Work Simplification Workbook REVISED 9.27.16 rebuilt

WORKSIMPLIFICATION

Sanitizing and Cleaning Your Facilities for Environmental HealthNON-CORE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, LLC

There is always a better way

WORK SIMPLIFICATIONWORK SIMPLIFICATION

This book belongs to: ________________________________________________


COPYRIGHT© 2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Non-Core Business Solutions, LLC

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TABLE OF CONTENTSAnswers:1-T, 2-T, 3-T, 4-T, 5-T, 6-T, 7-T, 8-T, 9-a, 1 0-d, 11-a thru g, 12-c,

13-a thru f, 14-always a better way, 15-a thru d, 16-limited or not results,17-c, 18-c, 19-c, 20-c, 21-a.

I. INTRODUCTION TO WORK SIMPLIFICATION.....................2

II. PRINCIPLES OF WORK SIMPLIFICATION IN ACTION.......4

III. THE HUMAN FACTOR............................................................15

QUIZ.................................................................................................20

I. INTRODUCTION TO WORK SIMPLIFICATION

All of us “work” for a living. When you speak of“work” you usually are referring to the job you perform that enables you to support yourself andyour family.

But there is another, more scientific definition of “work” ̶ and the more you know about it and how to apply it to your work, the easier you work will become.

That definition is: Work is equal to the Force exerted times the Distance through which that force advances.

In this sense of the word “work” is required for muscles to move our bodies.

For example, if a person uses a force of 20 lbs. to pull a cardboard box 1,000 feet across the floor, we say that he has done 20,000 foot-pounds of work.

The “foot-pound” is a unit of work measurement, just as yards, meters and miles are units of distance measurement.

To take some work out of a job means to reduce either the force of the distance involved. How could you take some of the work out of a job as just described?

Work = Force x Distance

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ft./lbs = unit of work

Reduce FORCE Reduce DISTANCE Reduce BOTH


You could put the box on casters so that only two lbs. of force were needed to pull it. The “work” would then be 2 lbs. times 1,000 feet or only 2,000 ft . / lbs. , compared to the 20,000 ft . / lbs.we started with.

That’s a savings of 18,000 ft./lbs. or 90% of the work originally involved.

In this same way if you planned the job even better and cut one-half of the 1,000 ft. distance as well as 90% of the force used, how much work would be saved?

Our equation (Work = Force x Distance) gives the answer very quickly, as you can see on the left: you would save another 1,000 ft./lbs. of work.

We could put him on a bicycle, or, more realistically, in a car, and thus cut down the force he must exert in walking. Or we could plan his route better, to eliminate some of the distance.

Any of these ideas would greatly cut down the amount of work he has to do, but he would still be accomplishing the same goal: delivering mail to all of the addresses on his route.

Let’s look at another example.

Let’s assume that a mailman exerts 10 lbs. of force for every foot of distance he walks. How could he save some of that work?

Box Alone20 lbs. x 1,000 ft. =

20,000 ft./lbs.

Box on Casters2 lbs. x 1,000 ft. =

2,000 ft./lbs

Force x Distance = Work2 lbs. x 500 ft. - 1,000 ft./lbs.

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10 ft./lbs. forevery foot walked




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And that’s what work simplification is all about. Accomplishing the same goals or tasks but exerting less force or covering less distance in the process.

Man has been simplifying work since prehistoric times. In fact, all living organisms tend to simplify the work of existence. The whole theory of evolution is really just a form of work simplification in the world of nature.

A short cut across a vacant lot is a form of work simplification. What part of the equation does it decrease?

It doesn’t take a formal education to understand and apply work simplification. The tools of work simplification are largely a matter of common sense, or as in the animal world, even a matter of instinct.

1I. PRINCIPLES OF WORK SIMPLICATION IN ACTION

Here’s a very basic example ̶ an ordinary desk with nothing on it. Our job is to dust the top of the desk.

If we use a small cloth, six passes with the hand are needed to do the job. Notice how much of the body must bend and how much strain is put on the back.

