Predetermined time standards: their application in workshop settings.

Abstract

There is a need for a simple, quickly applied tool which can correlate performance of the handicapped individual with that of the able-bodied worker and be easily utilized by nontechnical personnel. Efforts at both the Cerebral Palsy Center and the Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta demonstrated that the third generation of Methods-Time-Measurement (MTM-3) satisfies these criteria. As every motion involved in an operation is detailed and a corresponding time value applied, the over-all result reflects a normal rate of accomplishment more accurately than the usual methods and is especially useful in bidding jobs for the workshop. MTM-3 also has a place in the evaluation section to verify or correct existing standards on bench-type work samples and to develop more meaningful time distribution charts relating to a specific population at a center. In studies of disabled individuals, MTM-3 yields a more accurate determination of the actual degree of disability than the American Medical Association's existing estimated percentages in regard to motor skills.