Modern Mechanical Engineering Vol-I

THE SAFE

47

office with men selected as a result of an examination held by the firm.
Where this course is adopted, the examination is confined to the firm's own
apprentices who have had at least two and a half years' shop experience.
Those who receive the highest marks come up to the drawing office if their
works record is satisfactory, and this policy ensures a leaven of practical
experience in the drawing-office staff.

Design of the Drawing Office.—Another point of organization which

Fig. 17.—Arrangement of Offices
is worth consideration is the disposition of the various drawing-office depart-
ments. It is advisable to have them all on one flat, if possible. Certainly
all should be in close proximity, and the chief draughtsman's room should
be in a central position and easily accessible to all departments. A very
satisfactory arrangement is shown in fig. 17.
The method of arranging the boards, the question of how they shall
face, and how the light shall come in, the convenience of lockers, the places
to lay drawings, the height and position of them to entail minimum fatigue,
&c., must all be carefully considered.