Why restarts wait for sign-off on night shifts

The answer

Night operators bypass procedures when a line stops and no supervisor is there to approve the restart.

Nobody asked for fewer rules. Operators and supervisors ask for a second person who can approve a restart within ten minutes, and health and safety agrees on the aim but not on who that person should be.

What people said

7/9 Restart approvals wait for a supervisor who covers three lines 7 of 9 people Strong signal

After a guard stop, a line restarts only with a supervisor's approval. On nights one supervisor covers three lines, so a second stop waits behind the first. Waits of five to ten minutes are normal; one participant puts a long one at about one night in three, and the plant's own month shows 31 of 118 night restarts waiting more than twenty minutes. Operators describe some lines getting going again before the approval lands when the wait runs long. None of them offers it as right, and all point to the wait, not to the rule.

“There's one of him on nights and three lines.”Line operator, 9 years in role

Show all 4 quotes and their conversations

1. “There's one of him on nights and three lines.”

   Line operator, 9 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 9 years in role · Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning)

   Lontra

   To start, what happens on your line when it stops in the middle of a night shift?

   Line operator

   Depends why. A jam, a roll running out, that's us, we sort it. But if the guard door's been opened or the light curtain's tripped, it won't go again until it's been reset and signed off. Sign-off is the supervisor.

   Lontra

   Where is the supervisor when your line stops?

   Line operator

   Somewhere else, usually. There's one of him on nights and three lines. If he's on Line 3 sorting a problem, we wait. Could be five minutes, could be half an hour.

   Lontra

   What does the line do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Nothing, that's the point. And the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.

   Lontra

   What do people do when the wait goes on?

   Line operator

   Look, I'm not saying it's right, but some nights people get the line going again before the sign-off lands. Nobody wants to be the line that missed the number. I'd rather not say more than that.

   Lontra

   You mentioned the hourly count. What happens when a line is behind?

   Line operator

   Someone comes round. Not nasty. 'What's the hold-up?' But you can feel it.

   Lontra

   What would make the procedure easier to follow on a night?

   Line operator

   Someone who can sign it off in ten minutes. I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places. A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.

   Lontra

   When the shift ends, how does a stop get written down?

   Line operator

   I tell the supervisor what happened and he puts it in the log. Mostly. It's at the end, round handover time, so he's doing it from what I remember telling him.

2. “When he's got another line down it's twenty, thirty.”

   Line operator, 2 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 2 years in role · Night shift, Line 2 (case packing)

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops during a night?

   Line operator

   We stop, we tell the supervisor, we wait for him to come and approve it. He's usually with us in a few minutes.

   Lontra

   How long is a few minutes?

   Line operator

   Five, ten. He's good. He's never far.

   Lontra

   Can you tell me about the last time you waited?

   Line operator

   Last Thursday, Line 3, I was helping out there. That was ages. Half an hour and a bit. He was on Line 1, they'd had a bad jam.

   Lontra

   Earlier you said he's usually with you in a few minutes, and this one was over half an hour. Which is closer to a normal night?

   Line operator

   Both, really. If it's quiet, ten minutes at most. When he's got another line down it's twenty, thirty. It's the bad nights you remember. I'd say one night in three has a long one.

   Lontra

   What do you do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Clear the line, clean down, check the next pallet. Watch the clock.

   Lontra

   Is there anything else that adds time after a guard stop?

   Line operator

   The reset itself. Eight minutes on Line 2 after the guard goes, it runs its checks and you can't hurry it. So it's the wait for him and then the eight minutes. Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.

   Lontra

   What would help?

   Line operator

   A second person who can sign. Even one of the senior operators, if they've done the course.

3. “I was stood there with my kit.”

   Maintenance technician, 6 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Maintenance technician, 6 years in role · Night shift, covers all three lines

   Lontra

   How does your night work touch the line restarts?

   Maintenance technician

   I get called for faults. Anything electrical, or a sensor that keeps tripping. The operator checks and resets after a guard stop and the supervisor signs, but if it's a fault I'm in there first and the supervisor signs after me. So I'm waiting on him as well as the crew.

   Lontra

   Can you give me an example?

   Maintenance technician

   Last week, Line 2, a sensor kept faulting. I'd fixed it by quarter to three. Then twenty minutes for the sign-off to run it. I was stood there with my kit.

   Lontra

   What does the line crew do in that time?

   Maintenance technician

   Look at me. Like I'm the one holding it up.

   Lontra

   How often are you waiting on a sign-off?

   Maintenance technician

   Couple of times a week, maybe more. I've never counted.

   Lontra

   Does the log catch it?

   Maintenance technician

   The maintenance sheet I fill in on the spot. The stops log, the incident one, that's the supervisor's and that's later. The times don't always match between the two.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Maintenance technician

   Let me sign off after my own repairs. I've done the training. That's one person fewer to wait for.

4. “I pick. Whoever's been down longest, or whichever's got the bigger order.”

   Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role · Covers all three lines

   Lontra

   Tell me about a normal night for you.

   Night shift supervisor

   Three lines, me, and a maintenance tech who floats. I start with a walk round, then it's stops, whichever line calls first. Six to ten sign-offs a night, depends. The board's in the corridor, I walk past it, it's in my head the whole time.

   Lontra

   What happens when two lines call at once?

   Night shift supervisor

   I pick. Whoever's been down longest, or whichever's got the bigger order. I don't love that, it's a judgement call. The other one waits and they let me know about it.

   Lontra

   How long does a wait get?

   Night shift supervisor

   Typical is ten minutes. Worst this month was forty-odd. And the reset itself is eight minutes on Two and Three, you can't shorten that.

   Lontra

   How is a stop written down?

   Night shift supervisor

   In the log, at the end. I try to keep notes on the handheld as I go but half the time I'm running. So at five I sit down and reconstruct it. I'm filling in the request time from memory, if I'm honest. It's the one I'm least sure about.

   Lontra

   Thank you for the log you shared. On Thursday, Line 3, the wait for approval is 31 minutes and the note says 'Supervisor on L1 jam'. What happened on the line in that half hour?

