Evaluating elements of the work area in terms of job redesign for older workers

摘要

Japan is rapidly becoming an aged society at an unprecedented rate that is clearly unlike the experience in other countries. As the 21st century begins, our country will have the largest ratio of advanced aged people in the world, resulting in a considerable depreciation of labor productivity in the present labor-type intensive work environment. Currently, university research institutes, the government, and enterprises are grappling with solutions to this problem. As a background, this paper presents a proposal to redesign elements of the work place for aged workers. The method of research was to observe and measure the actions of typical sitting workers performing assembly operations on electrical products in the KANI PLANT NAGOYA WORKS of MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CO. The evaluation index used in the experiment is obtained by measuring the time of motion elements, cycle time per product and the motion velocity waves, which are then compared to the motion characteristics of young workers. The results lead to an important element of job redesign for aged workers and the experimental formulas provide a proposal for calculating and designing a reasonable work area dealing with 'get and place activities.'