Teamwork

It is good to read about the various Teams working on behalf of the Community in “Wenvoe What’s On”. I remember working as a member of a Shift Team at British Geon, part of the Distiller’s Plastics Group of companies, based in Sully. It was 1962. I was a student and had a summer vacation job in the Quality Control Laboratory. The adjacent PVC Plant was in continuous operation and samples were brought to the Control Lab. at regular intervals for testing.

The Control Lab. also monitored the quality of production at the Synthetic Rubber Plant, (Hycar Ltd). This plant was at the far end of the site in the Bendricks direction. Staff had the use of a “Butcher’s Boy” bike with a basket to go to the plant to collect samples.

Working relations between the Shift Teams was not the best. The Team arriving on Shift always blamed the Team departing for not leaving the Lab. in a tidy state, e.g. Solvent flasks would be nearly empty, samples waiting to be tested, or more serious no coffee, milk, or sugar left in the rest room.

Alas! A significant problem arose when the Butcher’s Boy Bike developed a puncture. No one felt it was their responsibility to mend the puncture although it meant walking to and from the Synthetic Rubber Plant to collect samples to be brought back to the Lab. A few days later when my team was on the night shift, at about 3.30 a.m. our Shift Leader turned the bike over and started to repair the puncture, “Don’t do it, Roy!” the other team members protested. “If you fix the puncture they will all get the benefit”. With a wry smile Roy replied “Don’t worry lads, I’ll let it down in the morning and no-one will know I fixed it”.

Tony Coulthard