   Night shift supervisor

   That one I remember. I was on Line 1 clearing the jam, took me twenty minutes, and they'd rung twice. Line 3 crew just stood there, I could see them on the camera. By the time I got to them they were six hundred behind. Nobody said anything, but nobody's happy.

   Lontra

   What would have made that shorter?

   Night shift supervisor

   Another me. Honestly.

   Lontra

   Is there a rule written down for who can sign?

   Night shift supervisor

   Supervisor or above. That's it. Health and safety wrote it, ask them.

   Lontra

   How do you feel about the rule itself?

   Night shift supervisor

   I think it's right. I want a second pair of eyes on a restart. I just can't be in three places.

6/9 They ask for a second approver within ten minutes, not for fewer rules 6 of 9 people Strong signal

Nobody asked to drop the procedure. Operators, a technician, a day supervisor and the health and safety lead all asked for a second person who can approve a restart quickly. They disagree about who that person should be.

“I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places.”Line operator, 9 years in role

Show all 4 quotes and their conversations

1. “I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places.”

   Line operator, 9 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 9 years in role · Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning)

   Lontra

   To start, what happens on your line when it stops in the middle of a night shift?

   Line operator

   Depends why. A jam, a roll running out, that's us, we sort it. But if the guard door's been opened or the light curtain's tripped, it won't go again until it's been reset and signed off. Sign-off is the supervisor.

   Lontra

   Where is the supervisor when your line stops?

   Line operator

   Somewhere else, usually. There's one of him on nights and three lines. If he's on Line 3 sorting a problem, we wait. Could be five minutes, could be half an hour.

   Lontra

   What does the line do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Nothing, that's the point. And the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.

   Lontra

   What do people do when the wait goes on?

   Line operator

   Look, I'm not saying it's right, but some nights people get the line going again before the sign-off lands. Nobody wants to be the line that missed the number. I'd rather not say more than that.

   Lontra

   You mentioned the hourly count. What happens when a line is behind?

   Line operator

   Someone comes round. Not nasty. 'What's the hold-up?' But you can feel it.

   Lontra

   What would make the procedure easier to follow on a night?

   Line operator

   Someone who can sign it off in ten minutes. I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places. A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.

   Lontra

   When the shift ends, how does a stop get written down?

   Line operator

   I tell the supervisor what happened and he puts it in the log. Mostly. It's at the end, round handover time, so he's doing it from what I remember telling him.

2. “Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

3. “A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.”

   Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company · Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days

   Lontra

   How do restarts work on the day shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Line stops, I'm usually on the floor, I walk over, check it's clear, sign. Two or three minutes to get there. Then the reset, eight, nine on a bad day.

   Lontra

   How many lines do you cover?

   Day shift supervisor

   One. There's three of us on days, one each.

   Lontra

   Do you see a difference between days and nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   I'd be careful. It's not that nights are sloppy. They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference. I'm not sure days are any better, we've just got more bodies.

   Lontra

   Are stops written down differently on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   I note it as I go, there's a desk next to my line. Nights don't have a desk.

   Lontra

   What does the hourly board do on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   Same thing. People look at it. If the line's red I get asked.

   Lontra

   How many stops would a day line have in a shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Don't know. Four, five? I couldn't tell you for the other lines.

   Lontra

   What would you change on nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.

4. “A way to get a second supervisor to a line within ten minutes.”

   Plant health and safety lead

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Plant health and safety lead · Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log

   Lontra

   How is the restart procedure meant to work?

   Plant health and safety lead

   When a guard or a light curtain stops a line, it restarts only once the cause is cleared, the area is checked and a supervisor has signed. Two people: the operator who checks and the supervisor who approves. The principle is that the person who did the work isn't the one who says it's safe.

   Lontra

   When was the procedure written?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'd have to check, it predates me. I believe nights ran one line when it was written. We went to three a few years back and I don't think anyone revisited the rule.

   Lontra

   Do you know how long restarts wait at night?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I get the incident log monthly. I'd say it looks fine on average. I've not looked at the spread.

   Lontra

   What do you hear from the night shift?

   Plant health and safety lead

   That it takes a long time. I hear it as a complaint more than as data, if I'm honest, and I should probably listen differently.

   Lontra

   What about lines that restart before the sign-off is back?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'm aware it happens. We had a near-miss review last year where the timestamps didn't line up. I don't want to over-read that. But if people do it because the wait is half an hour, that's a design problem on our side, not a discipline problem.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Plant health and safety lead

   A way to get a second supervisor to a line within ten minutes. Where I'm uncomfortable is a senior operator or the technician signing off their own team's work. The whole point is a second pair of eyes.

   Lontra

   You said you hear it as a complaint more than as data. What data would you want?

   Plant health and safety lead

   The request time, recorded when it happens. Right now it's reconstructed at the end of the shift, so I can't trust the waits.

5/9 A guard stop costs about eight minutes of reset on top of the wait 5 of 9 people Strong signal

On Lines 2 and 3 the reset runs its own checks and takes about eight minutes, and Line 1 about five. This is the same on days. Day shift loses the reset plus a few minutes; night shift can lose the reset plus a half-hour wait.

“Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.”Line operator, 2 years in role

Show all 4 quotes and their conversations

1. “Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.”

   Line operator, 2 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 2 years in role · Night shift, Line 2 (case packing)

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops during a night?

   Line operator

   We stop, we tell the supervisor, we wait for him to come and approve it. He's usually with us in a few minutes.

   Lontra

   How long is a few minutes?

   Line operator

   Five, ten. He's good. He's never far.

   Lontra

   Can you tell me about the last time you waited?

   Line operator

   Last Thursday, Line 3, I was helping out there. That was ages. Half an hour and a bit. He was on Line 1, they'd had a bad jam.

   Lontra

   Earlier you said he's usually with you in a few minutes, and this one was over half an hour. Which is closer to a normal night?

   Line operator

   Both, really. If it's quiet, ten minutes at most. When he's got another line down it's twenty, thirty. It's the bad nights you remember. I'd say one night in three has a long one.

   Lontra

   What do you do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Clear the line, clean down, check the next pallet. Watch the clock.

   Lontra

   Is there anything else that adds time after a guard stop?

   Line operator

   The reset itself. Eight minutes on Line 2 after the guard goes, it runs its checks and you can't hurry it. So it's the wait for him and then the eight minutes. Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.

