Suggested by Rick Lucchetti of TC Industries in Crystal Lake, Illinois
People strive to obey the Ten Commandments – indeed, almost everyone knows most of them – and you would be hard-pressed to find a person that isn’t at least aware of their significance. When it comes to stimulating a desired behavior, nothing creates a lasting impression like the Ten Commandments.
Many manufacturing companies have rules – both written and unwritten – that they expect their people to adhere to. You can add punch to the importance of these rules by picking your ten most important rules and naming them the ten commandments of your company.
Post them in the lunch room and conference rooms. Make a poster for entry-ways. Place them in locations that everyone will notice. The idea is to ensure that everyone knows what you – and your company’s management – feel are the ten most important rules that everyone in the company must obey.
You, and you alone, are best able to determine what your ten commandments should be. You can be as general or specific as you like. Just remember that the goal is to let people know, in no uncertain terms, the dos and don’ts of your manufacturing environment.
When coming up with your list, be ready to explain each “commandment”, as well as the consequences of breaking each of them. Don’t assume everyone will automatically know the consequences. With a safety-related commandment, for example, be ready to explain the potential danger/s. In essence, be sure people understand the logic about why the commandment exists.
Here are some examples. Admittedly, they are probably a bit more generic than you’ll want, but they should give you the general idea.
Thou shall adhere to all safety-related methods as described in our list of safety precautions.
Thou shall put things back where you found them and keep your work area clean.
Thou shall not change programs to make sizing adjustments.
Thou shall keep your machine/s clean and perform all assigned preventive maintenance tasks.
Thou shall ask for help when you are confused or unsure.
Thou shall not engage in horse-play or practical jokes.
Thou shall check the condition of inserts at the beginning of your shift.
Thou shall inform the programmer when you make program changes.
Thou shall report machine mishaps (like crashes) to your supervisor.
Thou shall not leave a machine that is running.
Again, pick those problems, considerations, and concerns that are of the most importance to you and your company. Then develop the wording as appropriate. The idea must be to ensure that everyone knows what is important. This kind of list should make it very clear.
