Has anyone heard of "drop gauge policy".If so, can you tell us what it means and also attach a sample policy for reference

Has anyone heard of "drop gauge policy".If so, can you tell us what it means and also attach a sample policy for reference
It would help if you would explain the context where the phrase appears.

I am familiar with the policy.....basically, if a gage is dropped it needs to be recalibrated or disposed of, depending on the type of gage and how much damage.

Hershal

I am familiar with the policy.....basically, if a gage is dropped it needs to be recalibrated or disposed of, depending on the type of gage and how much damage.

Hershal
Then that would be a dropped-gage policy, which would have helped.

Also see: Ford - Dropped Gage Policy (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=3941)

Also see: Ford - Dropped Gage Policy (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=3941)Thanks for the link, Atul. I especially liked Marc's observations:
I won't address the policy issue beyond saying that anyone who has to take a measurement should at least be trained and have the background (if you will) to understand that if you drop a measuring device (or many other things) there is a possibility that the fall broke it and that if they're in the least bit suspicious they should stop using it. They should also understand that if they're seeing results that they don't usually see or expect, whether they've dropped it or not, the same applies.

Ford may require a writen policy to address an issue such as this but it's a silly requirement. They must have some real 'interesting' suppliers if they have suppliers who have people taking measurements who aren't qualified to use the device / gage (read understand some real basic stuff - like, if it's dropped it may be broken).

A 'dropped gage' policy. Sheesh. Next it'll be a Common Sense' policy
That says it all, I think.

Just some comments:

The policy itself:
Organizations which have a frequent turnover of personnel handling gages NEED a consistent policy about dealing with dropped or otherwise suspect gages and instruments because on-the-job and word-of-mouth training methods may easily omit the concept if no gages are dropped during the training period to trigger the check/calibrate ritual. It may be just as well in such cases to have a written policy.

In a shop where the turnover is very infrequent, the policy and the reasoning behind it may be so ingrained in the personnel that they don't need a written policy or Procedure.

Terminology ("drop" versus "dropped"):
In cases where there is NO WRITTEN POLICY, a combination of accent and misunderstanding may result in folks making a mistake in the words and contributing to ambiguity and error. (recall the punchline of the joke where the Hispanic speaker thinks the USA National Anthem goes, "Jose, can you see by the dawn's early light?")

I recall a deaf comedian, Norm Crosby, made a career out of the malaprops arising from mishearing common words (King of the malaprop, Norm always speaks from his 'diagram' and drinks 'decapitated' coffee.)

If a person knows what a "drop gage" is, he might easily interpret a slurred "dropped gage" as the term he knows, "drop gage."

I recall a well-meaning manager talking on and on about what a good "report" [pronouncing it "ree port"] he had with his workers. He meant to say "rapport" [pronounced "raa pore" (ră-pôr', -pōr') which means "Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity"] based on his context. Obviously this manager saw "rapport" in print and had guessed at a definition, but never heard someone else use the term to get the correct pronunciation and automatically used the pronunciation of "report" since his definition leaned more toward the idea of each party giving the other party a "good report" of the relationship.

When I was in kindergarten, there was a brief period our whole class was convinced the middle part of the alphabet was "lemon o pea."

Well put, Wes... :applause:
...sometimes people seem to forget that this is an *international* forum where English may not be everyone's first language.

Organizations which have a frequent turnover of personnel handling gages NEED a consistent policy about dealing with dropped or otherwise suspect gages and instruments because on-the-job and word-of-mouth training methods may easily omit the concept if no gages are dropped during the training period to trigger the check/calibrate ritual. It may be just as well in such cases to have a written policy.

In a shop where the turnover is very infrequent, the policy and the reasoning behind it may be so ingrained in the personnel that they don't need a written policy or Procedure.
I would further suggest, in that case, that companies who are in the habit of hiring people who don't realize that dropping a sensitive device might affect its function should also have a written "Gage Run Over By Forklift" policy and a "Don't Pee in the Sink" policy.

