BACKGROUND
This Massillon, OH paper mill is a relatively small plant of the larger Greif corporation. Employees were working an unhealthy reverse rotating schedule, which adversely impacts Circadian rhythms and is considered factor 1 of fatigue. In addition to the 8-hour, 4 crew reverse rotating shifts, the temperature inside the plant was hot. The combination of a reverse rotating schedule and excessive work hours in high temperatures was leading to a greater risk of physical and mental fatigue for the shift workers.
CASE STUDY:
Greif Incorporated
INDUSTRY: Manufacturing of coated recyclables, steel drums, water bottles,
consumer packaging materials, and corrugated specialty products
WORLDWIDE EMPLOYEES: 17,000 employees at 290 sites in 43 countries
MASSILLON, OHIO: approx. 90 employees at a paper and containerboard mill
CAPACITY: approx. 200,000 tons out of Massillon annually
THE CHALLENGE
Health and safety of the workforce was an area of focus for this project. The goals included improving the retention of skilled employees, providing shiftworkers with more predictable time off for recovery, and implementing a schedule that made Greif the employer of choice in the Massillon area. When surveyed, 40% of employees indicated that they were skeptical of the change because they viewed it as a reduction of pay or benefits. 70% of employees felt operational errors were the result of fatigue and sleepiness on the job. Shiftworkers wanted weekends off, elimination of double shifts, and more predictable time off.
THE SOLUTION
Coleman Consulting Group was hired to survey employees and completed a formal Business Case Analysis
based on this feedback. Our extensive work with labor unions paved the way for engagement with union leadership early in this process. Our team recommended changing to a forward rotating schedule, which would meet business demand for paper products and would be a healthier shift schedule for employees suffering from fatigue. Additionally, CCG recommended a fix for the current vacation schedule, which would allow for more predictable time off without negatively impacting high production levels.
THE RESULTS
​
C
​