   Lontra

   What would help?

   Line operator

   A second person who can sign. Even one of the senior operators, if they've done the course.

2. “We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

3. “Eight minutes for the reset. The wait's nothing.”

   Line operator, 8 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 8 years in role · Day shift, Line 1

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops in the day?

   Line operator

   Supervisor comes over. He's usually on the floor.

   Lontra

   How long does that take?

   Line operator

   Couple of minutes. He's right there.

   Lontra

   Does the line stay stopped for long?

   Line operator

   Eight minutes for the reset. The wait's nothing.

   Lontra

   You said the reset takes eight minutes. Have you worked nights?

   Line operator

   Did a month once. Different. One supervisor for everything.

   Lontra

   What was different about it?

   Line operator

   Waiting.

4. “the reset itself is eight minutes on Two and Three, you can't shorten that.”

   Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role · Covers all three lines

   Lontra

   Tell me about a normal night for you.

   Night shift supervisor

   Three lines, me, and a maintenance tech who floats. I start with a walk round, then it's stops, whichever line calls first. Six to ten sign-offs a night, depends. The board's in the corridor, I walk past it, it's in my head the whole time.

   Lontra

   What happens when two lines call at once?

   Night shift supervisor

   I pick. Whoever's been down longest, or whichever's got the bigger order. I don't love that, it's a judgement call. The other one waits and they let me know about it.

   Lontra

   How long does a wait get?

   Night shift supervisor

   Typical is ten minutes. Worst this month was forty-odd. And the reset itself is eight minutes on Two and Three, you can't shorten that.

   Lontra

   How is a stop written down?

   Night shift supervisor

   In the log, at the end. I try to keep notes on the handheld as I go but half the time I'm running. So at five I sit down and reconstruct it. I'm filling in the request time from memory, if I'm honest. It's the one I'm least sure about.

   Lontra

   Thank you for the log you shared. On Thursday, Line 3, the wait for approval is 31 minutes and the note says 'Supervisor on L1 jam'. What happened on the line in that half hour?

   Night shift supervisor

   That one I remember. I was on Line 1 clearing the jam, took me twenty minutes, and they'd rung twice. Line 3 crew just stood there, I could see them on the camera. By the time I got to them they were six hundred behind. Nobody said anything, but nobody's happy.

   Lontra

   What would have made that shorter?

   Night shift supervisor

   Another me. Honestly.

   Lontra

   Is there a rule written down for who can sign?

   Night shift supervisor

   Supervisor or above. That's it. Health and safety wrote it, ask them.

   Lontra

   How do you feel about the rule itself?

   Night shift supervisor

   I think it's right. I want a second pair of eyes on a restart. I just can't be in three places.

5/9 An hourly count board makes every stopped minute visible 5 of 9 people Strong signal

Each line has an hourly target on a board people walk past, on both shifts. Nobody described being told to hurry. They described a number that rises while the line waits, and being asked about it.

“the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.”Line operator, 9 years in role

Show all 4 quotes and their conversations

1. “the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.”

   Line operator, 9 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 9 years in role · Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning)

   Lontra

   To start, what happens on your line when it stops in the middle of a night shift?

   Line operator

   Depends why. A jam, a roll running out, that's us, we sort it. But if the guard door's been opened or the light curtain's tripped, it won't go again until it's been reset and signed off. Sign-off is the supervisor.

   Lontra

   Where is the supervisor when your line stops?

   Line operator

   Somewhere else, usually. There's one of him on nights and three lines. If he's on Line 3 sorting a problem, we wait. Could be five minutes, could be half an hour.

   Lontra

   What does the line do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Nothing, that's the point. And the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.

   Lontra

   What do people do when the wait goes on?

   Line operator

   Look, I'm not saying it's right, but some nights people get the line going again before the sign-off lands. Nobody wants to be the line that missed the number. I'd rather not say more than that.

   Lontra

   You mentioned the hourly count. What happens when a line is behind?

   Line operator

   Someone comes round. Not nasty. 'What's the hold-up?' But you can feel it.

   Lontra

   What would make the procedure easier to follow on a night?

   Line operator

   Someone who can sign it off in ten minutes. I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places. A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.

   Lontra

   When the shift ends, how does a stop get written down?

   Line operator

   I tell the supervisor what happened and he puts it in the log. Mostly. It's at the end, round handover time, so he's doing it from what I remember telling him.

2. “Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

3. “The board. Everyone looks at it.”

   Line operator, 7 months in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 7 months in role · Night shift, relief across Lines 2 and 3

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops on a night?

   Line operator

   We call the supervisor.

   Lontra

   And then?

   Line operator

   Wait for him.

   Lontra

   How long do you usually wait?

   Line operator

   Depends. A while sometimes.

   Lontra

   Can you give me the last time?

   Line operator

   Last week. Not sure how long. Quite long.

   Lontra

   Does anything else make a wait harder?

   Line operator

   The board. Everyone looks at it.

   Lontra

   Who showed you what to do when a line stops?

   Line operator

   The lads. My second night.

   Lontra

   Is anything about the procedure unclear to you?

   Line operator

   Not really. I just do what the others do.

4. “If the line's red I get asked.”

   Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company · Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days

   Lontra

   How do restarts work on the day shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Line stops, I'm usually on the floor, I walk over, check it's clear, sign. Two or three minutes to get there. Then the reset, eight, nine on a bad day.

   Lontra

   How many lines do you cover?

   Day shift supervisor

   One. There's three of us on days, one each.

   Lontra

   Do you see a difference between days and nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   I'd be careful. It's not that nights are sloppy. They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference. I'm not sure days are any better, we've just got more bodies.

   Lontra

   Are stops written down differently on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   I note it as I go, there's a desk next to my line. Nights don't have a desk.

   Lontra

   What does the hourly board do on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   Same thing. People look at it. If the line's red I get asked.

   Lontra

   How many stops would a day line have in a shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Don't know. Four, five? I couldn't tell you for the other lines.

   Lontra

   What would you change on nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.

5/9 The incident log is filled in at the end of the shift, from memory 5 of 9 people Strong signal

Stops are written up once, round handover, by the supervisor. The request time is reconstructed, so the waits in the log cannot be fully trusted, and the technician's own sheet does not always match it.

