Therblig

A therblig is the name for one of a set of fundamental motions required for a worker to perform a manual operation or task. The set consists of 18 elements, each describing a standardized activity. These are listed below.

• Search
• Find
• Select
• Grasp
• Hold
• Position
• Assemble
• Use
• Disassemble
• Inspect
• Transport loaded
• Transport unloaded
• Pre-position for next operation
• Release load
• Unavoidable delay
• Avoidable delay
• Plan
• Rest to overcome fatigue

The therblig is used in the study of motion economy in the workplace. A workplace task is analyzed by recording each of the therblig units for a process, with the results used for optimization of manual labor by eliminating unneeded movements.

The word therblig is a reversal of the word Gilbreth, with 'th' treated as one letter. It was the creation of Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, the American industrial psychologists who invented the field of time and motion study.

References

• Gilbreth, Frank; Carey, Ernestine Gilbreth (1948). Cheaper by the Dozen. 
• Aft, Lawrence (2000). Work Measurement and Methods Improvement. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471370894. 
• Singleton, W. (1982). The Body at Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521240875. 

External links

Look up therblig in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• The Gilbreth Network: Therbligs