Let’s say it takes one pound of force to move your hand and the small cloth across the desk. If the desk is three feet wide, then the work you’d have to do would be 1 lb. times 3 ft. times 6 passes, or a total of 18ft./lbs.

Can you think of a way to eliminate some of this work and still do just as good a job dusting the desk?

Work = Force x DistanceW = 11 lbs. x 200 ft. =

2,200 ft./lbs.

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One obvious way is to double the size of the cloth. Using a cloth twice as wide, you would only have to make half as many passes.

Then the work is 1 lb. times 3 ft. times 3 passes or 9 ft./lbs. You save 9 ft./lbs. ̶ only one-half as much work, and the job will still be done as well as before.

By standing and using a duster with a handle to do the dusting, you decrease the work even more. As you can see the body doesn’t have to bend as much, nor does the arm have to stretch as far.

This shows another major principle of work simplification. Always use the fewest and largest muscles to accomplish any given task.

Let’s go from dusting a desk to dust mopping a hallway. Let’s assume the following:

● Walking, by itself, requires 10 lbs. of force.● The dust mop, if it is being pushed, adds one

pound, for a total of 11 lbs.

The hall is 50 ft. long and 10 ft wide. The dust mop is 30 inches wide. To cover the necessary area, you would have to make four passes and walk a distance of 200 feet.

The work required to dust mop this hall is therefore 11 lbs. times 200 ft., or 2,200 ft./lbs. That sounds like a lot of work ̶ is there a better way? Is there a way to do the job with less work and still get the same results?

50 ft.

10ft

The answer is yes!

There is always a better way!

You can use two dust mops instead of one. Of course, now you’ve added another pound to the original amount of required force, making it a total of 12 lbs.

However, by adding that one extra pound of force, you eliminate one-half of the distance. Now you can dust mop the same hall in two passes instead of four.

The total work required to dust mop the hall is now 12 lb. times 100 ft. or 1,200 ft./lbs.

That’s a saving of 1,000 ft./lbs. of work!

Let’s examine another aspect of work simplification.

If you’ve ever tried to push a stalled automobile along a flat road, you probably noticed that it’s much harder to get it started than it is to keep it moving once it’s underway.

There is always a better way

1,000 ft./lbs.or

45% SAVED!

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50 ft.

10ft

50ft

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That’s because you must overcome an inertia-like force called static friction in order to move the car from a standing start.

There are two kinds of friction: static and kenetic. “Static” means still, at rest, not moving. “Kenetic” means moving, in motion.

The point to remember is that it takes less force to keep something moving than it does to start it moving from scratch. And if less force is required, then the amount of work is less, too.

Therefore, another basic principle of work simplification is: Once an object is in motion, keep it in motion for as long as practical.

If you need to change directions when you have a tool or a machine under your control, it’s unnecessary work to stop it from going in one direction and start it going in another.

Instead keep it going and change directions with a curved motion. Remember: work simplification is very natural. Birds don’t make right-angle turns when they need to change directions; instead they fly in economical curves.

You can see the same concept illustrated in this wet-mopping method. There is also another principle involved here: always use the fewest and largest muscles needed for the job.

Static = Still

Kinetic = Moving

ONCE MOVINGKEEP IT MOVING


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Notice how the large muscles of the leg, waist and shoulders move the body and mop so that the smaller muscles of the arms and wrists only have to guide the mop, not push it.

Using large muscles helps keep you from getting tired too quickly.

Here’s another example of the same principle, again taken from dust mopping. Notice how the large muscles pull the chair out of the way just before the mop is ready to go under the desk. Also, see how the mop is moved with the larger and stronger muscles of the arm and shoulder, not the smaller and weaker muscles in the wrists.

This leads us to yet another principle of work simplification. It is called “working balanced” and it means keeping your work and your body balanced as much as possible.

On the left is an example of this principle. Notice in this dusting procedure, how the free hand moves an object so that the hand doing the dusting does not have to stop and start over again.

In this picture, we can see these principles applied to dust mopping a classroom. You should always keep the free hand close to the object you wish to move in order to clean.

