
5. Realization, implementation
and validation
6. Evaluation
7. Quality control and quality
assurance
1. FORMULATION OF SYSTEMS GOALS
Deciding what the system has to do is the first stage
in design.

The focus is what is needed and how it is to be

achieved.

Data capture methods:

• Interviews
• Brainstorming sessions
• Questionnaire survey
• Market research
2. ANALYSIS AND ALLOCATION OF FUNCTIONS

Analysis

• Observations
• Discussion with users and experts
• Allocation of function between operators and
machines

Category of functions:

1. Those that must be carried out by machines (because it is

impossible for humans)

2. Those that must be carried out by humans (because no

adequate machines are available)

3. Those that might be carried out by either humans or

machines or both
3. DESIGN CONCEPT

Translations of the requirements into a design concept.

The concept should describe the structure of

worksystem and the interactions between the
components - human-machine – environment.
4. DETAILED DESIGN

ISO 6385 suggests that detailed design should include

the following:

1. Design of work organization

2. Design of work tasks
3. Design of jobs
4. Design of work environment
5. Design of work equipment, hardware and
software
6. Design of workspace and workstations
5. REALIZATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION

Realization: Procurement and installation of new system

on site.

Implementation: Management of changeover from the

old systems and training of operators.

Validation: The system to function according to the

requirements.
6. EVALUATION

Evaluation occurs after the system is up and running.

For example, evaluation of safety, errors and accidents,

noise, illumination, temperature and health.
7. QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

o A system is of good quality if it meet the standards.

o Once the system has been built and is functioning,

assessment are made to check compliance.
Systems Theory Model for accident causation

Unsuccessful task feedback

Machine Task to be
Collect Weigh Make performed
information risk decision

Interaction
Stressors Accident

R. J. Firenze
 Tail strike – Emirates EK407

• Pre-flight take off calculations were based on an

incorrect take off weight (262M/t rather than
Pic from ATSB Report
362M/t)

• This weight was entered into take off

performance software.

• Captain noticed something was wrong at the end

of the runway, took manual control and selected
maximum thrust
 Tail strike – Emirates EK407

o The flight failed to take off properly at

Melbourne Airport

o Hitting several structures at the end of the

runway

o Eventually returned to the airport for a safe

landing.

o Although no fatalities or injuries resulted,

damage to the aircraft was severe.

o Classified by Australian Transport Safety Bureau Pic from ATSB Report

as an "accident”.
Tail strike – Emirates EK407

• After the accident, Captain and First Officer were asked to

resign by Emirates and did so.

• ATSB investigation revealed:

• Captain had flown 99 hours in last month (1 hour below
maximum)
• Had slept for 3.5 hours in 24 hour period prior to flight
• Excessively complex system for calculating take off
speed.
• Human error!
THREE MILE ISLAND - PARTIAL MELTDOWN
 Three Mile Island

• The first mechanical mishap took place when the Three

Mile Island nuclear plant’s Pump system, which was
responsible for supplying water to cool the reactor, became
clogged and stopped working – 1st mechanical failure.

• Due to the increased temperature, pressure in the

primary reactor chamber increased to about 100 PSI above
normal

• This elevated pressure triggered the automatic opening

of the reactor's Pilot-Operated Relief Valve (PORV), whose
function was to relieve pressure inside the chamber.
 Three Mile Island

After decreasing the pressure, the valve

should have closed automatically.

Once the pressure normalized, the PORV

did not close automatically – 2nd mechanical
failure.

As a result, almost a third of the reactor's

cooling water drained out - Human-related
error that contributed to the Three Mile
Island accident.
 Three Mile Island

Following the failure of the feedwater pumps, two

emergency feedwater pumps were supposed to be
activated automatically. However, valves of the
pumps are closed due to routine maintenance-, not
realized by the operators - 1st human error.

In control room the light indicator showing PORV

open had turned off, which operators
misinterpreted that the PORV had closed. However,
the valve had actually failed, and was still open –
2nd human error. .

This caused a loss of coolant, as a significant

amount of steam and water was being released.
Three Mile Island

Because there was a lack of coolant, the

temperature in the reactor rose to about 2400 K.

This resulted in the core's partial meltdown and the

production of hydrogen gas that caused explosion
and release radioactive material into the
surrounding area.
Extent of the radioactive cloud
Keep in place
System design process (Singleton, W.T, Man-machine systems, Penguin, Harmondsworth, U.K., 1974
Fig- Design activities occuring during phases of the system development process. (Kragt.H., Enhancing Industrial Performance, Taylor and
Francis, London, U.K., 1992