Updates on the Last 6 Months of the WAVE Program Housekeeping: Cheri Kemp, Jeff Roop, Andra Meiners, Jeff Meiners • Completed projects: taller repack carts on lines where it isn’t possible to lower the height of the line; easier ac- cess to the barrel dump on line 23; eliminated the loud screeching noise on line 20; repaired pot holes in the 3rd warehouse just past the sanitation washroom; energy conservation when lines were not running; standardized how stacker table checklists were used pre and post-shift; and ordered shorter brooms. • Projects in process: Improved twin screw auger hoppers (new lids with a vent that will make dumping cleaner); gravity feed barrel dump hoppers (fabricated lips on lug dumps to help with product overflow); cord manage- ment and dust collection. Mix Operations: Jenny Drew, Sue Osborne, Tom Balch, Mike Meiners • Our biggest accomplishment is coming up with a seal that helps to eliminate mixer scale. The mix shaft seal has a concaved side that flattens out when too much pressure is applied. This allows powder to get underneath and with time, clump and fall into the blend. The new seals are a flat surface that doesn’t allow powder to get underneath it and therefore, we don’t see the mixer scale occurring! Warehouse Operations: Elton Turner, Mark McWethy, Jerry Lawrence, Erika Meiners • In an effort to tackle old age stock and unstackable pallets of product, we have been working on establishing a set of “warehouse run rules” for all customers. This would include required pallet, tote, bag, placard, ingredi- ent, and packaging material specifications. It would also outline shelf life for materials and ingredients. • We will be making a trip to one of General Mills’ largest warehouses to check out different methods of ware- house management, which would include things like racking, automation, and product flow. Waste & Sustainability: Steve Zera, Randy Reuter, Scott Storey, Emily Smith • We are now recycling 1,500lbs/day of paper lines and unlined bags, which is 100% Ingredient Division output. We are working on figuring out how to recycle Mix Facility bags, which will add an additional 3,500lbs/day and equate to at least 150 fewer loads of trash to the landfill each year. • We are now recycling one tote of stretch film per month from the Ingredient Division, and we hope to have this plant-wide soon. We are now recycling ALL of our carton material that was previously only allowed in small quantities to our recycler. Safety: Karen Yardley, Denton Yocum, Kevin O’Dell, Phyllis Ott • We’ve toured many areas and made recommendations/solutions for safety with things such as the condition of some racking at West Warehouse, cord management, guarding and congestion. At the mix facility we’ve spent time evaluating the new mixer (magnet housing) and on line 40, where we are working on an additional safety net. • We’ve looked into Kevlar-lined gloves (the trial with employees FAILED!), pallet pullers (use with empty plastic totes and stacks of empty drums), lug dumps (developed OPL on safety features attached to equipment), web lifters (evaluated need to additional units and more training), packing tray and tub holder on line 2. • Safety awareness! Look for PASS signs by each fire extinguisher, and thanks to everyone for continuing to par- ticipate in the “Live Long & Prosper” safety contest! Thank you to everyone for all of your input, suggestions and support of this program!
20 Crest Ink July, August & September 2015
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