Chapter 2ADMINISTRATION, SUPERVISION, AND TRAINING
people. When possible, however, less experienced
people should be given difficult work to do under
supervision so that they may acquire skill in such
jobs.
Be sure that the person who is going to do a
job is given as much information as necessary.
An experienced person may need only a drawing
and a general statement concerning the nature of
the job. A less experienced person is likely to
require additional instructions and, as a rule,
closer supervision.
5. Keep track of the work as it is being done.
In particular, check to be sure that proper
materials and parts are being used, that the job
is properly laid out or set up, that all tools and
equipment are being used correctly, and that all
safety precautions are being observed.
6. After a job has been completed, make a
careful inspection to be sure that everything has
been done correctly and that all final details have
been taken care of. Check to be sure that all
necessary records and reports have been prepared.
These job inspections serve at least two very
important purposes: first, they are needed to make
sure that the work has been properly performed;
and second, they provide for an evaluation of the
skills and knowledge of the person who has done
the work. Do not overlook the training aspects
of a job inspection. When your inspection of a
completed job reveals any defects or flaws, be sure
to explain what is wrong, why it is wrong, and
how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Estimating Work
You will often be required to estimate the
amount of time, the number of personnel, and
the amount of material that will be required for
specific repair jobs. Actually, you are making
some kind of estimate every time you plan and
start a repair job, as you consider such questions
as: How long will it take? Who can best do the
job? How many people will be needed? Are all
necessary materials available?
However, there is one important difference
between the estimates you make for your own use
and those that you make when your division
officer asks for estimates. When you give an
estimate to someone in authority over you, you
cannot tell how far up the line this information
will go. It is possible that an estimate you give
to your division officer could ultimately affect the
operational schedule of the ship; it is essential,
therefore, that such estimates be as accurate as
you can possibly make them.
Many of the factors that apply to the schedul-
ing of all maintenance and repair work apply also
to estimating the time that will be required for
a particular repair job. You cannot make a
reasonable estimate until you have sized up the
job, checked on the availability of materials,
checked on the availability of skilled personnel,
and checked on the priority of the various jobs
for which you are responsible. In order to make
an accurate estimate of the time required to com-
plete a specific repair job, you must also consider
(1) what part of the work must be done by other
shops, and (2) what kinds of interruptions and
delays may occur. Although these factors are also
important in the routine scheduling of
maintenance and repair work, they are particu-
larly important when estimates of time that may
affect the operational schedule of the ship are
made.
If part of the job must be done by other shops,
you must consider not only the time actually
required by these shops but also time that may
be lost if one of them holds up your work, and
the time spent to transport the material between
shops. Each shop should make a separate
estimate, and the estimates should be combined
in order to obtain the final estimate. Do NOT at-
tempt to estimate the time that will be required
by other personnel. Attempting to estimate what
someone else can do is risky because you cant
possibly have enough information to make an ac-
curate estimate.
Consider all the interruptions that might cause
delay, over and above the time required for the
work itself. Such things as drills, inspections, field
days, and working parties can have quite an
effect on the number of people who will be
available to work on the job at any given time.
Estimating the number of personnel who will
be required for a certain repair job is, obviously,
closely related to estimating time. You will have
to consider not only the nature of the job and the
number of people available but also the maximum
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