Smoking in the MachineShop

They don't make Bridgeports with six-pack doors anymore. I am sure no one here remembers those.

smoking shop.

I am a non-smoker. I have on many occassions seen smoker taking breaks on-demand, while the non-smokers wait until break time. I have also seen smokers, who will wait until break time to smoke. Come on people, breaks are about at 2:00 hour intervals. If you cannot wait for two hours to smoke, then chew gum.

What is the work and break schedule? Maybe it can be adjusted.

OTOH - you may need to adjust your capacity per worker. I don't know how many hours of production you expect from a machinist in an 8:30 work day, but wiht mandatory breaks, lunch and unscedueled restroom vists or calls to the office, and miscellaneous interruptions, you may only be seeing 6:35 or less per person.

You might want to get some HVAC estimates and see about installing a few exhaust fans on the roof, and a proportionate number of 3-inch ducts at each machine, placed where the operator normally sits. With proper air flow, you could allow smoking on station.

Do they eat and drink on station?

As for the smoker who is threatening to quit. Offer him help in the form of therapy, counseling, Addictive behaviors. Help him find out why he smokes.

My 75 yo Mom, has been smoking since she was 28. She has recently, quit drinking beer, and now she smokes less, drinks less coffee, and is pleasant to be around her grandchildren. You see, or at least I feel, it was the alcohol, that was agravating her irritability. She would drink when she got nervous, but the cause of her nervouseness, was there when she sobered up. Now she has a clear head to deal with life. One addiction at a time.

:/

It's the most disgusting habit I can think of,

Oh, I don't know, but I think baiting a hook with worms or a rotten mackerel, and eating a sandwhich, greasy fingers, comes in a close second.

But that's my perspective.

:/

I'm a little confused by this. If there a so few workers in the area, does this imply that all of your workers come from outside the area? If they come from nearby, are you the only shop of your nature around? If so, where would they work if they left your place?

I do.

I would agree with that assessment. In addition, I would add that if 5 miute Q1H breaks are costing you r company money such that its viability is in questions, then you have no choice but to institute a predefined time and quantity of breaks (as outlined above).

If you get a revolt on your hands, with threats of quitting etc, then fire the worker you stated would quit. It sounds to me if he is one the rest of the smokers look up to, if he goes - it restores your authority in the shop as well.

In the end if your business is being endangered because of what you believe is productivity loss (be it from smokers taking breaks, or non smokers complaining about smoke) - you primary choice is to defend your own interests.

There are shops all around this area from south of the border into Mass. Not good to work there as you pay a state payroll tax. Other shops all over to the north but it has been slow for some time. No one hiring and no one looking I guess. No turnover and just not enough machinist to go around anymore. Wage varies here so much and so does the quality of the worker. Hard to tell what is out of the area as one guy drives here from Maine and one from Mass. Would you define a large city as an area?

I would define more than 30 minutes away as too far.

There are cigarette smokers and there are the hard core smokers. The senior man here is a hard core smoker. You must know the kind I am taking about. He is a heavy beer drinker and never goes anywhere where he is not allowed to smoke. Stubborn and downright refuses to change. Has a butt going all day. No one per hour for this guy. He has been around forever and to image him not being with us would unthinkable. We all have been through to much together to consider him just one of the guys. So I guess I am sort of stuck in that respect.

For the most part the CNCs are running as much as they can. Fortunately the manual machinists don't smoke. That area is where I take a hit if the jig and fixture guy smokes. I have had differences 5 time faster with the non smokers. Less accidents like minor cuts and crashes.

As mentioned in another thread I think that is the way I will go.

The can read a book if the run is going well.

From time to time I get it from each side of the fence. One time an older woman did leave for the reason of smoke and load rock n' roll music. She was a second opps worker so not really a part of a machine shop team. I don't actually think anyone would really quit but it does emphasize the issue.

That is incredible. If I ever retire I want to learn to brew my own beer and make wine. Maybe ever grow my own cigarettes too. That is if I ever retire which I doubt that will ever happen. At least another 20 years for me. I am surprised to learn your Mom started smoking when she was 28. Times sure have changed haven't they? The 12 year olds are smoking around here.

I missem'

There are many area within 30 miles of here. Several major cites like Manchester and Salem. Nashua and Concord. Mass has Lawrence and Lowell but many old mill building shops. Ratty and pay like 14$ hr to unfortunate Colombians. One man I know has work in one shop for 25 years and that is his top pay. ProtoTrac guys will get $25 at the beach. all within 30 miles.

nothing seemed

Yup, you could mention, to one of your workers, over a cup of coffee, the economic benefits, of outsourcing to Mexico, Western Europe, or China.

Also note that DHL, FedEx and UPS, ship globally, and an order cycle could be shortened to a week or less. What with the Internet, fax, and outsourcing, an order could be placed 24/7, go into work within an hour, be processed around the clock, until finished, and be drop shipped on completion, compared to one machinist, working a set of parts, on a single shift, or 40 hour week.

OTH - You could try to form a "cottage" industry, with a few machine shops, and machinists, deburers, inspectors, plating shops, packers, and shippers, etc., and maybe compete, but America as a nation, would have to stop inflation, and hold prices steady, workers would need to be paid a living wage, and actually be able to save money between paychecks.

Sadly we regret that that will never happen in our lifetime.

:/

Ha! No problem at Roush, no smoking anywhere on the premises. Parking lots and nearby is prohibited. Problem solved. It's a much nicer work environment since they did that back in November.

Then there would be regulations to protect the workers and demand cleaner work places and then I'd have to put a sink in the men's room :)

You can never pay the work force what they deserve. If you did then they would eventually need to come to work less often and then less work would get done. Then all kinds of things would happen.

Can you imagine?

funny, I found that is exactly what happens. pay em mmore, they show up less. still want 40 hours on vacation tho...

If they remain under paid then they never become REAL happy and usually work better with a bit of an attitude anyway. When everyone is content then all they do is talk all day.

Thanks- find me at the beach!

For the non-smokers.

Gunner

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. H. L. Mencken