“he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.”Line operator, 5 years in role

Show all 4 quotes and their conversations

1. “he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

2. “The times don't always match between the two.”

   Maintenance technician, 6 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Maintenance technician, 6 years in role · Night shift, covers all three lines

   Lontra

   How does your night work touch the line restarts?

   Maintenance technician

   I get called for faults. Anything electrical, or a sensor that keeps tripping. The operator checks and resets after a guard stop and the supervisor signs, but if it's a fault I'm in there first and the supervisor signs after me. So I'm waiting on him as well as the crew.

   Lontra

   Can you give me an example?

   Maintenance technician

   Last week, Line 2, a sensor kept faulting. I'd fixed it by quarter to three. Then twenty minutes for the sign-off to run it. I was stood there with my kit.

   Lontra

   What does the line crew do in that time?

   Maintenance technician

   Look at me. Like I'm the one holding it up.

   Lontra

   How often are you waiting on a sign-off?

   Maintenance technician

   Couple of times a week, maybe more. I've never counted.

   Lontra

   Does the log catch it?

   Maintenance technician

   The maintenance sheet I fill in on the spot. The stops log, the incident one, that's the supervisor's and that's later. The times don't always match between the two.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Maintenance technician

   Let me sign off after my own repairs. I've done the training. That's one person fewer to wait for.

3. “I'm filling in the request time from memory, if I'm honest.”

   Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role · Covers all three lines

   Lontra

   Tell me about a normal night for you.

   Night shift supervisor

   Three lines, me, and a maintenance tech who floats. I start with a walk round, then it's stops, whichever line calls first. Six to ten sign-offs a night, depends. The board's in the corridor, I walk past it, it's in my head the whole time.

   Lontra

   What happens when two lines call at once?

   Night shift supervisor

   I pick. Whoever's been down longest, or whichever's got the bigger order. I don't love that, it's a judgement call. The other one waits and they let me know about it.

   Lontra

   How long does a wait get?

   Night shift supervisor

   Typical is ten minutes. Worst this month was forty-odd. And the reset itself is eight minutes on Two and Three, you can't shorten that.

   Lontra

   How is a stop written down?

   Night shift supervisor

   In the log, at the end. I try to keep notes on the handheld as I go but half the time I'm running. So at five I sit down and reconstruct it. I'm filling in the request time from memory, if I'm honest. It's the one I'm least sure about.

   Lontra

   Thank you for the log you shared. On Thursday, Line 3, the wait for approval is 31 minutes and the note says 'Supervisor on L1 jam'. What happened on the line in that half hour?

   Night shift supervisor

   That one I remember. I was on Line 1 clearing the jam, took me twenty minutes, and they'd rung twice. Line 3 crew just stood there, I could see them on the camera. By the time I got to them they were six hundred behind. Nobody said anything, but nobody's happy.

   Lontra

   What would have made that shorter?

   Night shift supervisor

   Another me. Honestly.

   Lontra

   Is there a rule written down for who can sign?

   Night shift supervisor

   Supervisor or above. That's it. Health and safety wrote it, ask them.

   Lontra

   How do you feel about the rule itself?

   Night shift supervisor

   I think it's right. I want a second pair of eyes on a restart. I just can't be in three places.

4. “Right now it's reconstructed at the end of the shift, so I can't trust the waits.”

   Plant health and safety lead

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Plant health and safety lead · Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log

   Lontra

   How is the restart procedure meant to work?

   Plant health and safety lead

   When a guard or a light curtain stops a line, it restarts only once the cause is cleared, the area is checked and a supervisor has signed. Two people: the operator who checks and the supervisor who approves. The principle is that the person who did the work isn't the one who says it's safe.

   Lontra

   When was the procedure written?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'd have to check, it predates me. I believe nights ran one line when it was written. We went to three a few years back and I don't think anyone revisited the rule.

   Lontra

   Do you know how long restarts wait at night?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I get the incident log monthly. I'd say it looks fine on average. I've not looked at the spread.

   Lontra

   What do you hear from the night shift?

   Plant health and safety lead

   That it takes a long time. I hear it as a complaint more than as data, if I'm honest, and I should probably listen differently.

   Lontra

   What about lines that restart before the sign-off is back?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'm aware it happens. We had a near-miss review last year where the timestamps didn't line up. I don't want to over-read that. But if people do it because the wait is half an hour, that's a design problem on our side, not a discipline problem.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Plant health and safety lead

   A way to get a second supervisor to a line within ten minutes. Where I'm uncomfortable is a senior operator or the technician signing off their own team's work. The whole point is a second pair of eyes.

   Lontra

   You said you hear it as a complaint more than as data. What data would you want?

   Plant health and safety lead

   The request time, recorded when it happens. Right now it's reconstructed at the end of the shift, so I can't trust the waits.

3/9 Days lose minutes to the same stop, nights can lose half an hour 3 of 9 people Emerging

Day shift has a supervisor per line, so the same stop costs a few minutes. The two people who have worked days describe nights as different because of who is within reach, and the day supervisor does not describe nights as careless.

“on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.”Line operator, 5 years in role

Show all 3 quotes and their conversations

1. “on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

2. “Couple of minutes. He's right there.”

   Line operator, 8 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 8 years in role · Day shift, Line 1

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops in the day?

   Line operator

   Supervisor comes over. He's usually on the floor.

   Lontra

   How long does that take?

   Line operator

   Couple of minutes. He's right there.

   Lontra

   Does the line stay stopped for long?

   Line operator

   Eight minutes for the reset. The wait's nothing.

   Lontra

   You said the reset takes eight minutes. Have you worked nights?

   Line operator

   Did a month once. Different. One supervisor for everything.

   Lontra

   What was different about it?

   Line operator

   Waiting.

3. “It's not that nights are sloppy.”

   Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company · Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days

   Lontra

   How do restarts work on the day shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Line stops, I'm usually on the floor, I walk over, check it's clear, sign. Two or three minutes to get there. Then the reset, eight, nine on a bad day.

   Lontra

   How many lines do you cover?

   Day shift supervisor

   One. There's three of us on days, one each.

