"Cockroaches Of The Factory": Workers Describe Chaotic Work Environment At Boeing

Workers at Boeing have described a chaotic work environment and reported feeling pressured to complete tasks quickly, leading to mistakes. According to CNN, testimonies of workers were released as a two-day hearing began by the USA's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). 

Notably, the hearing is underway to investigate the alarming January incident involving a Boeing 737 MAX plane, which suffered a sudden loss of a door plug at an altitude of 16,000 feet. The unexpected decompression led to a chaotic scene onboard, with oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling, and passengers' clothing being pulled off. Fortunately, the pilots managed to safely land the damaged aircraft, averting a potential disaster and saving the lives of everyone on board.

Workers' Testimonies

Transcripts of interviews conducted by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators have shed light on the chaotic work environment at the Boeing factory. One employee, known only as "Assembler Installer Doors B," revealed to investigators that the crushing workload made it impossible to avoid mistakes.

''As far as the workload, I feel like we were trying to put out too much product, right? That's how mistakes are made. People try to work too fast. I mean, I can't speak for anybody else, but we were busy. We were working a lot,'' said one unidentified Boeing worker.

A Door Master Lead employee confessed to investigators that a significant amount of work requires re-doing due to problems, including the infamous door plug incident. Shockingly, the employee admitted that there was no specialised training for handling door plugs, which are critical components, compared to regular doors.

He said that they were ''put in uncharted waters to where… we were replacing doors like we were replacing our underwear.''

Another testimony revealed a critical lapse in communication between Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactured the fuselage of the troubled plane. The fuselage arrived at Boeing's factory with four bolts in place, but issues with rivets near the door plug required repair. However, when the door plug was removed for maintenance, a communication breakdown between Boeing and Spirit employees on the factory floor led to a catastrophic oversight.

 ''Well, basically, we're the cockroaches of the factory,'' another unidentified employee told NTSB investigators. 

Further, a Boeing team captain at the 737 factory revealed to investigators a troubling work environment marked by plummeting employee morale and alarming turnover rates. 

The NTSB says it will ''use the information gathered to complete the investigation, determine probable cause, and make recommendations to improve transportation safety.''