Plant Services - April 2008 - (Page 67)

Good . GUNK ! must understand organizational policies, safety and health requirements and business processes. They absolutely must also be able to understand and react to industrial hazards. But, multiple language support is an expense and might slow business processes as coworkers struggle through conversations and miscommunication. Acme should require its supervisors to be multilingual. If profanity is an issue, the supervisor must address it. The severity and the supervisor’s judgment determine what action should be taken. Small infractions might require a “to-the-point” discussion, while repeated or serious matters might require documentation and formal action. Some statements are offensive to the majority of people and some things that sound harmless to one can make someone else “trip off the line.” Company rules can define what’s offensive, but it’s tough to change cultural beliefs by fiat. Judgment applies best in “fuzzy” situations. You can’t control what people think, but you can require them to avoid specific behaviors, words and gestures. Defining offensive language requires judgment. Dealing with it requires tact and fortitude. The bottom line is not let it go on. In my experience, 1% of the staff (usually the loudest people) can stir problems into any perk or benefit. If a perk doesn’t lead to an improvement in morale, productivity or other reasonable benefit, don’t put it in place. Allow radios and there’ll be arguments about station choice and volume. Allow personal devices and some will complain they’re being ignored by those using them. Put in a coffee maker and people argue about cleaning it, what kind of sweetener to use and how strong to make the coffee. If you put in a perk, define its use and make sure people comply with the approved use. Tom Moriarty, PE, CMRP Organizational Reliability Professional Services Consultant (321) 773-3356 tjmpe@alidade-mer.com Our industrial chemicals are up to 3X the strength compared to our retail products, are made of unique formulas, and will NEVER be sold at retail. Call 877-GO4-GUNK for local distributors www.gunk.com Shaft alignment in a Flash. Let us show you how! ® An academician says: This case reminds me of one of my first consulting assignments in an auto parts plant in Mississippi. Radios were allowed and almost everyone brought one to work. Problem was that workers in the plant had varied ethic and racial backgrounds, as well as different musical tastes. So, to hear your favorite music at your work station, you had to turn your radio up to its loudest volume, which led to a hundred or so radios blaring at top volume. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the workers ended up partially deaf. The plant manager wanted to ban radios from the plant, but he feared a worker uprising, so a compromise was worked out. For each two-hour interval, the workers could April 2008 Sure it’s a bold claim. Don’t think it’s possible? The XA, Fixturlaser’s next generation system for laser alignment of horizontal shafts, is designed to get alignments done fast, really fast. In fact, XA even stands for “express alignment” . We’re ready to prove it. Call today for a demo at your location. ©2008 Vibralign, Inc. Flash is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. www.PLANTSERVICES.com 67 http://www.gunk.com http://www.gunk.com http://www.vibralign.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

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Plant Services - April 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager Technology Toolbox Cover Story Compressors Motors Flooring Web Hunter In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Energy Expert

Plant Services - April 2008

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