Ergonomic Safety Evaluation With Labor Time Standard

• US 20140074546A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Poletti, Steven J., Varma, Chandler K., Bouse, Dennis R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,776,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32365 For resource planning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An integrated safety-evaluation with labor-time-standard system is provided that includes a work-task manager, integrated module and ergonomic safety evaluator. The work-task manager may be configured to receive a work instruction and determine work elements applicable to the work instruction, with the work elements may have respective associated elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values. The integrated module may be configured to receive the elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values for the work elements, and calculate a labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating therefrom. And the ergonomic safety evaluator may be configured to receive the labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating and perform an ergonomic safety evaluation therefrom. In this regard, the ergonomic safety evaluator may be configured to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation to determine whether to release or reject the work instruction.

Claims

1. An integrated safety-evaluation with labor-time-standard system comprising:

a work-task manager coupled to an integrated module and ergonomic safety evaluator, the work-task manager being configured to receive a plurality of work plans each of which includes a plurality of work instructions; and

for each work instruction,

the work-task manager is configured to determine work elements applicable to the work instruction, the work elements having respective associated elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values;

the integrated module is configured to receive the elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values for the work elements, and calculate a labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating therefrom; and

the ergonomic safety evaluator is configured to receive the labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating and perform an ergonomic safety evaluation therefrom, the ergonomic safety evaluator being configured to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation to determine whether to release or reject the work instruction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated module being configured to calculate the labor time standard includes being configured to:

calculate elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element; and

sum the elemental time standards to calculate the labor time standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated module being configured to calculate the ergonomic safety rating includes being configured to:

calculate elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element;

multiply the elemental risk ratings and respective elemental time standards to produce respective products; and

sum the products to calculate the ergonomic safety rating.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated module being configured to calculate the labor time standard includes being configured to:

calculate a standardized labor time standard from the elemental unit times and frequency values; and

calculate a localized labor time standard from the standardized labor time standard, and from one or more local workforce factors,

wherein the ergonomic safety evaluator being configured to receive the labor time standard includes being configured to receive the localized labor time standard.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more local workforce factors include a personal, fatigue and delay factor that is a numeric value applicable to the local workforce when performing activities required to complete tasks involved in the work instruction, and

wherein the integrated module being configured to calculate the localized labor time standard includes being configured to adjust the standardized labor time standard according to the personal, fatigue and delay factor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ergonomic safety evaluator being configured to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation includes being configured to compare the ergonomic safety rating to a maximum threshold allowance that is a numeric value representing a level of risk acceptable to allow release of the work instruction, the maximum threshold allowance being a function of the labor time standard.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the maximum threshold allowance is further a function of a risk capacity factor that is a numeric value indicating an ability for an average worker of a local workforce to tolerate ergonomic risk or stress in comparison to an average worker of a global workforce population.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of work plans each of which includes a plurality of work instructions; and

for each work instruction,

determining work elements applicable to the work instruction, the work elements having respective associated elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values;

calculating a labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating from the elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values for the work elements; and

performing an ergonomic safety evaluation from the labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating, the ergonomic safety evaluation being performed to determine whether to release or reject the work instruction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the labor time standard includes:

calculating elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element; and

summing the elemental time standards to calculate the labor time standard.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the ergonomic safety rating includes:

calculating elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element;

multiplying the elemental risk ratings and respective elemental time standards to produce respective products; and

summing the products to calculate the ergonomic safety rating.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the labor time standard includes:

calculating a standardized labor time standard from the elemental unit times and frequency values; and

calculating a localized labor time standard from the standardized labor time standard, and from one or more local workforce factors,

wherein performing the ergonomic safety evaluation includes performing the ergonomic safety evaluation from the localized labor time standard.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more local workforce factors include a personal, fatigue and delay factor that is a numeric value applicable to the local workforce when performing activities required to complete tasks involved in the work instruction, and

wherein calculating the localized labor time standard includes adjusting the standardized labor time standard according to the personal, fatigue and delay factor.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the ergonomic safety evaluation includes comparing the ergonomic safety rating to a maximum threshold allowance that is a numeric value representing a level of risk acceptable to allow release of the work instruction, the maximum threshold allowance being a function of the labor time standard.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the maximum threshold allowance is further a function of a risk capacity factor that is a numeric value indicating an ability for an average worker of a local workforce to tolerate ergonomic risk or stress in comparison to an average worker of a global workforce population.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

receive a plurality of work plans each of which includes a plurality of work instructions; and

for each work instruction,

determine work elements applicable to the work instruction, the work elements having respective associated elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values;

calculate a labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating from the elemental unit times, elemental risk ratings and frequency values for the work elements; and

perform an ergonomic safety evaluation from the labor time standard and ergonomic safety rating, the ergonomic safety evaluator being configured to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation to determine whether to release or reject the work instruction.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the labor time standard includes being caused to:

calculate elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element; and

sum the elemental time standards to calculate the labor time standard.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the ergonomic safety rating includes being caused to:

calculate elemental time standards for the work elements, the elemental time standard for each work element being calculated as a function of the elemental unit time and frequency value for the respective work element;

multiply the elemental risk ratings and respective elemental time standards to produce respective products; and

sum the products to calculate the ergonomic safety rating.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the labor time standard includes being caused to:

calculate a standardized labor time standard from the elemental unit times and frequency values; and

calculate a localized labor time standard from the standardized labor time standard, and from one or more local workforce factors,

wherein the apparatus being caused to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation includes being caused to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation from the localized labor time standard.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more local workforce factors include a personal, fatigue and delay factor that is a numeric value applicable to the local workforce when performing activities required to complete tasks involved in the work instruction, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the localized labor time standard includes being caused to adjust the standardized labor time standard according to the personal, fatigue and delay factor.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus being caused to perform the ergonomic safety evaluation includes being caused to compare the ergonomic safety rating to a maximum threshold allowance that is a numeric value representing a level of risk acceptable to allow release of the work instruction, the maximum threshold allowance being a function of the labor time standard.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the maximum threshold allowance is further a function of a risk capacity factor that is a numeric value indicating an ability for an average worker of a local workforce to tolerate ergonomic risk or stress in comparison to an average worker of a global workforce population.