   Lontra

   Do you see a difference between days and nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   I'd be careful. It's not that nights are sloppy. They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference. I'm not sure days are any better, we've just got more bodies.

   Lontra

   Are stops written down differently on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   I note it as I go, there's a desk next to my line. Nights don't have a desk.

   Lontra

   What does the hourly board do on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   Same thing. People look at it. If the line's red I get asked.

   Lontra

   How many stops would a day line have in a shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Don't know. Four, five? I couldn't tell you for the other lines.

   Lontra

   What would you change on nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.

Where accounts differ

Who should be able to approve a restart at night

Everyone who raised it wants approval within about ten minutes. They split on how. Some want trained senior operators or the technician to sign, some want a second supervisor, and health and safety wants approval kept independent of the people who did the work.

Let trained seniors and technicians sign 3 people

1. “Even one of the senior operators, if they've done the course.”

   Line operator, 2 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 2 years in role · Night shift, Line 2 (case packing)

   Lontra

   What happens on your line when it stops during a night?

   Line operator

   We stop, we tell the supervisor, we wait for him to come and approve it. He's usually with us in a few minutes.

   Lontra

   How long is a few minutes?

   Line operator

   Five, ten. He's good. He's never far.

   Lontra

   Can you tell me about the last time you waited?

   Line operator

   Last Thursday, Line 3, I was helping out there. That was ages. Half an hour and a bit. He was on Line 1, they'd had a bad jam.

   Lontra

   Earlier you said he's usually with you in a few minutes, and this one was over half an hour. Which is closer to a normal night?

   Line operator

   Both, really. If it's quiet, ten minutes at most. When he's got another line down it's twenty, thirty. It's the bad nights you remember. I'd say one night in three has a long one.

   Lontra

   What do you do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Clear the line, clean down, check the next pallet. Watch the clock.

   Lontra

   Is there anything else that adds time after a guard stop?

   Line operator

   The reset itself. Eight minutes on Line 2 after the guard goes, it runs its checks and you can't hurry it. So it's the wait for him and then the eight minutes. Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.

   Lontra

   What would help?

   Line operator

   A second person who can sign. Even one of the senior operators, if they've done the course.

2. “Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course.”

   Line operator, 5 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

   Lontra

   Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

   Line operator

   Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

   Lontra

   What was the board showing while you waited?

   Line operator

   The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

   Lontra

   Who tells you to make it up?

   Line operator

   Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

   Lontra

   Is the target different on nights?

   Line operator

   Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

   Lontra

   What do you do when the wait gets long?

   Line operator

   You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

   Lontra

   What would make it workable?

   Line operator

   Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

   Lontra

   How does a stop get into the incident log?

   Line operator

   The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

3. “Let me sign off after my own repairs. I've done the training.”

   Maintenance technician, 6 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Maintenance technician, 6 years in role · Night shift, covers all three lines

   Lontra

   How does your night work touch the line restarts?

   Maintenance technician

   I get called for faults. Anything electrical, or a sensor that keeps tripping. The operator checks and resets after a guard stop and the supervisor signs, but if it's a fault I'm in there first and the supervisor signs after me. So I'm waiting on him as well as the crew.

   Lontra

   Can you give me an example?

   Maintenance technician

   Last week, Line 2, a sensor kept faulting. I'd fixed it by quarter to three. Then twenty minutes for the sign-off to run it. I was stood there with my kit.

   Lontra

   What does the line crew do in that time?

   Maintenance technician

   Look at me. Like I'm the one holding it up.

   Lontra

   How often are you waiting on a sign-off?

   Maintenance technician

   Couple of times a week, maybe more. I've never counted.

   Lontra

   Does the log catch it?

   Maintenance technician

   The maintenance sheet I fill in on the spot. The stops log, the incident one, that's the supervisor's and that's later. The times don't always match between the two.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Maintenance technician

   Let me sign off after my own repairs. I've done the training. That's one person fewer to wait for.

Add a second supervisor on nights 2 people

1. “A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.”

   Line operator, 9 years in role

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 9 years in role · Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning)

   Lontra

   To start, what happens on your line when it stops in the middle of a night shift?

   Line operator

   Depends why. A jam, a roll running out, that's us, we sort it. But if the guard door's been opened or the light curtain's tripped, it won't go again until it's been reset and signed off. Sign-off is the supervisor.

   Lontra

   Where is the supervisor when your line stops?

   Line operator

   Somewhere else, usually. There's one of him on nights and three lines. If he's on Line 3 sorting a problem, we wait. Could be five minutes, could be half an hour.

   Lontra

   What does the line do while you wait?

   Line operator

   Nothing, that's the point. And the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.

   Lontra

   What do people do when the wait goes on?

   Line operator

   Look, I'm not saying it's right, but some nights people get the line going again before the sign-off lands. Nobody wants to be the line that missed the number. I'd rather not say more than that.

   Lontra

   You mentioned the hourly count. What happens when a line is behind?

   Line operator

   Someone comes round. Not nasty. 'What's the hold-up?' But you can feel it.

   Lontra

   What would make the procedure easier to follow on a night?

   Line operator

   Someone who can sign it off in ten minutes. I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places. A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.

   Lontra

   When the shift ends, how does a stop get written down?

   Line operator

   I tell the supervisor what happened and he puts it in the log. Mostly. It's at the end, round handover time, so he's doing it from what I remember telling him.

2. “They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference.”

   Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company · Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days

   Lontra

   How do restarts work on the day shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Line stops, I'm usually on the floor, I walk over, check it's clear, sign. Two or three minutes to get there. Then the reset, eight, nine on a bad day.

   Lontra

   How many lines do you cover?

   Day shift supervisor

   One. There's three of us on days, one each.

   Lontra

   Do you see a difference between days and nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   I'd be careful. It's not that nights are sloppy. They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference. I'm not sure days are any better, we've just got more bodies.

   Lontra

   Are stops written down differently on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   I note it as I go, there's a desk next to my line. Nights don't have a desk.

   Lontra

   What does the hourly board do on days?

   Day shift supervisor

   Same thing. People look at it. If the line's red I get asked.

   Lontra

   How many stops would a day line have in a shift?