CAUTION

WETFLOOR

CAUTION

WETFLOOR

WORK BALANCEDWORK BALANCED

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Observe in this picture how awkward it is to move the desk when the free, leading hand is not on the side of the object to be moved.

There are other factors that help determine the amount of work involved in a given task. As it becomes used, a dust mop retains enough dirt to cause it to weigh more. How does this affect the amount of work the person doing the cleaning must perform to do the job?

If the dust mop gets wet, how will that affect the work? Why?

These pictures show cross-sections of two floor finishes, one smooth and the other rough and irregular. Will the cleaner have to do more work to dust mop the floor on the left than he would have to do to clean the one on the right?

MORE work is required in each of the three cases you’ve just read about because more force is required to push the dust mop.

More ForceMore WorkMore ForceMore Work

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The lesson to be learned is that the weight of the dust mop is one of those things to consider when you are selecting dust mops. A 36” dust mop is a better choice than a 30” mop which weighs the same.

The same principle applies to vacuum cleaners which are not self-propelled. Often time, the heavier the vacuum cleaner, the harder it is to move, and therefore the more work its operator will have to perform to vacuum a given area.

Work makes a person tired. The more tired a person gets, the less able he is to accomplish additional work and the longer it takes him to accomplish it.

What this ultimately means is that it costs more money to get the work done.

On the left is a graph showing the relationship between fatigue and production during three work shifts.

After an employee starts on the first shift, he quickly reaches the level of his highest productivity. As fatigue sets in, however, his production falls off.

MaximumProduction

1st Shift

8 12

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

MaximumProduction

1st Shift

8 12

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

2nd Shift

1 5

3rd Shift

6 10

Time of Day

-36”

-30”

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After eating and resting, this employee goes into his second shift. Again, he reaches his level of highest productivity rather quickly although it is not quite as high as it was in his first shift.

Once again, as fatigue sets in, production falls off. This time at a slightly more rapid rate than it did on the first shift.

Once more, after eating and resting, the employee enters his third shift. You can see that his peak of productivity is not as high as it was in the first two shifts. Also, notice that production falls off more rapidly than was the case in either the first of the second shifts.

Work costs money!

Not only does it cost money to the organization which pays the employees’ salaries, but also to the employees themselves.

Now, using what we’ve learned up to this point, let’s take a typical job ̶ basic office cleaning ̶ and analyze it in detail.

Plan your cleaning strategy so that you can cover this office in two loops instead of three. This by itself is a considerable savings of work.

MaximumProduction

1st Shift

8 12

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

2nd Shift

1 5

Time of Day

MaximumProduction

1st Shift

8 12

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

2nd Shift

1 5

3rd Shift

6 10

Time of Day

WORK COSTS MONEY!

SECOND LOOP

FIRST LOOP

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One good plan for simplifying the cleaning of this office would be to organize the job as follows:

First Loop ̶ Empty trash cans and dust all horizontal surfaces between eyes and knees.

Second Loop ̶ Vacuum the carpets or dust mop the hard surface floors.

The exact path of movement should be determined by the need to pass the furnishings and fixtures on the side of the body next to the free hand. This is how the two cleaning loops would look in a diagram.

After you have determined the overall plan for the job, you should study in detail each of the individual tasks that must be done. Here are a few of them.

A. Emptying waste baskets.

This is the most efficient way to accomplish this task:

Pick up the waste basket in one hand, keeping your arm braced for steadiness and power. Stop the waste basket right above the large trash container with your free hand. Keep it low enough so that you don’t scatter the contents on the rug.

B. Dusting.

Keep a hand free to move small objects when you want to dust under them. Dust toward your free hand. If you are right handed, dust from right to left. If you are left handed, dust from left to right. In this way, your free hand is always moving objects so that your other hand does not need to stop.

FIRST LOOPEmptying WastebasketsDusting Horizontal Surfaces

SECOND LOOPVacuumingDust Mopping

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C. Vacumming under a desk.

