Any human activity is impossible without the means of labor. That is, without all those items, mechanisms, tools with which the final product is created. In the modern world, special attention is paid to the improvement of technology. The easier it is to interact with the means of labor, the greater the efficiency of production.
Basic concepts
From the point of view of economic theory, the question of what the process of production is can be answered as follows: it is a sequence of certain actions that result in the transformation of material and raw materials into finished products. Consider the most common example: how to make a stool? At the beginning, boards are taken, and at the end, a finished item for sitting is obtained. The whole process is an interaction of three main components:
- Human workforce.
- Boards are the object of labor.
- Saws, hammers, nails - means of labor.
The object of labor always playspassive role. These are precisely those things, materials that are transformed into something else. But the transformation cannot be done without tools.
So, means of labor are objects or tools necessary for the production of goods and services.
Financial view
Financial Dictionary gives a slightly extended interpretation. In it, the means of labor are considered as a complex designation of everything that relates to the enterprise and helps to participate in the transformation of the objects of labor. In this case, a concept is considered that covers both buildings and devices.
Impact can be not only mechanical, but also physical, chemical. In this case, all the necessary components, reagents, devices will also refer to the main concept.
This approach is very important for the financial issue. Since all means of labor are taken into account on the balance sheet of the enterprise, it is necessary to clearly understand their classification.
From history
How long ago did the means of labor arise? As far as we know, the first tools that help people get food appeared about 2 million years ago. These were primitive devices: hand axes, disc axes, wood carvers. There was no technology for making the instruments themselves. The apes simply used the right shape of the stones.
The further evolution took place, the more tools improved. Until, finally, people began to generalize the available knowledge and introduce the concept of means of production. The means of labor in these times (late 19century) became the main subject of discussion.
K. Marx paid the most attention to the labor force and ways of interacting with various tools in his theory.
The main provisions of the theory of K. Marx
Before the Marxist theory, all predecessors considered the political economy in terms of its material value, or benefits for the national economy. K. Marx stated that one cannot consider a huge sphere without taking into account the most important thing - the process of reproduction. Based on the works of A. Smith, D. Ricardo and others, K. Marx and F. Engels formed their doctrine, in the center of which was man and the means of labor.
From this point of view, scientists have identified five historical periods. Each of these stages is characterized by common features: religious movements, political concepts, types of relationships. And all this was reflected in the methods of production. These periods are:
- Primitive communal.
- Slave.
- Feudal.
- Capitalist.
- Communist.
Thanks to K. Marx, a modern concept of the cost of labor was formed. It was he who, for the first time in his time, touched upon the issues of increasing the cost of goods in the process of its transformation. He said that the use of the means of labor is not only what we see: a machine tool, a hammer, a drawing, but also another abstract side, in which the costs of human mental activity must be included.
Determination according to K. Mars
K. Marxgives such a definition to the means of labor: it is one thing or a combination of them that a person places between himself and the object of labor. They are used as intermediaries or guides from thought to action. We thought that we need to fasten the part in this place, which means we took a hammer (tool) and drove in a nail.
Types of means of labor
Depending on the original source, two large groups can be distinguished:
- Natural means of labor are those that nature gave to man, he uses them in economic activities. Let's give examples. Fertile lands - they grow wheat, rivers - the energy of water gives electricity. Separately, some scientists include in this category the domestication of wild animals, which are now considered domestic: cows, horses, dogs, chickens, etc.
- Technical - man-made. There are a lot of types of technical means.
Technical tools
Let's consider an enlarged classification using a table
| Group | Destination |
| Buildings | Constructed to create favorable conditions for a continuous production process |
| Buildings | Despite the fact that they are created as buildings, they are directly involved in the process of making something. For example, blast furnaces. |
| Power Plants | They are sources of energy |
| Working machines anddevices | They are considered the main tools on which the process of turning one product into another takes place. |
| Tools and fixtures | With their help, a person acts on an object. |
| Household inventory | Are mandatory, but they do not directly participate in the manufacturing technology of anything. They service the main machines and tools: clean, tidy, tidy. |
| Transportation | It is the link between the individual stages of the production process. |
Occupational safety
Occupational safety is a set of measures aimed at protecting the employee, his he alth and well-being during the performance of his official duties.
Occupational safety equipment is an individual device, the main function of which is to reduce the negative impact of a harmful environment. They can be divided into two large groups:
- For respiratory protection (gas mask, bandage, respirator);
- To cover the skin (cloak, overalls, gloves, hats).
This is an enlarged classification and fixed assets that every enterprise should have.
Collective Defense
Any entrepreneur should take care of safe working conditions and do everything possible to prevent accidents and disasters. This is the essencecollective labor protection. Fires are considered the most dangerous. Fire protection equipment:
- Primary funds (water, sand, earth).
- Fire equipment and inventory, which should always be located in an accessible area.
The last category includes: shovels, buckets, fire extinguishers. The greater the risk of fire in the workplace, the more attention should be paid to methods for the rapid localization of fire. Every worker must be informed about the possible hazards associated with his activities and how to prevent them.
Conclusions
The main means of labor are those tools, units, structures that help a person reproduce a product from raw materials and primary materials. They can be classified according to different parameters, but even at home we come across dozens of items every day that make our life easier. If you look theoretically, the first tool of labor is a wooden club found by a humanoid ape.
