surface must be sanded (or stripped, if required).
Second, the surface should be cleaned of any residue
from the sanding or stripping. Third, a primer coat and
then the finish coat of paint should be applied. If any of
these tasks or steps are skipped or done out of
sequence, the job will have to be redone.
ASSIGN TASKS
A good leader ensures each worker understands his
or her part in the job and can do the assigned task.
Remember the job of painting a bulkhead discussed
earlier? Suppose you assigned a task in that painting
job to someone who didn’t know the proper way to
perform the task. The entire job would suffer, and time
and material would be wasted.
When assigning tasks, you also must consider the
danger to your ship and your workers when an
individual is unaware of safety rules. Whenever
possible, pair a knowledgeable worker with an
untrained one; that way you get good results on the job
and the untrained worker gets trained. If you have no
trained workers available, you must conduct training.
If the required training is beyond your capability, use
your chain of command to get it from an appropriate
source.
When evaluating your workers’ skills and
qualifications to perform a task, use past observations
of work performance, training records, and Personnel
Qualification Standards (PQS) records. As mentioned
above, there will be times that you, as an experienced
person for the job or a senior person in your rate, will be
expected to conduct training. Be sure to provide
manuals, instructions, and hands-on experience when
possible to train your personnel.
It is a good practice to develop a schedule on paper
for yourself and the workers. A good work schedule
lists each step of the task to be performed; standards to
be met (time, instruction, military standard, and so on);
worker(s) assigned, by shifts if applicable; and any
other pertinent information needed to get the job done.
The schedule should be concise and easy to
understand. It should be given to each worker or
displayed in the work area for everyone to review.
Some schedules are generated automatically for you
and you need only fill in any missing information.
Information on standards and other areas that will help
you develop this schedule is presented below.
COORDINATE MATERIAL
AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
Once you, the leader, have planned and organized
events needed to accomplish a task, then you must
make sure all required materials are available and
safety precautions will be observed. Having to stop
work while you track down a certain part or piece of
equipment frustrates you, your workers, and your
superiors and causes unnecessary delays.
Do not trust your memory on technical matters,
especially when they involve safety. During this part of
the planning phase, refer to appropriate checklists,
technical manuals, technical orders, or instructions to
make sure work meets all safety requirements and
personnel accomplish all required steps. Make sure all
required safety checks are up to date on all necessary
equipment in accordance with command and Navy
instructions and policies. The 5100 series of OPNAV
instructions provide detailed information relating to a
wide range of safety concerns.
When getting materials for a job, make sure items
subject to shelf-life restrictions are current. A
shelf-life item is one you must use or discard within a
certain time. Shelf-life dates appear on the containers
of these items. Do not use materials with expired
shelf-life dates.
THE PROPER TOOL FOR THE JOB
As you train your workers, insist upon the proper
use of the proper tool for any given job. A knife blade is
not a good screwdriver; wrenches are not good
hammers; and screwdrivers are dangerous when used
as chisels or pry bars. Using a tool in an inappropriate
way can cause injury to the worker and damage to the
tool and the work piece. You are responsible for the
well being of the personnel assigned to you as well as
1-8
Q7.
Not understanding the technical language of
your rate results in which of the following
problems?
1.
Poor communication
2.
Failure to advance in rate
3.
Misinterpretation of official publications
4.
All of the above
REVIEW QUESTION