First, vacuum past the chair. When you are even with the chair, place your hand on the top. With your hand and hip, pull it from under the desk and swing it to one side. Vacuum under the desk, but do not let go of the chair. Then swing the chair back under the desk. The whole process is a fluid movement. You can do this without a single wasted motion.

What if you have a new and different job to do? The principles of work simplification can be of help here too. First, find the time required for each task. Each element can be timed and the total time required for the job can be accurately estimated by adding these figures together.

For instance, the picture on the left shows a lawn measuring 50 ft. by 100 ft. How would you apply work simplification to the job of cutting the grass on this lawn?

Suppose your lawn mower has a 22” wide path and each path overlaps 4 inches. To cut this lawn then requires 34 passes and 33 turns.

Assume that each pass involves a straight-line walk of 100ft. and a 3 ft. turn.

1. Prepare2. Mow Straight3. Mow Turn4. Put Away

34 passes33 turnt

Distance +100 ft. Straight3 ft. Turning

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The steps in our “work equation” are shown on the left.

First, figure out the number of passes times the distance covered on each pass. Then multiply the pounds of force times the distance that amount of force must move.

The total work involved in pushing the mower, including turns, would be figured as shown on the left.

Now, if you used a 27” self-propelled mower, including turns, and if it takes 10 lbs. to move the body, how much work would you save?

From the equation on the left, you can see that you would save 37,366 ft./lbs of work.

There’s a close parallel between the grass cutting job just described and the job of scrubbing a hard surface floor. On the left are two buffers, one 15” wide, the other 21” wide. Which one would you choose?

The answer is probably obvious by now. You would use the wider machine because it saves work by covering more than 25% area per pass.

Force +20 lbs. Straight40 lbs. Turning

100 ft./pass x 34 passes = 3,400 ft.20 lbs. x 3,400 ft. = 68,000 ft./lbs.

Total Work To Push Mower

68,000 ft./lbs.3,960 ft./lbs.71,960 ft./lbs

Method 1“Push Mower” = 72,356 ft./lbs.

Method 2“Self-Propelled Mower” = 34,990 ft./lbs.

WORK SAVED = 37,366 ft./lbs. 52%

15” 21”

III. THE HUMAN FACTOR

Although methods and equipment are important, the most important element in work simplification is the human factor.

Employees must understand:

● what work simplification is;● how and when it will occur; ● why it is being done;● how they can help;● and “what’s in it for them”;

If one or more jobs are eliminated or some time saved, employees must be assured that turnover, increased business and the assignment of additional duties will take care of those jobs that are affected.

Employees must be assured that no jobs will be lost and that no one will receive less take-home pay.

A positive, cooperative atmosphere insures any work simplification process a maximum chance of success.

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If one or more jobs are eliminated or some time saved, employees must be assured that turnover, increased business and the assignment of additional duties will take care of those jobs that are affected.

HOWWHENWHY

“WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM?”

IV. LET’S REVIEW

There is never only one “best way” to do a job. We have seen that work simplification begins with the attitude that: “there is always a better way” to accomplish any goal.There is always

a better way

All jobs can be improved by applying the principles of work simplification. Break each job down into its elements. Question each element. Why, when, where, how much, and who. Each element is affected by what other elements? What equipment is needed?

Our basic scientific definition of work is:


WhyWhenWhereHowHow muchWho

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An open, inquisitive mind, used with a little imagination and common sense, is necessary for work simplification to occur

A negative attitude (i.e. “We’re already doing it the best way”, or “we’ve always done it this way” or “everybody does it this way”) will only bring negative results.

An Open Mind,Imagination, andCommon Senseare Necessary for Finding a Better Way.

An open, inquisitive mind, used with a little imagination and common sense, is necessary for work simplification to occur.

A negative attitude such as “We’re already doing it the best way”, or “We’ve always done it this way”, or “Everybody does it this way”, will only bring negative results.

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Taking some of the work out of a job means to decrease either the force or the distance and still accomplish the same task.

Once an object is in motion, it takes more work to stop it and start it in another direction. When walking or running, that is why we “round” a corner.

Most of the time, use the largest and fewest muscles.

