Safety Olympics

After thinking more about what the plant manager said at the safety conference, about keeping her employees involved and having fun activities to spark the development of new ideas about safety, I began to think about how that could be applied to the plant I'm working at. I asked my manager, Colleene, about her opinion on fun activities for the employees in the theme of safety. She told me that in the past they have done a "safety race" mirroring the Daytona 500. She said, disappointed, that currently the managers are so busy with data entries and desk work, trying to improve production numbers, that the fun activities for employees are falling to the wayside. After Colleene left my office I continued to think about possible fun safety motivators, which brought me to thinking about the Safety Olympics. My idea is that the Safety Olympics will mirror the 2010 Winter Olympics, and will have activities like Cross Country Skiing Race for Safety, Dare to Be Safe Ski Jump, and Individual & Pairs Figure Skating Safe Poster Design Competition. Employees will be able to contribute ideas for safety in the workplace, evaluate their own safety behaviors, and develop a new poster campaign for safety. I understand the importance of mirroring a current media event because when employees are not at work, they will see the Olympics on their TV's and in the news, which will get them thinking about the Safety Olympics at work. I decided to take my idea to Colleene and ask if it would be plausible to accomplish. I mentioned that I value fun in the workplace and incorporating the ideas of everyone, I also explained that I understand that the managers are busy with tedious desk work, but I do not have that problem because my job isn't exactly defined in stone, so I can organize and lead this new project. She was impressed with my forwardness in coming to her with a new idea, and informed me that not only was the idea fabulous, but that I should be ready to present to the employees at the monthly meeting this coming week information about the Safety Olymipcs. I was thrilled to hear her response! So now I'm getting more materials together and preparing to tell the employees our exciting new adventure!

My First Safety Conference

Yesterday I attended my first safety conference, I telephone meeting between all nine Unilever ice cream plants in the US. The plant manager (the head honcho), Ken, at the facility I work at in Clearwater is the safety leader for all the plants, so he lead the conference. The meeting began with Ken going through three slides he made discussing numbers, noting largely the TRFR's (Total Recordable Frequency Rate) from 2009. In general, all the plants were at a different level when it came to safety, but within Unilever, ice cream had one of the highest TRFR's, which needs to be improved. Ken went on to discuss means of improvement, including new programs he would like to implement, and an observation that the ice cream plants in Latin America have a much lower TRFR, so their work should be analyzed. Lastly, one plant has gone 467 work days without an accident (an amazing accomplishment) so Ken asked the plant manager there to discuss what lead to such a great achievement. The plant manager there talked about how they strongly believe in open and frequent communication between the hourly employees and the management. Communication is important because it not only includes the employees, a basic human need, but it has the possibility of seeing things in a new perspective and creating changes for the better. There plant also has weekly safety meetings before the shift starts lead by the shift supervisor. I personal agree with that practice, I feel that discussing safety on a regular basis keeps it fresh in an employees' mind, which decreases the occurrence of a behavioral induced accident. Lastly, the plant manager shared that their plant has many fun programs, keeping safety fun and enjoyable. They have a race for safe ideas, in which 180 employees sat around in their break room coloring race cars and contributing 270 new safety ideas - based off the Daytona 500. They also had a program based off the March Madness games. It does not take many resources to make something fun, and when people are having fun, they're more likely to open up, listen, and reflect on what they've learned. After a few more comments from Ken, the conference came to a close. I really enjoyed sitting in on the safety conference, it was interesting to hear the numbers that we currently hold and our goals for improvement. I am pleased that there is a mentality that when we see someone doing it right, we observe and ask questions, maybe make changes, so we can become better as well.

