Tub walkin'

As some of you may have gathered from previous posts here on my blog, our plant just underwent another major expansion to our production facilities. In keeping with "Lean thinking" and "Kaizan", (a new Japanese method of production streamlining that we've adopted), the new lines were laid out with the utmost efficiency in mind at all times. Part of that efficiency requires that all material flow patterns and work stations are clearly labeled with easy-to-read signs. A lot of signs. We actually acquired a large automatic cutter-plotter which trims out text and pictures from sticky vinyl, for placement on coroplast sheets. It all looks really pretty and....
oops... Gross
**Note to self: "Close mouth when clearing throat"***
There, now that my monitor is wiped off, I can continue. Where was I? Oh yeah, homemade signs, on to the point of my story. We've had a guy from the production staff here in the office for a little while now, temporarily upgraded from packager to full time sign maker. This is by no means an official position though, and he's floated back and forth a bit. So yesterday the shipping manager comes into the office to steal him for a bit, he lost one of his guys with zero notice and needed someone to fill in with moving tubs into the warehouse from the yard. I overheard the conversation and thought about that job for a moment... these guys spend eight hours a day taking finished tubs from outside the packaging areas, tipping them onto a handcart, and walking them into the shipping warehouse. There they use a barcode gun to scan the tub into a storage bin, then they walk back out to the yard for another one. Walk, walk, walk, walk, non-stop. Boring. I don't think I could do that for eight hours, but I could easily do it for one. Oh, now it's sounding like an idea: Wait until my regular purchaser duties are over at 4:30, then go spend an hour walking on level ground in the fresh air, and get paid overtime rate just for getting some needed exercise. Suddenly I was waving my hand in the air and yelling "Ooo, ooo.. me! Pick me!" to the shipping manager. He looked at me like I was being facetious, but I assured him I really did want to. Now the deal's been made. I spent an hour out there yesterday and it worked out pretty well. And unless they suddenly find themselves with too many people and not enough tubs, (not likely), I'm welcome to come back every afternoon to put in an hour of paid calorie burnin. Oh happy day!