NEW WORKSHOPS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 54, 12 September 1928, Page 17

NEW WORKSHOPS

LOCOMOTIVE REPAIRS GAIN IN EFFICIENCY THE HUMAN FACTOH Some of tho benefits to bo gained by the provision of modern wor\»hops and by tho policy of concentrating oh certain work at particular centres are enumerated in the Railways Statement. Although the coal strike in Britain in 1920, and the consequent hold-up in tho dispatch of steel delayed the reorganisation programme approximately seven months, steady progress has since been made, and at the present time both the Otahuhu .and Hutt Valley shops are nearing completion, and will be in use within a few months. In tho South Island, the situation is progressing more slowly on account f the Droconstruction having to take place on the same sites as the present workshops. Consequently tho buildings can only bo erected as old buildings are removed, ou account of the necessity of meeting current requirements. The plan, in general, provides that all major repairs of locomotivos will be done in one shop in each Island, so that the maximum benefit of specialisation and special machinery can be taken advantage of. Thus the Hutt Workshops in tho North Island and Hillside Workshops in the South Island will bo locomotive repair and building shops, while Otahuhu and Addington, m tlio North and South Island respectively, will be the car and wagon repair and new building workshops. LESS WORK OUTSIDE. Tho design of the shops provides for extension should such at any time be considered necessary. The internal capacity of tho shops has been especially increased to obviate one of the greatest losses in workshop operation in the old shops—namely, that arising from a large proportion of the work being carried on outside. At tho old shops, in many instances, 40 per cent. of the work has been performed outside, exposed to the weather conditions prevailing. This has undoubtedly resulted in heavy loss. Analysis of time lost by employees reveals that out of every hundred hours shop time, eight aro lost by einployoes for various reasons. About half of these are definitely recorded as due to sickness. Such_ figures aro not conducive to tho efficient operation of the shops from either the men's or the Department's point of view, and the conditions under which tho now shops will operate will undoubtedly be a factor in improving this situation. Provision has been made in fhe new workshops for building the Department's requirements in renowals and new rolling-stock. Modern practice has, from our observations of modern shops overseas, revolutionised material handling, and the appliances and spaco provided will efficiently cope with our requirements and enable tho Department to get its costs down to a minimum. WELFARE OF THE MEN. Another very important aspect that has been largely influential in determining tho matter of improvomont in workshops has been that of tho welfare of the men. It is now recognised as sound industrial practice to provido for the men such advantages by way of high quality working tools and congenial surroundings as will make them happier in their work and better in health. Iv pursuance of this idea, not only will the new workshops provido an altered outlook for the men from the point of view of congeniality as regards their working conditions, but their leisure hours have also been liberally catered for by the provision of such facilities as social halls, etc. The health of tho men has been safeguarded in such matters as adequate arrangements for tho provision and consumption of food in the best possible circumstances, sanitary protection of clothes, sanitary water drinking facilities, washing and toilet facilities, etc. All these matters have, of courso, involved expenditure, but it is confidently believed that tho expenditure will be worth while in the officieney reflected from tho higher standard of health and happiness that will be brought to the staff. When the staff of tho locomotive branch are transferred to the new workshops, it has been arranged to consolidate into the same shops the present Maintenaneo and Signal and Electrical Departments' workshops. At the present time these departments have independent workshops and organisations in various parts of the Dominion, and by absorbing them into tho modernised new workshops not only will several valuable sites become available for profitable disposal, but the Department will obtain the benefit, of the reduced costs possible only -under the new workshops conditions. It must be pointed out that this consolidation was not possible under the old conditions, on account of lack of space and equipment. Provision for the future in the design of the new shops has been made a feature in all the layouts, which provide that future extension can be made to each department without the principle of operation of tho workshops being altered. PROVIDING MORE LOCAL WORK. As stated, the now shops provide capacity for building the Department's new rolling-stock requirements (with the exception of a comparatively few specialty items) and any mechanical work required for the railways or any other State Department. This policy will permit of tho importation of only raw materials in tho future, instead of finished articles, and will assist tho labour situation of the Dominion by providing work in New Zealand rather than elsewhere. Without tho reorganisation of the workshops as planned by the Department this would not havo been possible.