Gns3

I. Introduction

In the Canadian manufacturing plant of a global automotive company with headquarters in Canada, a large number of engineering activities are carried out in a wide range of areas. These activities include design, production of parts, assembly, testing, and quality assurance.

The plant considered here produces a many parts of vehicles and assembles them. The plant normally operates three shifts per day and has production lines including machining equipment, conveyers and overhead crane, punch presses, and paint-spray booths. The plant utilizes electricity and natural gas extensively.

A number of workers at the plant have over the last six months been subject to several health problems. The following information has been received by the head engineer at the plant.

a.) In an assembly area that was installed recently, workers have bend to the ground throughout the day to attach several small parts onto a large and heavy vehicle component. Some workers have begun to develop lower back pain, likely due to repetitive bending and one of the workers was advised by the doctor to stay off work for two weeks so his back can recover. The manufacturing engineers wanted automated system, but that was not economic.

b.) An increased incidence of respiratory illness has been reported over the last month by workers operating near the paint-spray booths. But the workers are not supposed to come into contact with any of the substance because the paint spray booths are designed to ensure that all materials exit the plant through a high capacity ventilation system and no materials can leak back into the plant. But no test has been carried out to know whether the ventilation system and leaks into the plant from spray booths.

c.) In an area of plant where metal cutting occurs and workers use protective eyewear, workers have reported minor eye injuries. It is often observed on nearby hooks or to be loosely hanging around the neck of the workers. Workers...