Plant Services - March 2008 - (Page 44)

IN THE TRENCHES The scenario presented here is based on a true story; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Getting a life Acme finds that its doctors can’t patch up a bad situation I t was 10 years ago that Maye Tennins applied for work at the Acme plant in the far south suburbs of Acmetown. The economy was good back then. After one interview and some skill testing, she was hired as a maintenance technician, just one a dozen the nonunion plant hired that year. Over the years, Maye watched the Acme culture evolve. Now, with a focus on cost, the plant has been understaffed for several years and there’s no backup for anyone on the plant floor, including the hourly maintenance staff. The environment became chaotic. Planning, scheduling and, consequently, efficiency was poor. The technicians were constantly on the go, seeming never to have sufficient time to close out a work order completely before being called to respond to someone’s “more urgent” problem. Technicians who couldn’t deal with the stress no longer work there. The rest coped as best they could. In Maye’s case, this included seeing a therapist weekly and periodically relying on pharmaceuticals to help her keep things in perspective. Acme’s main production line was in the middle of a planned shutdown. The maintenance department, as usual, scrambled, sometimes ineptly, to complete repairs and up- What happened to the Golden Rule on Acme’s shop floor? grades during the 36-hour window before production was to restart. The pressure was on, the work was hot and sweaty, and the clock kept ticking. With her shift over at 4:00 p.m., Maye started for the lockers. The foreman, Wyatt Hertz, called her name and told her she had to work the next shift because a technician called in sick. Maye protested about being exhausted and argued she didn’t have the stamina to go for 16 straight hours. Besides, she was to be at the premiere of the highschool play in which her daughter had the lead role. Wyatt insisted she remain on duty to ensure the maintenance work for which he’s responsible would be completed ahead of schedule. Maye asked what time the other technician called in sick. Wyatt replied that he knew four hours ago that Maye would need to work a double shift. 44 Maye called home to let a disappointed daughter know the situation. Then she returned in a mood most foul. For an hour, a grouchy Maye silently fumed about Wyatt springing his last-minute surprise. Then, she reached a tipping point. She picked up her tools, stowed them in her locker and hurriedly washed up. She drove home and called her therapist for an impromptu consultation. The therapist recommended Maye take a green and yellow pill and get some sleep. When Maye returned to the plant the next day, Wyatt scolded her about her unauthorized departure. Maye said she had to leave because of a work-related injury. Wyatt demanded that she go to the clinic Acme uses so a doctor can evaluate her fitness for work. Just before lunch, the doctor reported that Maye was fit to work, but he prescribed six months of weekly psychological therapy as a condition of employment. Afterward, he would evaluate her again. Wyatt accepted this and ordered Maye to go to the psychology clinic that Acme uses. He added that she was to visit the clinic on her own time. Maye argued that she was already seeing her own therapist, but Wyatt insisted that she use the Acme practitioner. Maye went to more than 15 one-hour weekly sessions with the Acme psychologist. Each visit required her to drive one hour each way. She began to believe that this arrangement was intended to be punishment for refusing to work back-to-back shifts. It was a short hop to resenting being obliged to waste three uncompensated hours each week to visit a therapist with whom she felt no sense of rapport. March 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

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Plant Services - March 2008 Contents From The Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Enterprise Thinking Technology Toolbox: Hydrogen In Action Cover Story: Get Real Electrical: Reliable Distribution Power Transmission: When the Belt Breaks Web Hunter: Tooting Horns In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy versus Sustainability

Plant Services - March 2008

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