Optimal production output and frequency of rest-breaks for a worker subjected to fatigue
by Adel E. Alshayji; Mohammad A. Darwish; Khaled A. Alali
International Journal of Operational Research (IJOR), Vol. 45, No. 1, 2022

Abstract: It is reported by many researchers that the quality of a produced item deteriorates and work-related incidents increase when a worker is subjected to high level of fatigue at the workplace. As a direct consequence, the daily production yield of the worker decreases which, in turn, reduces the profit of a company. Some authors suggested short breaks at workplace so that the worker overcomes fatigue and improve productivity. In this paper, we mathematically study this relationship and develop a model that finds the optimal work-rest schedule such that the daily production output of a worker is maximised. We assume that the worker fatigue increases exponentially during work. Unlike the models used in the literature, the reduction in the worker fatigue level is modelled by utilising concepts in the preventive maintenance engineering literature. This simplifies the solution method significantly.

Online publication date: Tue, 27-Sep-2022

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Operational Research (IJOR):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com