An employee in a manufacturing facility who is responsible for overseeing the operation of an assembly or production line is known as a “line supervisor.” Generally, responsibilities include ensuring that all employees are performing their duties correctly, that machinery is in good working order, and that production quotas are met. In addition, the line supervisor must ensure that all safety measures are correctly implemented and followed. Depending on the plant, the supervisor may be solely in charge of management or may be personally responsible for a line station.
Most plants have multiple “lines,” each of which is in charge of a different aspect of the manufacturing or assembly process. Packaging, for example, could be handled by one assembly line. One station may place the product in a plastic clamshell, another may seal the clamshell, another may apply the label, and yet another may place the packaged product into a case pack. Quality control could be handled by a different line. Other lines might be in charge of producing specific product components or putting together various assemblies.
Each of these lines will typically have a line supervisor who is in charge of the line’s overall performance. Her responsibilities include a significant amount of personnel management. This includes making sure that employees arrive on time, start their shifts on time, and leave and return from breaks on time. It may also mean ensuring that employees clock out and leave on time in companies that are sensitive to overtime. Supervisors may be required to issue written or verbal warnings to employees who are frequently late or absent.
A line supervisor must also keep a close eye on the operation of the line’s machinery. This entails checking the machine on a regular basis to ensure that it is performing its duties correctly and safely. It could also imply keeping track of and recording operating hours, as well as dispatching technicians to fix broken machines.
Another aspect of line supervisor responsibility is production quotas. Most businesses examine each line to determine how much can be produced safely in a given time frame. If the line produces less than its quota, the supervisor will check to see that all employees and machines are working at the correct speed. If a line produces too much, the line supervisor will double-check that all safety precautions and quality standards are being followed.
Another concern for line supervisors is safety. Each line and plant has its own set of safety regulations in place to keep workers and equipment safe. This could include things like mandatory breaks and wearing eye protection or gloves. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that all employees obey safety regulations and for reporting violations and injuries on the line.