December 3rd, 2003

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Words
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Word du Jour: Therblig

I learned a new word yesterday: therblig. It’s not a particularly useful term, and originates out of that dodgy human factors business, but here’s a definition:

The fundamental motions of the hands of a worker.These operations are made up of 17 types of motion: search, select, grasp, reach, move, hold, release, position, pre-position, inspect, assemble, disassemble, use, unavoidable delay, avoidable delay, plan, and test to overcome fatigue.Frank Bunker Gilbreth defined these motions in his system of motion study.(Therblig is Gilbreth spelled backwards).

There’s a nifty diagram of 16 therbligs here.

Comments: 3 Responses so far

nilesh
January 14th, 2004
4:59 am

its a very explanatory definition precisely states what the term is.thank you very much.

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Liz
February 21st, 2007
9:55 am

There’s a cool Therblig t-shirt at

http://www.cafepress.com/cbitherbligs

It has the therblig designs on the front, in the colors Frank Gilbreth gave them, and a nifty quote about therbligs, from science fiction writer Robert Heinlein, on the back.

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Richard Dietzel
September 6th, 2010
2:47 am

I just finished Frank, Junior’s book, “Time Out For Happiness”, read it before using a term like “dodgy”, Gilbreth, Sr. and his wife Lillian championed the idea that management’s job was, in part, to ensure the worker’s happiness that efficiencies should be aimed at reducing fatigue and increases in profits from efficiencies should be shared with the workers.

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