Quote:
Originally Posted by Too Many Projects
Can't speak for Keith's situation, but the Ford plant allowed us to go out of the building and off the grounds, as long as we were "on station" when the line started. MANY of the jobs could be worked ahead and that happened nearly every day, as the entire plant shut down for 30 minutes, EXACTLY. The line workers would start working back down the line about 2 cars before they entered that persons designated area and it seemed half the plant was mobbing the exit doors 3 minutes before the line even stopped. When the people got back, if the next car they needed to work on was in the next station, they would start a few minutes before the line and get caught up.
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It was like that at the beginning of the shift, too.
It can be pretty lonely standing there at 5:58 am with just you, your quality man and one or two of your best guys hanging around. But - if you are patient - the line will chug at 6:00 am and move about one job length before someone else chickens out and shuts 'er down. By then you can see the rest of your workers, quick stepping down the aisle, tying their aprons and putting their gloves on while in motion. They can catch the job they missed, the one in front of them, and the next job, and be sitting reading the newpaper before the line starts back up in earnest.
Having said all that: I honestly don't think I ever pushed the button myself to shut the line down, even as a "wet behind the ears" 19 yr old production supervisor. Somebody else would always shut it down first.
K