Milford chronicle., 1928-07-06
FREQUENT PAINTING
PART OF THE FORD
FACTORY POLICY
By Helen Martin

throughout it's fifty-eight plants
painting is not "a job that gets
done" 1t is always in process. 1t
never stops.
Everything - buildings, bridge
ways, machines, cranes, ships
everything that has an exposed sur
face which needs protection, re-
ceives a fresh coat of paint at reg
ular intervals. However, protec-
tion is not the only key to the Ford
paint policy. In thousands of in
stances safety and efficiency are
considered equally important.
weep-wash-paint." From
the first occupation of new plant,
or a newly acquired plant, these
simple instructions are made a part
of the working philosophy of every
Ford employee. Not only is there
on the working force, group con-
tinually employed in these actiV1-
ties, but whenever department
for any reason has less work than Is
counted on, all who are not occu-
pied with production are set clean
ing I'D the departmental area. once
the area is clean, survey IS made
and painting operations are started.
Walls and ceilings are painted
shining white, wainscOt gray, ma
chimes gray-blue. Something like
the same procedure follows the
transfer of a department. I'm
mediately after the departure of the
units, the factory cleaning depart
ment washes the ceiling and walls
of the section vacated with a strong
alkaline solution, and the cleaning,
if necessary, is supplemented by
one or more coats of paint.
The Ford Industries also find that
proper use of the proper paint enor-
mously increases the efficiency of
both daylight and electric light.
This in turn means an increase in
the working efficiency of employees,
an increase in safety, and an in
crease in economy. The average |
employee will work uncomplaining- !
" in almost any sort of light, even
the worst, not realizing how much |
slower, more difficult, and more |
hazardous a job is when the illumi-
nation is poor or improperly diff |
fused. The intelligent application |
of white and gray paint reveals the
truth.
An increase in general safety fol-
lows the better diffusion which re-
suits from proper painting of walls,
ceilings, and equipment. Stock is
not left lying about to be tripped
over in a well-lighted room, nor is
stock likely to be placed or piled
in ways dangerous to life and limb.
It is next to impossible for scrap
to accumulate, or indeed to lie for
more than a few minutes, in a room
which has no dark corners. And
this goes, too, for any sort of rub
bish, or waste, which might, if left
undisturbed, bring to birth anything
from a conflagration to an epidemic.
The increase in economy, resulting
from proper painting practice is
obvious-the percentage of stock
spoiled in process is decreased, sur
plus stock is eliminated, and scrap
is Immediately removed and sent to
salvage to be transformed into use
full material. This is aside from
the economies involved in the de-
crease in accident rates, fire danger
and hazards to health.
1t is the Ford practice to paint all
structural steel work before erec-
ton. Concrete work is given a
first coat of cement sealer and
primer, and a second coat of spec
ial concrete gray paint. Cement
floors are coated regularly with
paint especially designed for the
purpose. In battery rooms, acid ,,
se I1n |
and fumeproof enamel on walls and
ceilings.
Every tool crib in the Ford In
dustries has its pals of machine
blue and olive green paint, and
of the department of
tool supply are under instructions
to make use of them, whenever OPP
portunity offers, in freshening the
of their Enclosures and
fixtures. Every station agent and
section foreman on the Ford-owned
railroad is given similar instruc-
tions. Judicious use of paint ac- y
in considerable part, for the I
won by the D. T. & I. for q
and smartness. And the I
trim. spic-and-span appearance OF
Ford equipment, structures, and =
rolling stock-largely the result Of y
paint rightly applied-is without !
doubt paying a heavy return in sa-
fety, efficiency and heightened en- ,
ployee morale, aside from its other "
values.
Water tanks maintained under
the Ford insignia are painted at D
least once every year. Moreover, N
Ford specifications declare that pre-
vious to installation "the interior =
Of the water tank must be wire
brushed thoroughly to remove all u
scale, and then given one good coat "
IF red lead in OIL" Perhaps Ford =
practice with respect to =
water tanks indicates, as well as r
any one example can, Ford painting L
practice in general. Everything 3
which for any reason requires !,
is completely painted once Il
year, at least, many things are
painted more often; and certain de-
ails are painted more often still.
The conclusion behind Ford paint
ng practice seems to be that the
Tord Motor Company, because of
Is tremendous investment in struc- ell
ures or equipment, cannot afford il
o risk deterioration through fail D,
ire to paint less frequently than
nee year. fl
.ANE ON HOOVER n n
A PROPHECY 2 ~ u