Workload and Performance

Every job has some form of performance expectation. While a performance expectation or performance goal can be motivating for an employee, and clearly has advantages for the organization, initially the performance expectations need to be balanced against the increase in safety risk which may be associated with them. Performance expectations create work pressure, for example to achieve a specified degree of output in a certain time. Thus, performance expectations are closely related to workload, although the relationship is not exclusive. 

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Figure 4.1 illustrates the nature of a job s safety risk profile, and what an employee can potentially encounter when they begin a new job. Education, experience, and training can prepare a new employee for normal and known safety risks. However, a number of other factors can add safety risks to a job. Figure 4.1 shows a number of these factors equipment safety issues, task assignment, workload and performance requirements, scheduling and work hours, environmental variance, co-worker behavior, supervision, and employee silence and safety voice. These... 

Workload and performance expectations Is there a procedure in place to control the new employee s workload and performance expectations Policy where workload and performance expectations are relaxed during new employee s initial period of employment... 

Svensson, E., Angelborg-Thanderz, M., Sjoberg, L., Olsson, S. (1997). Information complexity—mental workload and performance in combat aircraft. 

Provide warning systems which allow the crew to immediately recognise the problem and take appropriate corrective action. Consider the implication of multiple simultaneous warning (e.g. from cascade failures) and their impact on crew workload and performance (see Chapter 10). Ensure that the pilot is kept in the loop . For instance, an autopilot may automatically cope with a series of developing problems without informing the crew. When it reaches a point where the autopilot cannot control the aircraft, it may then suddenly drop a complex situation in the lap of the pilot. 

Moray, N., Dessouky, M.I., Kijowski, B.A. and Adapathya, R. (1991). Strategic behavior, workload and performance in task scheduling. Human Factors, 33, 607-29. 

Organization—Shift size and training decisions affect workload and a person s ability to perform work safely and efficiently. Reward and punishments used by the organization influence what individuals do. 

To set the functional and performance specifications, the vendor s specification sheets can be used as guidelines. However, it is not recommended that the vendor s specifications simply be copied because compliance to the functional and performance specifications must be verified later, during operational qualification and performance qualification. Specifying too many functions and/or setting the values too stringently will significantly increase the workload for OQ. 

Nicholson et al. (63) summarized the research performed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Institute of Aviation Medicine that showed that pemoline (30 and 40 mg) was beneficial for a 12-hr period of high-workload, overnight performance, and that the positive effects of the drug extended somewhat beyond the work... 

Performs work within specified time frames. Adapts to frequent interruptions and changes in workload and/or work schedule. 

Table 7.3 lists the recommended work/rests periods for different workloads being performed at various temperatures and the recommendations on water intake in various sunlight conditions where radiant heating may have profound effects. The recommendations are taken in part from the EPA document A Guide to Heat Stress in Agriculture, 1994. 

The only real concern you might have when installing a USB device is overloading the chain. While the specifications state that 127 devices can be connected, those devices will all be competing for that 12MBps bus, and performance will suffer. This is why most modern computers come with two USB ports—it helps to split the workload. 

Set a tentative date Attempt to set the time most convenient to the plant production people. Stable operation during the test is essential, and the production personnel can anticipate periods of potential instability best. Contact the laboratory supervisor. A performance test usually means increasing the lab workload, and the lab supervisor must schedule additional personnel. Obtain a commitment from the lab supervisor to complete the analysis by a reasonable date. The longer a sample sits on the shelf, the smaller is the reliability of the analysis because of possible leakage or chemical reaction, and the greater is its chance of being lost. 

Could we provide supports that would decrease mental workload and mitigate degraded performance, and how ... 

Performance expectations and workload Control performance expectations and workload to allow adaption and avoid safety violations 4.2.5... 

Task-Technology tradeoffs Task analyses may be performed for systems that have yet to be developed but for which functional and performance requirements have been defined. In these cases, the analysis will be based on the defined requirements combined with data on human performance capacities and available machine technology. These analyses can be used to assess the workload, technology, and performance tradeoffs expected with different human-machine system configurations. 

This section is devoted to two important issues concerning the psychophysiological analysis of complex tasks (a) the decomposition of complex tasks in order to specify how workload is related to different task factors and (b) a conceptual framework to explain interactions between task, work strain, and performance. 

Real-time measurement of variations in workload and task demands, performance, and behavioral and physiological changes ... 

Real-time assessment and feedback by reporting physiological changes to the sut ect either with or without information as to which changes actually occur. Concurrent assessment of variations in workload and task demands, performance, and psychological and physiological changes (events, episodes) ... 

O Donnell, R. D., Eggemeier, F T (1986). Workload assessment methodology. In K. R. Boff, L. Kaufman, J. P. Thomas (Eds.), Handbook of perception and human performance Vol II. Cognitive processes and performance (pp. 42-1 2-49). New York Wiley Interscience. 

The experimental conditions were essentially the same as in the previous study by Prinzel et al. (1997) with one primary difference. Because Prinzel, Pope and their colleagues found the index beta/(alpha + theta) to be the most sensitive in two prior studies, only that index was used in this experiment. Once again, RMSE scores for the tracking task were analyzed to examine the effects of both workload and feedback conditions on tracking performance. 

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