A study of meaning comprehensibility of pictograms for lathe procedural instructions

Abstract

In this study, the effectiveness of pictogram meanings for lathe procedures and cautionary instructions was investigated. Pictograms were created for instruction in lathe work and the comprehensible levels of the pictograms were analyzed through a survey with 108 subjects. The subjects responded to questionnaires with a five-point scale to determine the clarity of the pictograms and the well-recognized emergency exit and toilet signs. T-tests between some of the pictograms and the signs showed no significant differences. In addition, the average scores given to some of the procedural pictograms were higher than those to the escape sign. These results indicate that the pictograms can be used effectively to give instructions to lathe workers in the manufacturing factories where verbal communication is not easy between supervisor and workers due to language barriers. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.