Crown Cork & Seal worker can appreciate his job
By BRIAN BETHEL / Abilene Reporter-News
Before you toss -- or even better, recycle -- that Coke can, give a little thanks to Crown Cork & Seal's Don Hendricks.
Hendricks is a nighttime mechanic at the 24-hour-a-day factory, and he's one of the employees who makes certain the machines that made your can -- as well as cans for other soft drinks ranging from Dr Pepper to Squirt to A&W -- did their job.
Armed with ear plugs -- the interior of the plant is noisy -- he spends his time checking to make sure important machines in the process are running properly and that each can is a quality product.
You might think: What can go wrong with a regular old aluminum can?
Well, plenty, Hendricks said.
"We have a spray on the inside, for example, that's like a varnish," he said. "Some of the things they put in these cans have a really high acid content, and if the varnish isn't in place, they'll eat right through."
A quality can also means you're drinking your favorite beverage -- not the aluminum that makes up its container.
Everything, when it works perfectly, is pretty much automatic at the bustling plant, Hendricks said. At 33, he's been working nights at Crown Cork & Seal for 10 years now.
When it comes time to troubleshoot, Hendricks relies on those years of practical knowledge to help get things going again.
"Some of these machines, well, you can't exactly take them apart and show someone how they work," he said. "You have to learn a lot of it on your own."
Hendricks said he would "much rather work nights" because of the lessened pressure, although he admits he wouldn't mind "working days to be normal, on occasion."
Most of the major problems at the plant are fixed during the day, which means nighttime operations are usually pretty smooth, he said.
Monitoring equipment flashes up an average number of cans per minute on each production line, although it's best used as a general guide, Hendricks said.
Backup machines are usually available, and adjustments can be made to keep things constant, he said.
He works 12 hour shifts, which is not quite as bad as it sounds, he said.
"After the first couple of hours, it's mostly downhill unless something major goes wrong," Hendricks said. "If something does break, we'll fix it."
Because the plant is so noisy, a sort of sign language has been developed to help employees communicate with one another Hendricks said.
The noise is part of the job, he said. But it does separate those destined to become long-time employees from short-timers.
"A lot of people come out here and say, "No, this isn't for me,' " he said. "But it's really not that bad. Like I said, I prefer working at night, so this is a good job for me. It's not for everyone, but it suits me just fine. "