My past experience as a factory production foreman has given me a good understanding of the importance of employee training in different areas in a company.

First of all, when we hire a new employee, we always want to find the person who arrives “fit to work, ready to go” etc… but you will agree with me that nowadays, with the retirements that we are experiencing in various sectors of activity, this type of worker is increasingly difficult to find. Even if you do find the right person, you need to make sure that your new employee develops the skills you need to achieve your goals as a production department manager. My personal observations and discussions I had with several industrial managers have allowed me to understand what are the essential core competencies that a company expects from a worker who evolves within a production department.

Here are the prerequisite and essential skills that a company is looking for in a plant operator.

1-Health and Safety

This skill is crucial for the employer and for the worker, as it is closely linked to the new employee’s natural behaviour towards health and safety. An employee who adopts a safe behaviour and accepts that health and safety is a central concern will succeed in advancing his or her learning in the company. On the other hand, an employee who has difficulty adopting safe behaviour and developing preventive OHS reflexes will require the employer to invest time and money to help him or her improve this skill, provided that the worker’s positive attitude is present.

Examples of OHS training: Bill C-21, WHMIS 2015, Working at heights, Confined space, Lockout, Forklift, Overhead crane, lifting and rigging, etc…

It is therefore essential that the person in charge of training informs the employee’s immediate manager whether or not the employee is meeting the objectives of this skill before moving on to the next steps. The health and safety of the worker and his future colleagues is at stake here. This important step must not be overlooked.

2-Control of Operating Parameters

Reaching maximum production capacity, making a quality product according to the implemented standards, respecting the safety and environmental standards required… all of this is done according to the instructions and operating parameters set by the plant’s managers. To develop this skill, the trainer or an internal manager must explain the process to the new apprentice so that he can understand the impact of respecting the parameters on the final product. It is important that the new employee can have access to those parameters at any time by means of memorandum, procedures or control plans. During the on-the-job training period, the apprentice’s companion or instructor must ensure that the apprentice is in control of the operating parameters.

3-Control Testing and Sampling

In order to verify that the operating parameters are well respected and represent the final results required, tests and sampling must be done regularly according to a schedule maintained by various managers and the persons in charge of quality control. In order to perform the sampling and testing, the apprentice must be familiar with the appropriate work procedures and methods and must have received training from his or her companion or instructor to know the proper way to perform these tasks (e.g., lockout implementation if necessary, wearing the proper PPE, radio communication, etc.)

4-Startup and Shutdown Procedures

Each process has its own set of issues when starting or stopping production. If this skill is not well mastered by the operator, it can have negative consequences from an OHS, environmental and financial perspective. Just think of a planned shutdown to perform maintenance on production equipment… If the shutdown is done too late, the workers involved in the task will have to wait on site until everything is ready before starting. If the shutdown is done too early, lost production will result in lost revenue for the company. If a step in the shutdown is not respected, e.g. cleaning or washing of equipment, health and safety or the work environment may be affected. Once again, the apprentice’s companionship will play an important role in the launch of the shutdown or start-up of a process.

5-Complete Production Reports

To have maximum operational efficiency, it is important to have all the information from one’s shift available for the next shift such as production hours, shutdown and the reasons (mechanical and electrical breakdowns, lack of material, cleaning, etc.) But a production report is not only to indicate the issues. Positive elements must also be mentioned such as: a new safe and optimal operating method in time, higher results in terms of quality and quantity, but the report is especially important to inform the operator of the next shift if anomalies or production changes are likely to occur during his shift. A space for comment allows a worker to bring ideas and improvements in his workplace. Don’t forget that a well-filled production report allows a manager to be well informed and in control of his process and to respond more quickly to the needs of his team.

6-Equipment Inspection and Maintenance Rounds

In addition to the production report, the good quality of an inspection round is the skill that will allow a company to be in preventive mode instead of reactive. An employee who adequately masters his process and who well documents his inspection round and who respects the maintenance tasks to be done during his shift will allow the whole company to perform on any issues. To properly train a worker on this skill, it is important that the person in charge of training be able to involve people from maintenance, health and safety and the environment in order to develop an efficient and profitable inspection round for the company.

In conclusion, a good training program followed by an effective apprenticeship will allow the apprentice to meet the expectations of his employers and to quickly develop in his work.