An Employee-Designed Tool Container
Marc-Antoine Dufour and Dany Gagnon.
Two dedicated Port Facilities employees wanting to improve their efficiency showed initiative and leadership by bringing a new container into their facilities to store the tools that they use regularly. Their ingenuity and resourcefulness resulted in a functional and inviting space to store all the materials needed to complete everyday tasks.
“It used to be difficult to keep track of the tools we needed because they were stored all over the site,” said Dany Gagnon, Reloading Operator. “With the new location, we now have them at our fingertips. We can anticipate the work to be done and prepare our materials without wasting any time on getting supplies.”
Marc-Antoine Dufour initiated the container conversion project with his colleague Dany Gagnon, who is also a reloading operator. Both men describe themselves as organised in both their personal and professional lives, and they wished to improve their workplace by storing their equipment in a centralised, dedicated area.
They presented their project for approval to the plant’s investment committee in partnership with Marc Turcotte, Reloading Operations Supervisor, whom Dufour and Gagnon report to and who supported and encouraged their initiative. The project was approved, and Dufour and Gagnon were then given two weeks to focus solely on preparing the new container. Turcotte said:
They were very resourceful, not least because of all the work they did to set up the workbenches with existing equipment. They made this project a success in every respect.”
“The container is the star of our facility, and we are getting great feedback from the employees,” added Dufour. “They are happy and grateful to now have a well-organised and heated place to get the supplies they need.”