I would further suggest, in that case, that companies who are in the habit of hiring people who don't realize that dropping a sensitive device might affect its function should also have a written "Gage Run Over By Forklift" policy and a "Don't Pee in the Sink" policy.
Most folks would not think of go/no go plug gages (threaded or plain) as "sensitive." I have been in shops of many suppliers where the gages were just thrown on to a steel desk after gaging and operators (not regular quality inspectors) were absolutely stunned (when I invited them to look at their gages with my ten power loupe) to see nicks, burrs, filth, all of which can (not always - that's why we check gages after they are dropped) affect the validity of the gage to perform its task.

These were folks who did otherwise impeccable work, but just had that "brain freeze" because they never thought of a go/no go gage as "sensitive" to the relatively mild treatment of dropping on to a metal surface from one or two feet.

In fairness, many more shops had folks take care of ALL gages as if they were delicate.

I still lay the blame on management in the "gage abuse" shops because they didn't tend to business whether they were aware of possibility of gage damage or not. A simple walk around the shop could have detected the same abuse I spotted in a one-time visit.

Re: sinks as toilets
I remember, as a six-year-old on my first visit to the old Comiskey Park, being confused when I confronted the long trough urinals in the men's room. They sure looked like sinks from my viewpoint. My mom assures me I talked more about that than the White Sox game I went to see with Gramps.

Re: sinks as toilets
I remember, as a six-year-old on my first visit to the old Comiskey Park, being confused when I confronted the long trough urinals in the men's room. They sure looked like sinks from my viewpoint. My mom assures me I talked more about that than the White Sox game I went to see with Gramps.
Yes! They still have those at Wrigley Field, and I've seen the surprise first from my son (You pee in those???) and then recently, my four-year-old grandson, who is still fascinated with regular urinals. (Quite a turn this thread has taken!)

If a gauge is dropped by accident, the user will try to hide it because the Manager may scold them for being careless. Ford must have introduced this as a method to communicate to the workmen not to hide such information since it might affect product quality.Like JSW05 said it should be termed "dropped gauge policy" to avoid misinterpretation.

Should this policy also be approved by the top management?

If a gauge is dropped by accident, the user will try to hide it because the Manager may scold them for being careless. Ford must have introduced this as a method to communicate to the workmen not to hide such information since it might affect product quality. If the workers are afraid of their bosses, it doesn't make any difference what Ford says.

If the workers are afraid of their bosses, it doesn't make any difference what Ford says.

Point taken.

Just some comments:

Terminology ("drop" versus "dropped"):
In cases where there is NO WRITTEN POLICY, a combination of accent and misunderstanding may result in folks making a mistake in the words and contributing to ambiguity and error. (recall the punchline of the joke where the Hispanic speaker thinks the USA National Anthem goes, "Jose, can you see by the dawn's early light?")



Wes,
I am almost sure you meant “Jose, can you see by the dawnserly light.” Although it is not in the dictionary “dawnserly” means sparkling, bright light. Well at least that is my take on the anthem’s verse.

Jim

The dropped gage policy should relate as well to a calibration / verification procedure for gages that includes a Risk Assessment for dropped (or any gage) that is verified or calibrated and found to be out of tolerance "as found" to assure parts were not accepted as conforming with an out of tolerance gage.

Good point wslabey.

Back to the heart of the issue, if the workers are afraid, as has been pointed out, it does not matter what Ford says.

Therefore, education, and upper management commitment not to punish for mistakes needs to be in place. I am under no illusion about obtaining that, but that is the only way to truly address the issue, even before the dropped gage policy is implemented.

Hershal

Good point wslabey.

Therefore, education, and upper management commitment not to punish for mistakes needs to be in place. I am under no illusion about obtaining that, but that is the only way to truly address the issue, even before the dropped gage policy is implemented.

Hershal

Good point.