   Day shift supervisor

   Don't know. Four, five? I couldn't tell you for the other lines.

   Lontra

   What would you change on nights?

   Day shift supervisor

   A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.

Keep sign-off independent of the crew 1 person

1. “The principle is that the person who did the work isn't the one who says it's safe.”

   Plant health and safety lead

   Open the conversation

   Excerpt from the conversation with: Plant health and safety lead · Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log

   Lontra

   How is the restart procedure meant to work?

   Plant health and safety lead

   When a guard or a light curtain stops a line, it restarts only once the cause is cleared, the area is checked and a supervisor has signed. Two people: the operator who checks and the supervisor who approves. The principle is that the person who did the work isn't the one who says it's safe.

   Lontra

   When was the procedure written?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'd have to check, it predates me. I believe nights ran one line when it was written. We went to three a few years back and I don't think anyone revisited the rule.

   Lontra

   Do you know how long restarts wait at night?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I get the incident log monthly. I'd say it looks fine on average. I've not looked at the spread.

   Lontra

   What do you hear from the night shift?

   Plant health and safety lead

   That it takes a long time. I hear it as a complaint more than as data, if I'm honest, and I should probably listen differently.

   Lontra

   What about lines that restart before the sign-off is back?

   Plant health and safety lead

   I'm aware it happens. We had a near-miss review last year where the timestamps didn't line up. I don't want to over-read that. But if people do it because the wait is half an hour, that's a design problem on our side, not a discipline problem.

   Lontra

   What would you change?

   Plant health and safety lead

   A way to get a second supervisor to a line within ten minutes. Where I'm uncomfortable is a senior operator or the technician signing off their own team's work. The whole point is a second pair of eyes.

   Lontra

   You said you hear it as a complaint more than as data. What data would you want?

   Plant health and safety lead

   The request time, recorded when it happens. Right now it's reconstructed at the end of the shift, so I can't trust the waits.

Documents

What we still don’t know

• How often a line restarted before its approval was recorded.The log holds the request and approval times; the restart time sits on the line system. Nobody has put the two side by side, so this study cannot say how common it is. Health and safety has asked for the comparison.
• How many stops a day line has compared with a night line.The day supervisor guessed four or five a shift and could not speak for other lines. No night participant had a figure either, so the study cannot say whether nights wait longer because of more stops or because of fewer people.

Deep Study

A few days after the last conversation, Deep Study went back to three people whose answers left a question open, and spoke to one colleague the night supervisor suggested.

What Deep Study added

• The average hides the long waits: the plant's month shows an average of 14 minutes, but 31 of 118 night restarts waited more than twenty.
• The rule predates the three-line night: it was written when nights ran one line, and the supervisor post did not grow when the lines were added.
• The reset is the same on days; what differs is whether a supervisor is within reach when the line stops.
• Health and safety would consider a supervisor or trained senior from another line signing, so the disagreement is narrower than it first looked.

Who took part

People are described by their role and context, as in any Lontra study.

• Line operator, 9 years in role Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning) · 17 min

  Read the conversation

  Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 9 years in role · Night shift, Line 1 (cartoning)

  Lontra

  To start, what happens on your line when it stops in the middle of a night shift?

  Line operator

  Depends why. A jam, a roll running out, that's us, we sort it. But if the guard door's been opened or the light curtain's tripped, it won't go again until it's been reset and signed off. Sign-off is the supervisor.

  Lontra

  Where is the supervisor when your line stops?

  Line operator

  Somewhere else, usually. There's one of him on nights and three lines. If he's on Line 3 sorting a problem, we wait. Could be five minutes, could be half an hour.

  Lontra

  What does the line do while you wait?

  Line operator

  Nothing, that's the point. And the board by the door shows the hourly count, so everybody walking past can see Line 1 is down.

  Lontra

  What do people do when the wait goes on?

  Line operator

  Look, I'm not saying it's right, but some nights people get the line going again before the sign-off lands. Nobody wants to be the line that missed the number. I'd rather not say more than that.

  Lontra

  You mentioned the hourly count. What happens when a line is behind?

  Line operator

  Someone comes round. Not nasty. 'What's the hold-up?' But you can feel it.

  Lontra

  What would make the procedure easier to follow on a night?

  Line operator

  Someone who can sign it off in ten minutes. I don't mind the rule. I mind waiting for one man who's in three places. A second supervisor on nights and I'd be happy.

  Lontra

  When the shift ends, how does a stop get written down?

  Line operator

  I tell the supervisor what happened and he puts it in the log. Mostly. It's at the end, round handover time, so he's doing it from what I remember telling him.

• Line operator, 2 years in role Night shift, Line 2 (case packing) · 15 min

  Read the conversation

  Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 2 years in role · Night shift, Line 2 (case packing)

  Lontra

  What happens on your line when it stops during a night?

  Line operator

  We stop, we tell the supervisor, we wait for him to come and approve it. He's usually with us in a few minutes.

  Lontra

  How long is a few minutes?

  Line operator

  Five, ten. He's good. He's never far.

  Lontra

  Can you tell me about the last time you waited?

  Line operator

  Last Thursday, Line 3, I was helping out there. That was ages. Half an hour and a bit. He was on Line 1, they'd had a bad jam.

  Lontra

  Earlier you said he's usually with you in a few minutes, and this one was over half an hour. Which is closer to a normal night?

  Line operator

  Both, really. If it's quiet, ten minutes at most. When he's got another line down it's twenty, thirty. It's the bad nights you remember. I'd say one night in three has a long one.

  Lontra

  What do you do while you wait?

  Line operator

  Clear the line, clean down, check the next pallet. Watch the clock.

  Lontra

  Is there anything else that adds time after a guard stop?

  Line operator

  The reset itself. Eight minutes on Line 2 after the guard goes, it runs its checks and you can't hurry it. So it's the wait for him and then the eight minutes. Add them up and you've lost forty minutes on a bad one.

  Lontra

  What would help?

  Line operator

  A second person who can sign. Even one of the senior operators, if they've done the course.

• Line operator, 5 years in role Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping) · 19 min

  Read the conversation

  Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

  Lontra

  Walk me through the last time Line 3 stopped on a night.

