HYWEL MURRELL AT THE NAVAL MOTION STUDY UNIT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ERGONOMICS

摘要

Hywel Murrell's work of an ergonomics nature begun in World War Two and continued when he was appointed as the head of the Naval Motion Study Unit (NMSU) in 1947. This paper presents an analysis of Murrell's work at the NMSU. The earliest studies involved the 'motion study' of gunnery operations and ammunition handling. Research was also carried out on the layout of equipment and the handling of information in command and control centres. Early studies can be typified as being based on observations and the timing of activities. Later studies included research on information display and included laboratory experiments and literature reviews. This work and its influence on the development of ergonomics are discussed.