By Jaime Rodriguez A production manager works with a Puerto Rican
company that manufactures electronic products. The company's management asks the engineer to increase the production line capacity because of an increase in product demand. After completing a capacity
analysis, the engineering department recommends adding a UV curing oven to the production line.
The company accepts this recommendation and orders the oven. One month later it is in place and
ready for production. The manufacturing and engineering managers ask the production manager to begin using the new oven immediately; they wish to increase production as quickly as possible. But when the
production manager asks whether the required air quality permits have been granted, the engineering manager informs him that it will be at least two weeks before they will get them from the EQB (Environmental Quality
Board).
Rather than wait two more weeks the production manager suggests starting the ovens now. The permits would arrive soon; meanwhile, nobody would know that the ovens were temporarily
operating without them.
Question:
Should the production manager start the oven before receiving the air permits?
Solution: The production manager refused to start
the oven. He based his decision on EHS Company Policies and Procedures and on the fact that he was legally and morally responsible for the effects on the environment produced by the oven's emissions. The
manufacturing manager accepted his arguments, and the oven was started up three days later when the permits were approved by the regulatory agency.