  Line operator

  Tuesday. The tunnel faulted, we opened the guard door to clear a film jam. Line stops. Supervisor was on Line 1. We waited twenty-odd minutes, then the reset took eight on top.

  Lontra

  What was the board showing while you waited?

  Line operator

  The count's hourly. We were six hundred behind by the time we restarted. Next hour you've got more to make up.

  Lontra

  Who tells you to make it up?

  Line operator

  Nobody tells you outright. The target's just up there, and the number you need goes up.

  Lontra

  Is the target different on nights?

  Line operator

  Same as days. Same number. Except on days the supervisor's stood next to you, so you lose a few minutes, not thirty.

  Lontra

  What do you do when the wait gets long?

  Line operator

  You wait. Honestly I get annoyed, I'm not going to lie. But I've been here five years and I know why the rule's there, so I wait. Other people have their own limit, I can't speak for them.

  Lontra

  What would make it workable?

  Line operator

  Let the senior lads sign it, the ones who've done the course. Ten minutes door to door and we'd not have a problem.

  Lontra

  How does a stop get into the incident log?

  Line operator

  The supervisor does it at the end. I give him the times off the line screen if he asks. Often he doesn't ask, he's got twenty minutes to do the whole log before handover.

  Excerpt from the Deep Study conversation with: Line operator, 5 years in role · Night shift, Line 3 (shrink-wrapping)

  Lontra

  You said the reset takes eight minutes on Line 3. Is that the same on every line and on days?

  Line operator

  I checked with the lads. Line 2 and 3 are eight, Line 1 is five. Same on days, one of the day lads told me. The difference is on days he's there when it finishes.

  Lontra

  Has anyone timed the wait on days?

  Line operator

  Not that I know. It's just what people say.

• Line operator, 7 months in role Night shift, relief across Lines 2 and 3 · 7 min

  Read the conversation

  Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 7 months in role · Night shift, relief across Lines 2 and 3

  Lontra

  What happens on your line when it stops on a night?

  Line operator

  We call the supervisor.

  Lontra

  And then?

  Line operator

  Wait for him.

  Lontra

  How long do you usually wait?

  Line operator

  Depends. A while sometimes.

  Lontra

  Can you give me the last time?

  Line operator

  Last week. Not sure how long. Quite long.

  Lontra

  Does anything else make a wait harder?

  Line operator

  The board. Everyone looks at it.

  Lontra

  Who showed you what to do when a line stops?

  Line operator

  The lads. My second night.

  Lontra

  Is anything about the procedure unclear to you?

  Line operator

  Not really. I just do what the others do.

• Line operator, 8 years in role Day shift, Line 1 · 6 min

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  Excerpt from the conversation with: Line operator, 8 years in role · Day shift, Line 1

  Lontra

  What happens on your line when it stops in the day?

  Line operator

  Supervisor comes over. He's usually on the floor.

  Lontra

  How long does that take?

  Line operator

  Couple of minutes. He's right there.

  Lontra

  Does the line stay stopped for long?

  Line operator

  Eight minutes for the reset. The wait's nothing.

  Lontra

  You said the reset takes eight minutes. Have you worked nights?

  Line operator

  Did a month once. Different. One supervisor for everything.

  Lontra

  What was different about it?

  Line operator

  Waiting.

• Maintenance technician, 6 years in role Night shift, covers all three lines · 16 min

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  Excerpt from the conversation with: Maintenance technician, 6 years in role · Night shift, covers all three lines

  Lontra

  How does your night work touch the line restarts?

  Maintenance technician

  I get called for faults. Anything electrical, or a sensor that keeps tripping. The operator checks and resets after a guard stop and the supervisor signs, but if it's a fault I'm in there first and the supervisor signs after me. So I'm waiting on him as well as the crew.

  Lontra

  Can you give me an example?

  Maintenance technician

  Last week, Line 2, a sensor kept faulting. I'd fixed it by quarter to three. Then twenty minutes for the sign-off to run it. I was stood there with my kit.

  Lontra

  What does the line crew do in that time?

  Maintenance technician

  Look at me. Like I'm the one holding it up.

  Lontra

  How often are you waiting on a sign-off?

  Maintenance technician

  Couple of times a week, maybe more. I've never counted.

  Lontra

  Does the log catch it?

  Maintenance technician

  The maintenance sheet I fill in on the spot. The stops log, the incident one, that's the supervisor's and that's later. The times don't always match between the two.

  Lontra

  What would you change?

  Maintenance technician

  Let me sign off after my own repairs. I've done the training. That's one person fewer to wait for.

• Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role Covers all three lines · 22 min

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  Excerpt from the conversation with: Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role · Covers all three lines

  Lontra

  Tell me about a normal night for you.

  Night shift supervisor

  Three lines, me, and a maintenance tech who floats. I start with a walk round, then it's stops, whichever line calls first. Six to ten sign-offs a night, depends. The board's in the corridor, I walk past it, it's in my head the whole time.

  Lontra

  What happens when two lines call at once?

  Night shift supervisor

  I pick. Whoever's been down longest, or whichever's got the bigger order. I don't love that, it's a judgement call. The other one waits and they let me know about it.

  Lontra

  How long does a wait get?

  Night shift supervisor

  Typical is ten minutes. Worst this month was forty-odd. And the reset itself is eight minutes on Two and Three, you can't shorten that.

  Lontra

  How is a stop written down?

  Night shift supervisor

  In the log, at the end. I try to keep notes on the handheld as I go but half the time I'm running. So at five I sit down and reconstruct it. I'm filling in the request time from memory, if I'm honest. It's the one I'm least sure about.

  Lontra

  Thank you for the log you shared. On Thursday, Line 3, the wait for approval is 31 minutes and the note says 'Supervisor on L1 jam'. What happened on the line in that half hour?

  Night shift supervisor

  That one I remember. I was on Line 1 clearing the jam, took me twenty minutes, and they'd rung twice. Line 3 crew just stood there, I could see them on the camera. By the time I got to them they were six hundred behind. Nobody said anything, but nobody's happy.

  Lontra

  What would have made that shorter?

  Night shift supervisor

  Another me. Honestly.

  Lontra

  Is there a rule written down for who can sign?