Product Cutting

As I'm sitting in my office reviewing Material Safety Data Sheets on new chemicals to switch to and the old ones we're currently using, I hear "Low Rider" by War playing on the loud speaker. The music selection indicates that it is product cutting time, signaling designated quality assurance line leaders to come into the quality assurance lab and test the day's product! A selection of each product being produced that day is pulled off the line specifically for product cutting. A group of examiners start by observing the packaging, they look to see if the overwrap is sealed correctly, if the individual wrapping is neatly done. Then each bar of ice cream is taken out of its package and displayed on a lab table. Now the group examines the front side, then the back side, of the product. If the bar is chocolate coated, they'll look to see if there are any obvious holes that was not covered. If the ice cream is sandwiched, the group examines the placement on the cookie, the size discrepancy of the two cookies, and any other quality feature. Some bars have a special addition of an ingredient to the outside, symbolizing its crispiness, or another texture. The group will examine to see how obvious this looks. Now the fun part, every member of the group tastes a few of the products, making sure it tastes how it should and that the consumer will be satisfied. Lastly, if a product contains an additive to the ice cream, like a peanut butter swirl, or chocolate chips, a few bars are sliced open down the center and examined for the correct amount of additive. Product cutting is important because it verifies that the resources used to make the product are functioning correctly, leaving the consumer with a delicious ice cream treat! :D

My First Two Days!

This last Thursday and Friday were my first two days on location in Clearwater, FL working at the original Klondike headquarters/manufacturing plant for Unilever!!! I first met my manager, Colleene, who is really nice and friendly, which made things feel more comfortable. After introducing me to some of the other management staff, I met Mark, my buddy & team leader, who seems to know a plethora of information about safety, which was really fun! Largely the morning consisted of setting up my desk, meeting management, and having a brief run-through of the building layout. I went out for lunch to a delicious Mexican restaurant and met more managers, everyone is really friendly! After getting back to work I sat in on a introductory safety presentation for new-hires who were starting on Friday. It was a lot of information, and it was really long, but it was useful to hear everything that I would need to keep in mind while walking through the production floor, and I also learned a few things, like I can't wear bobby pins - a main way I style my hair :( . I really love working here so far, every single person I meet has such a huge smile on their face, the employees feel so proud of making the ice cream! Friday was largely the same as Thursday, working through the new-hire handbook and I met with the HR manager there, Joanne, and talked about my personality profile. I love that the profile correctly identified me as someone who thrives by receiving any type of feedback, with my manager aware of that, I won't have to struggle to know what people think of my work :D . I also got to go on a plant tour and walk around the mixing room, the production floor, the hardening warehouse, and the engine room. It was so cool! I love watching all the machinery making a food product, I'm so happy I have this internship! As for now I'm finally settling into my apartment, I've got everything unpacked, and I'm trying to remember to cook something before I'm starving :) .

Apartment Searching

On Wednesday I spent the entire day with my mom driving around the Clearwater area searching for an apartment. After touring six apartments, I finally found the one for me! It's wonderful, it is nearby a grocery store, which is important as I don't have a car, it's quiet, there are children running around (I love kids), and it's in a fun part of Largo with the Gulf of Mexico just down the road. So that's great and all, but I'd like to give some advice on finding an apartment.

Before looking for an apartment, search online so you have somewhere to start, find out what you're interested in, some good parts of town to search. Ask around, ask anyone, you never know who has an extended family member living in the area who may have tried some of the apartments you're interested in. We are staying at a hotel and after talking to the concierge, they recommended a very extensive and free apartment guide, which really helped us when we were driving around. Never just sign a lease from what you've seen online, often companies will hide their faults which you need to know about if you're living there! A prime example is a place I found online which held true in person, gorgeous facility, large, friendly, and in the backyard is a strip club -gross. So make sure you drive around an get a feel for the neighborhood you'll be in. Always keep an open mind when touring, you may not like the color of the yellow siding, but it might turn out to be your favorite apartment ever!

Orientation

So it's been awhile since I've had access to a computer, so I apologize for the slack, I will attempt to enter a new post at least once a week. I will talk about three different events that have happened: orientation, apartment finding, and my first two days at work --all in their own post.

Orientation was a lot of fun! All the interns were required to attend the two day supply chain orientation in Trumbull, CT, this past Monday and Tuesday. After arriving on Sunday night, the interns staying in the hotel (those of us not working in Trumbull) all met for dinner and got to know each other. Everyone seemed really great, and what I found interesting is that most of us got along with ease, which I think is related to all of us having a personality that fits in the same company. Most of the interns were in a business related major, and there were maybe about 8 of us in engineering, mostly girls, and mostly chemical engineers.