Strive to work balanced and keep both hands working whenever possible.



Most of the time, use the largest and fewest muscles.

Strive to work balanced and keep both hands working whenever possible.

WORK BALANCEDKEEP BOTH

HANDS WORKING

WORK BALANCEDKEEP BOTH

HANDS WORKING

Force ReducedDistance Reduced

Use Fewest andUse Fewest andLargest MusclesLargest MusclesUse Fewest andLargest Muscles

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Just as you look for the shortest route between two cities when you drive a car, always eliminate any extra steps or distance from the movements needed to accomplish a given tasks.

Work simplification is a useful tool for the supervisor in many ways. Not only can it improve the way existing jobs get done, it can also help predetermine the labor requirements for future jobs. It is also a most valuable aid in helping the organization purchase better and more efficient labor saving equipment.

Bad work habits cause undue fatigue. Fatigue eats into productivity. Inefficient work costs money! Work simple...work smart!

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Combine as many tasks as practical to save work.

COMBINE TASKS

ALL WORK TAKES TIME,EVEN NEEDLESS WORK!

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Productivity =Work Divided by Time

Productivity is a measure of how efficient work is done and is usually expressed in the number of square feet per man hour or the number of minutes needed to clean the square feet of area.

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QUIZ

True or False

1. Work makes a person tired.

2, Only when a person is moving is work being done.

3. Every time a person moves, they do work.

4. Some work is not productive.

5. A job can be done just as well with less effort and in less time by eliminating unproductive work and/or simplifying productive work.

6. To simplify work means to either decrease the force and/or distance through which it acts.

7. Any combination of a force unit of measurement and a distance unit of measurement can be used to describe work.

8. All work cost the employee and employer money.

Multiple Choice

(Circle the letter(s) for your answers)

9. Work is equal to a. Force x distance through which it acts. b. Weight x distance from floor c. Size x distance from beginning to center of gravity.

10. For a person to perform work simplification requires they have a. Special education b. Special knowledge c. Common sense d. None of these

11. Check the rules that will help in simplifying work. a. Combine motions b. Eliminate unneeded motions c. Make curved motions d. Eliminate starts and stops e. Use largest and fewest muscles practical f. Work balanced g. Use both hands to do effective work

12. What is the most important part in doing work simplification? a. Accurate measurements b. Proper planning c. The human element d. Setting goals

13. In each elemental task which of the following questions need answering? a. How b. When c. Why d. Where e. How much f. Who

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14. Please fill in the blanks There is _______________ a _____________ _____________ 15. For maximum success of a work simplification project there must be a. A positive, cooperative atmosphere and attitude b. A thorough understanding of what work simplification is and how it will work here and “What’s in it for them” c. Complete assurance of job security d. Willingness to change

16. What will be the result of the attitude described by statements such as: “There is only one best way”, “We’re doing it the best way”, “We should not change because we’ve always done it this way” or “because everyone does it this way”?

Problems

17. If a person pushes or pulls a cart 500 ft. that weighs 25 lbs., and it takes 10 lbs. of force, how much work is done?a. 25 ft. lbs.

b. 250 ft. lbs. c. 5,000 ft. lbs. d. 12,500 ft. lbs.

18. To empty the above cart, it must be lifted 2 ft., but the person does not have to move their feet, how much work is done?a. 0 ft. lbs

b. 20 ft. lbs. c. 50 ft. lbs. d. 35 ft. lbs.

19. How much work, if any, would be saved by having an automatic cart emptier?a. 0 ft. lbs


20. A vacuum cleaner with a 14 inch opening and 3 inch diameter wheels requires 5 lbs. of force to push and pull itand is moved 100 ft. for each private office. How much work is done in each private office using this machine?a. 70 ft. lbs


21. If in problem #20, 4 inch diameter casters are used and decrease the push-pull force to 3 lbs., how much workwould be saved?a. 200 ft. lbs


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Charlotte, NC 28217


COPYRIGHT© 2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Non-Core Business Solutions, LLC

Documents

Work Simplification Workbook REVISED 9.27.16 rebuilt