  Night shift supervisor

  Supervisor or above. That's it. Health and safety wrote it, ask them.

  Lontra

  How do you feel about the rule itself?

  Night shift supervisor

  I think it's right. I want a second pair of eyes on a restart. I just can't be in three places.

  Excerpt from the Deep Study conversation with: Night shift supervisor, 4 years in role · Covers all three lines

  Lontra

  Last time you said you reconstruct the request time at five. Have you kept notes as you go since then?

  Night shift supervisor

  Tried for a week, on the handheld. Thirty-four restarts that week and nine of them waited over twenty minutes. Mostly Two and Three. One's nearest to where I start.

  Lontra

  You said the worst wait this month was forty-odd minutes. What was it this week?

  Night shift supervisor

  Thirty-six. Wednesday, Line 3, while I was dealing with something on Two.

  Lontra

  Is there someone else we should talk to about why nights have one supervisor?

  Night shift supervisor

  Our planner, she builds the shift pattern. Ask her. I'd like to know myself.

• Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days · 14 min

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  Excerpt from the conversation with: Day shift supervisor, 11 years with the company · Covers one line, one of three supervisors on days

  Lontra

  How do restarts work on the day shift?

  Day shift supervisor

  Line stops, I'm usually on the floor, I walk over, check it's clear, sign. Two or three minutes to get there. Then the reset, eight, nine on a bad day.

  Lontra

  How many lines do you cover?

  Day shift supervisor

  One. There's three of us on days, one each.

  Lontra

  Do you see a difference between days and nights?

  Day shift supervisor

  I'd be careful. It's not that nights are sloppy. They've got one supervisor for three lines and I've got one line, that's the difference. I'm not sure days are any better, we've just got more bodies.

  Lontra

  Are stops written down differently on days?

  Day shift supervisor

  I note it as I go, there's a desk next to my line. Nights don't have a desk.

  Lontra

  What does the hourly board do on days?

  Day shift supervisor

  Same thing. People look at it. If the line's red I get asked.

  Lontra

  How many stops would a day line have in a shift?

  Day shift supervisor

  Don't know. Four, five? I couldn't tell you for the other lines.

  Lontra

  What would you change on nights?

  Day shift supervisor

  A second supervisor, if it was up to me. Not my call.

• Plant health and safety lead Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log · 20 min

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  Excerpt from the conversation with: Plant health and safety lead · Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log

  Lontra

  How is the restart procedure meant to work?

  Plant health and safety lead

  When a guard or a light curtain stops a line, it restarts only once the cause is cleared, the area is checked and a supervisor has signed. Two people: the operator who checks and the supervisor who approves. The principle is that the person who did the work isn't the one who says it's safe.

  Lontra

  When was the procedure written?

  Plant health and safety lead

  I'd have to check, it predates me. I believe nights ran one line when it was written. We went to three a few years back and I don't think anyone revisited the rule.

  Lontra

  Do you know how long restarts wait at night?

  Plant health and safety lead

  I get the incident log monthly. I'd say it looks fine on average. I've not looked at the spread.

  Lontra

  What do you hear from the night shift?

  Plant health and safety lead

  That it takes a long time. I hear it as a complaint more than as data, if I'm honest, and I should probably listen differently.

  Lontra

  What about lines that restart before the sign-off is back?

  Plant health and safety lead

  I'm aware it happens. We had a near-miss review last year where the timestamps didn't line up. I don't want to over-read that. But if people do it because the wait is half an hour, that's a design problem on our side, not a discipline problem.

  Lontra

  What would you change?

  Plant health and safety lead

  A way to get a second supervisor to a line within ten minutes. Where I'm uncomfortable is a senior operator or the technician signing off their own team's work. The whole point is a second pair of eyes.

  Lontra

  You said you hear it as a complaint more than as data. What data would you want?

  Plant health and safety lead

  The request time, recorded when it happens. Right now it's reconstructed at the end of the shift, so I can't trust the waits.

  Excerpt from the Deep Study conversation with: Plant health and safety lead · Owns the restart procedure and reviews the incident log

  Lontra

  Last time you said you had looked at the average, not the spread. Have you looked at the spread since?

  Plant health and safety lead

  I did. Last month, 118 night restarts. The average wait was fourteen minutes, which is what I'd seen. But 31 of them waited over twenty. I didn't know that.

  Lontra

  Does the log show how many lines restarted before their approval was recorded?

  Plant health and safety lead

  No. It holds the request and the approval, and the restart time is on the line system. Nobody has put the two side by side. I've asked for it.

  Lontra

  You were uncomfortable about operators signing their own team's restart. Is there a version you'd accept?

  Plant health and safety lead

  A supervisor from another line, yes, if they can be there in ten minutes. Or a trained senior from a different line, signing a line that isn't theirs. I'd want to think about it with the unions and the insurer, but I wouldn't rule it out.

• Production planner Builds the shift roster for all three lines · 11 min · joined in Deep Study

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  Excerpt from the Deep Study conversation with: Production planner · Builds the shift roster for all three lines

  Lontra

  The night supervisor suggested we talk to you about how the night roster is built. How does it work?

  Production planner

  Nights ran one line until four years ago. Two and Three went onto nights when orders went up, with the same one supervisor, because the second post was in next year's budget. Next year came and it moved again.

  Lontra

  Was the restart procedure looked at when the lines were added?

  Production planner

  Not that I saw. It wasn't on my list. We looked at headcount for operators, not at who signs.

  Lontra

  Is there anything about the roster that would make a second approver hard?

  Production planner

  Cover for holidays and sickness. One more post means one more person to find on the night. It's doable, but it's money.

About this study

The question

“I want to understand why safety procedures are bypassed more often on the night shift, what operators face in practice, and what would make the procedures workable.”

A packaging plant running three lines around the clock. Nine people took part: four night-shift line operators, a day-shift line operator, a night maintenance technician, the night supervisor, a day supervisor and the plant's health and safety lead. Each conversation lasted 6 to 22 minutes. Deep Study went back to three of them and spoke to one colleague the night supervisor suggested.

What Lontra asked about

1. What happens on a line when a guard stops it
2. Who approves the restart, and how long that takes
3. How a stop gets written down
4. What would make the procedure workable