Metal detector program revamp

Hello everyone! 

I have taken a new role in a large company and one of the first projects I'm working on is improving their metal detector program. Specially, how operators are filling out paperwork, often forgetting to do checks, or having errors and all. 

Im trying to think of EFFECTIVE ways to train and bring this to the next level where they are not having all these errors. One point lessons havent been working in the past as I have been told. what has some of you done to improve this? I do know root cause is def lack of training and accountability. 

Step 1

Have a discussion with HR re: accountability  then meet with all affected employees and inform them of the new discipline procedure (assuming you've got company support) AND train all employees in the procedure with sign offs where the statement includes that they understand the implications if the procedure isn't followed 

Step 2

Follow through !!!!!

Step 3

Can you add a buzzer temporarily?  Do you think that would help?

Training ONLY works (any training) when the message is followed up on the floor repeatedly until it becomes ingrained behaviour   you may need to spend ALOT of time on the floor to correct this permanently 

Congrats on the new job!

How is the training being conducted currently? Does quality train a few people and expect them to roll that training out to pertinent staff? What do you find the training lacks? Content, visual instruction, hands on? Have you pulled the list of approved (trained) people and made sure they are the only ones performing the checks?

Sorry for all the questions. Right now, I think you need to funnel down the issues and focus on changing things with the most bang for the buck. That's what I usually do anyway.

Sounds like they're stuck in one of those bad mentality loops: "Nothing works, things will never change, woe is me!"  A bunch of Eeyores straight out of the Hundred Acre Wood.  Welp, now's the time to let them all know there's a new sheriff in town.  Start with a review of the past records, making copies of the incorrect forms and come up with an idea of the trends.  You can bring all the staff responsible for MD into a refresher training and let them know the errors you've spotted.  Remind them of the SOPs related to MD monitoring as well as the proper way to fill documents.  Let them know the errors are unacceptable, disciplinary measures will be taken, and possibly consider replacing MD staff with other production employees who show initiative (once you've gotten to know some of them better).

If your plant is like others I've seen, the staff trusted with CCP monitoring typically receive a slight promotion for doing this job.  This is because the job is serious, and the company expects more out of these employees.  If that's the case at your plant, then make them earn that position and keep earning it.  Lastly, you'll probably want to be on the floor during this new period a lot: show up at the MD when a check is to be performed to watch how it's done, show up between checks to verify the records are up to current time, making them correct errors on the spot and document it for performance reviews.

I had the same problem with personell. This was all solved when they realize that this machine realy works ! They think that its just another gadjet in the production line. The problem is that they dont believe that its actually working. .

People get 2 chances after being trained - they don't get a third chance, they are shown the door.

Do you not have a QC check of the paperwork?  If not, then consider whether it is needed.  If it is not needed, then yes, I think you would need to go the discipline route.  If QC checks, then that should provide the accountability that is needed, and if that doesn't work, then discipline is needed anyway.  We found the need to do a good documentation practices refresher training every year because of occasional patterns of documentation errors and omissions that tend to come up.

Hi ;)

I had the same issue. 

I recognized a few things : 

- Procedure was lacking in photos - it was like an essay, difficult and not user-friendly, some images were from websites and they were much different than what I have in place 

- Lack of clear instruction in bullet / numbered points 

- Each metal detector was different, some were old (15 years old) and for example, some had a sensor for a full bin rejection some didn`t - people were confused about what to check, etc. 

- I managed to shrink CCP metal detector check three A4 docs into 1

- I copied the most important info from the procedure and transferred them to presentation slides, then we had individual training by the metal detector and after all, a 15-minute CCP test.

;)