For four lab techs, there was very little work to go around last night. Whether it is a slow night of not, I like to get all of the dailys and micro testing done as early as possible and then relax if it stays slow.
I did everything I could early. It didn't get really busy later on, but it definitely picked up in the last hour. It mostly got busy because SK didn't realize she had two kinds of five day until the end of our shift, left an 0330 check and an 0145 plating sample until about 0530, and had a start-up.
And that kind of insanity is why, yeah, I get annoyed when everyone's sitting around chatting halfway through the shift with work sitting in front of them not getting done.
18 October 2010
17 October 2010
Thermal overload
The most important test on most of our products other than white milk is total solids.
The machines we use to measure total solids can also measure moisture. Moisture and solids make up 100% of a product. The moisture percentage is 100 - total solids; the solids percentage is 100 - moisture.
Simple enough?
The machines default mode is moisture, even though we don't use that setting at all. One of these machines had an error last night (thermal overload, happens when the machine gets rated with the cover not locked closed. To fix the error message, you turn it off, wait a minute, and turn it back on. When it turns back on, it is in moisture mode.
For a soup whose solids are approximately 2.85, the readings if you don't change the settings say 97.15 M.
The tech testing this soup didn't know about the thermal overload and somehow read the 97.15 as .97. She called the tetra supervisor because the solids were less than half of what they should be!
Both lines got shut down, they were running to check the raw tank, get a line fill, find the problem. How could the solids drop out like that and the salt still be okay?
They figured it out eventually, but the panic and chaos caused because someone just wasn't paying that much attention? Hilarious.
The machines we use to measure total solids can also measure moisture. Moisture and solids make up 100% of a product. The moisture percentage is 100 - total solids; the solids percentage is 100 - moisture.
Simple enough?
The machines default mode is moisture, even though we don't use that setting at all. One of these machines had an error last night (thermal overload, happens when the machine gets rated with the cover not locked closed. To fix the error message, you turn it off, wait a minute, and turn it back on. When it turns back on, it is in moisture mode.
For a soup whose solids are approximately 2.85, the readings if you don't change the settings say 97.15 M.
The tech testing this soup didn't know about the thermal overload and somehow read the 97.15 as .97. She called the tetra supervisor because the solids were less than half of what they should be!
Both lines got shut down, they were running to check the raw tank, get a line fill, find the problem. How could the solids drop out like that and the salt still be okay?
They figured it out eventually, but the panic and chaos caused because someone just wasn't paying that much attention? Hilarious.
16 October 2010
Blind Samples
With our allergen testing program, we are required to test a set of blind samples each week and send our results to the soy company to prove we're doing it correctly.
I have been trained in allergen testing for something like five months now. There are only six lab techs currently trained to do allergens, including myself. I repeat, blind samples are tested on a weekly basis.
I tested blind samples for the first time two nights ago!
I was a little concerned that I would fail them, not sure I filled out the paperwork correctly, kind of hoping I'd fail and get kicked off the task...
Walking in last night, DK pulled me aside and asked me if I would do more allergen testing. Apparently, I aced the blinds and now KS is freaking out about how good I am at allergens.
I have been trained in allergen testing for something like five months now. There are only six lab techs currently trained to do allergens, including myself. I repeat, blind samples are tested on a weekly basis.
I tested blind samples for the first time two nights ago!
I was a little concerned that I would fail them, not sure I filled out the paperwork correctly, kind of hoping I'd fail and get kicked off the task...
Walking in last night, DK pulled me aside and asked me if I would do more allergen testing. Apparently, I aced the blinds and now KS is freaking out about how good I am at allergens.
15 October 2010
Boop
Junior has this habit of imitating any noise she hears.
When the phone rings, she repeats the ring before answering it.
This little quirk is funny as heck, but also seems to be contagious. It's not just Junior anymore.
Everytime the phone rings on third shift, "boooop," every lab tech in the room repeats, "boooop."
When the phone rings, she repeats the ring before answering it.
This little quirk is funny as heck, but also seems to be contagious. It's not just Junior anymore.
Everytime the phone rings on third shift, "boooop," every lab tech in the room repeats, "boooop."
13 October 2010
Monthly
I had very little to do last night and Junior refused to let me help her.
DK said he had a task for me and handed me a stack of papers.
What he handed me was a checklist (two, actually) that are completed on a monthly basis as part of our SQF compliance. They go through a list of items and the person filling it out must check if the department is compliant or not, and if not must record details and corrective action. The items include cleanliness and whether all the lights are functioning and if the ceiling leaks and if employees wash their hands after using the restroom (how DK would know if the six women under his supervision wash their hands in the bathroom is beyond me).
I have completed these checklists before. In fact, I filled them out just a couple of weeks ago.
I said, "Okay, DK, but didn't I already do these?"
He says, "When?"
I say, "I don't know, maybe two weeks ago?"
..."What month was it two weeks ago, RC?"
ohhhh.
Everything was good, except I checked no for the cleanliness of the floors, walls and ceilings and then had to scrub them so DK could fill in the corrective action was completed.
DK said he had a task for me and handed me a stack of papers.
What he handed me was a checklist (two, actually) that are completed on a monthly basis as part of our SQF compliance. They go through a list of items and the person filling it out must check if the department is compliant or not, and if not must record details and corrective action. The items include cleanliness and whether all the lights are functioning and if the ceiling leaks and if employees wash their hands after using the restroom (how DK would know if the six women under his supervision wash their hands in the bathroom is beyond me).
