Does your Company Supply Calipers for Employees?

[Umang Vidyarthi]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We now have permanent tool boxes in each processing department. Operators are issued the necessary equipment and it is then signed back in before the end of shift. We hold the process owner or lead person responsible for their department's tools. We have not had any major issues as yet.

Thanks again for your input!

Very good Kalyhan.This system has worked wonderfully here since ages,and I am sure it will function well for you.As Brad has suggestedd,your feed back will be appreciated.

Umang

 

[DaMann]

Yes, All tools for measuring Are company supplied & Calibrated.

Personal tools are not allowed as they are not controlled & Calibrated.

Each operator that use a Measuring tool is Issued one. there are locking tool boxes for operators to use.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Personal tools are not allowed as they are not controlled & Calibrated.

This brings up another question, and forgive me for not rereading the whole thread to see if it's been addressed. In many instances where employees are required to have their own tools, including measuring devices, how do companies handle the calibration end of things? I once worked in a machine shop where we had a well-qualified calibration technician who took care of things like micrometers, calipers and indicators, but some of the machinists didn't want their stuff being messed with by someone else. When it came time for ISO registration and having documented control of the calibration system, they were given a choice: either allow the in-house tech to calibrate their devices, or have it done at their own expense by an accredited outside lab. This convinced them that internal calibration rely was a good idea.

Has anyone else faced this situation?

 

[DuttonT]

Company supplies all measuring equipment, this does not caus a problem as we are a small company with only about 5 using measuring tools.

 

[hogheavenfarm]

I have been involved in both scenarios. In one compnay, we (QC) supplied digital calipers at the inspection stations which were shared by all shifts. We also included a 1" gage for periodic calibration, and we taught the operators haw to check the calibration. Periodically, QC inspectors would also verify that the calipers were checked on the gage block. We had a dirty, dusty environment, and the slides would cake up every 6 months or so, and we would swap them out with a newly serviced one, and send the worn one out for servicing.(In batches of course). My current company requires employees to buy most of their own tools, either from the company (very steep markup!) or locally on thier own. Bigger tools are supplied by the company and must be signed for, with a pay deduction if lost, stolen or damaged.We conduct inventories quarterly to verify possesion and condition. A problem I have with this system is that I do not believe you can hold employees responsible for equipment issued to them if the equipement is: A> used by others as well as the signer , B.> you do not provide a secure storage location for the equipment , C. > you do not maintain the equipment

 

[DuttonT]

In one company I worked at, I was the responsible for the calibratin of over 1,000 items (mechanical and electrical). we had a machine shop as well, and all the machinist had their own tools. This was a big headache during internal audits and "new" tools would show up and being used with no calibration verification. I used to have about every quarter, a Open your tool box up for inspection. It never failed that during an ISO audit a tool would be found not calibrated.

 

[Doug]

Seems like a typical response, my organization has always supplied the applicable measuring devices. This includes all quality, operating and maintenance personnel. Do your dial calipers only last 1 year?

 

[kalyhan]

The toolboxes are working great for all company suppied MTEs. I recently re-trained all supervisors and lead personnel.

We supply all devices needed to measure & test equipment. All items are either controlled internally per our lab scope or sent to an external lab when
our calibration tech is unable to calibrate an instrument.

All devices are assigned to each lead or supervisor and they are responsible
for daily sign outs and returns of equipment in their department. Each department is given a log sheet with assigned devices already recorded on it,
which makes assigning the equipment a breeze. While daily sheets sound trivial, they are necessary in our shop. Sometimes, if personnel are not forced to account for things daily, procedures would simply not be followed.

So far, so good! We see far less theft and uncontrolled equipment out on the floor now.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[bobdoering]

Re: Does your company supply calipers for your workers?

...decide to repair or replace .....

This is a point to ponder when an employee is forced to own their equipment. When the calibration system says that the gage is no longer usable, they are going to have certain feelings about pitching them. That can be an issue. After all, they wore out measuring the company's parts...the more they check, the quicker they wear out. Guess how one can make their gage last longer?

 

[arios]

The funniest story I remember about a similar situation with Calipers, was about an employee who sold the Caliper to Pawn Shop...he badly needed the money