On Monday we started with a fun ice-breaker and a presentation introducing us to Unilever. Later on, we did team building activities and presentations on supply chain. For fun, some of the coordinators took us out bowling that night, so we all bonded and got to know each other more. Tuesday was a similar layout, with a presentation on Walmart, Unilever's largest consumer, another on business etiquette (a lot of fun!), and more presentations on supply chain. I found the presentations on supply chain to be the most interesting because I really knew nothing about it before orientation. It turns out engineers are very much involved with supply chain in most businesses that produce something. It was really neat to learn how supply chain controls everything from ordering and predicting what materials will be needed and how much, how to deliver it from the raw material supplier to the production facility, how to then deliver the finished product from the manufacturer to the distribution center, then out to the smaller companies. Supply chain does even more, but that's a basic run through of what the division works on.

Leaving orientation, I felt very prepared to start work. I knew how to behave in situations I will more than likely face, what to do at work, and what I should be working toward (the big picture). I also enjoyed meeting the other interns and learning from talking to them about their past experiences and how they find Unilever.

Pre-Boarding

So I leave tomorrow for my 2 day orientation in Trumbull, CT. I am excited to leave and to meet the other co-ops! It's been pretty hectic for awhile but it's all coming together. I find I need to call my contacts with HR almost everyday to get details straightened out and to ask questions. They are very nice and understanding, clearly having experience with students like myself. Because the move from NY to FL is so large and only my mom being able to assist me, I am packing all my things for FL now, taking six checked bags to the airport and flying my belongings from NY to CT to FL. I'm not predicting too much trouble because carts are available and the company is covering the flight/moving expense. Once I get to FL I'll have all of Wednesday to find an apartment, get some furniture (Craigslist or renting), and move in! It sounds like a lot, but the idea of the warm weather is such a great motivator!

Hello & Background

Hi there,

Welcome to my blog on my engineering experiential experience. I am a junior in chemical engineering at Michigan State University about to start a six month co-op for Unilever in Clearwater, Florida. First some background about myself.

I am nineteen and I have been at MSU (in East Lansing, MI) for three semesters plus a summer study abroad. I am in chemical engineering because I am interested in the field and I'm always up for a challenge. I'm doing a concentration in food science because I would like to end up doing something with food or consumer goods, I think it'd be cool to be a part of something you see on the shelf at a store. I love Michigan State, go Spartans!, and I've had a lot of great experiences there. I enjoy going to the football games and concerts, I love the dairy store :D, a walk down grand river is always fun, Menna's -yum. I was able to study abroad this summer for international food laws & regulations in England, Paris, Switzerland, and Italy, and I definitely thank MSU for that opportunity. Overall I have loved my experience at Michigan State. Before MSU I spent all my life living in Pittsford, NY, a town in the Rochester area. I went to a great high school and I really enjoyed growing up in Rachacha.

So why leave wonderful MSU? I decided that an internship/co-op is a necessary experience for any student. A chance to work in the field of the degree you're painstakingly working on allows you to see the industry for what it really is. When I was looking into culinary arts way back in my sophomore year of high school, I discovered that most programs require at least one internship. So why not make it required in other degree programs? I understand that not all degree programs have the opportunity or resources for an experiential education, but I am extraordinarily grateful that Michigan State College of Engineering encourages students like me to pursue an internship/co-op before graduating. So like many other students, I spent a lot of time at Career Gallery talking to potential employers and doing my best to market myself. After an interview with Unilever I received an offer to work in their supply chain management division specifically in Clearwater, Florida, in their ice creams manufacturing facility.

For those of you who may not know of Unilever, I guarantee you've used one of their products. Unilever is an extremely large parent company that produces many smaller products operating under their own brand name. For instance, Unilever is behind Axe and Dove personal care products, they own Hellman's mayonnaise, they produce delicious Bertolli Italian meals, Lipton iced tea, Slimfast, and more. In the ice cream world, they are behind Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, and Popsicle. Unilever is a global company with operations all over the world. Unilever also maintains a great relationship with consumers and continues to stay consumer friendly throughout the years.

Although it will be hard to say goodbye's to family and friends, I am looking forward to my new experience. It will be nice to take a break from winter for once and learn what it's like to live in beautiful Clearwater (in the Tampa Bay area). I am excited to learn more about Unilever and show the company how I can be a great potential full time hire in the future. I am really looking forward to finally using all that school work and applying it to making something people eat everyday!

You are welcome to leave comments below on what you would like me to talk about. I understand that some of my readers are students who are looking into an experiential education. Thanks for reading and I will be sure to keep you updated!