I have completed these checklists before. In fact, I filled them out just a couple of weeks ago.
I said, "Okay, DK, but didn't I already do these?"
He says, "When?"
I say, "I don't know, maybe two weeks ago?"
..."What month was it two weeks ago, RC?"
ohhhh.
Everything was good, except I checked no for the cleanliness of the floors, walls and ceilings and then had to scrub them so DK could fill in the corrective action was completed.
12 October 2010
Start-up sheet
I was in the zone formerly known as pudding last night. The flavor had just changed to chocolate before my shift started. There was about eight hours worth of chocolate pudding to run. (Incidentally, it ended three minutes before my shift did.)
At the beginning of any run, the lab tech is required to sign off on a list of items (the product looks right, the case code is correct, the solids are good, the cups weigh the right amount, etc) and deliver that sheet to the person operating the pudding line.
Often, someone will call looking for the start-up sheet two minutes after they start, when the beginning samples are still sitting there and they can actually see that the lab tech has not gotten samples yet, let alone finished testing them.
Other times, the lab tech (i.e. moi) brings the start-up sheet down halfway through the run and hands it to the operator, who looks from the sheet to me as if I am trying to hand her an enormous spider. Or at least an uncapped needle. Essentially, looking at me as if I am crazy, she has no idea why I want her to have this thing, and she really wishes I would just disappear.
Guess which one happened last night?
At the beginning of any run, the lab tech is required to sign off on a list of items (the product looks right, the case code is correct, the solids are good, the cups weigh the right amount, etc) and deliver that sheet to the person operating the pudding line.
Often, someone will call looking for the start-up sheet two minutes after they start, when the beginning samples are still sitting there and they can actually see that the lab tech has not gotten samples yet, let alone finished testing them.
Other times, the lab tech (i.e. moi) brings the start-up sheet down halfway through the run and hands it to the operator, who looks from the sheet to me as if I am trying to hand her an enormous spider. Or at least an uncapped needle. Essentially, looking at me as if I am crazy, she has no idea why I want her to have this thing, and she really wishes I would just disappear.
Guess which one happened last night?
10 October 2010
Finally I understand
Last night there were only three techs scheduled, including myself. There are supposed to be five of us, or possibly four on weekends or holidays. So far, every time I have been one of three because of a call-in or a scheduling hiccup, it has been pretty much a nightmare. It has never been truly busy on those nights, but I always feel like I am running around all night doing all of what little work there is while the other two sit around chatting.
Last night, it was me, the only person with seniority over me on the shift, and Junior (as in Smitty Junior, orrrr Super-tech Junior).
It was easy! I did some work, but so did everyone else! After complaining for weeks, I finally see that it does make sense to just have three of us some nights. Maybe they should just pay more attention to which three of us are there.
Last night, it was me, the only person with seniority over me on the shift, and Junior (as in Smitty Junior, orrrr Super-tech Junior).
It was easy! I did some work, but so did everyone else! After complaining for weeks, I finally see that it does make sense to just have three of us some nights. Maybe they should just pay more attention to which three of us are there.
07 October 2010
Get your stories straight
When I walked in, JJ told me all the hot ICs would transfer to CSM2. The only one still there went to IC1.
V-dogg told me he'd transfer 60,000lbs. Then he told me 30,000 from each. Then he transferred 30,000 from one, waited a few hours, and transferred 30,000 from the same one.
New girl, SN, told me organic 2% was coming from PT1 and PT2.... That's not even possible.
One of the blenders came in and asked me the solids on YH1. Nobody ever asked me to check YH1. V-dogg tells me to check it in twenty minutes. (New blends should agitate for at least half an hour before a check). Beavis came ten minutes later and said it just finished blending.
They told me to take my time with a check, so I went to lunch. When I got back, JM had already checked it because they needed the answer immediately.
Brilliant. My paperwork was a mess. Also, splattered yogurt all over myself. Oh and sprayed Beavis with water from the second floor.
V-dogg told me he'd transfer 60,000lbs. Then he told me 30,000 from each. Then he transferred 30,000 from one, waited a few hours, and transferred 30,000 from the same one.
New girl, SN, told me organic 2% was coming from PT1 and PT2.... That's not even possible.
One of the blenders came in and asked me the solids on YH1. Nobody ever asked me to check YH1. V-dogg tells me to check it in twenty minutes. (New blends should agitate for at least half an hour before a check). Beavis came ten minutes later and said it just finished blending.
They told me to take my time with a check, so I went to lunch. When I got back, JM had already checked it because they needed the answer immediately.
Brilliant. My paperwork was a mess. Also, splattered yogurt all over myself. Oh and sprayed Beavis with water from the second floor.
06 October 2010
03 October 2010
Just a coincidence
You might already realize this, Internet, but in case you haven't figured it out, I am not exactly a girly girl. I have also never gotten along with my father very well, I was never a daddy's girl.
In my entire life I have been referred to as a "lil princess" exactly twice.
Both of those times have been while working this job, and both by members of the blending staff.
In my entire life I have been referred to as a "lil princess" exactly twice.
Both of those times have been while working this job, and both by members of the blending staff.
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