Ingalls numbers

[o_tacodawg]

Ingalls shipbuilding covid cases up to 230 confirmed. Stood in line at the shipyard for nearly 3 hours because I was exposed. Was tested and sent home to await results.

I suppose though 230 confirmed cases out of the 13,000+ employees isn’t too awful.

It is, however, nearly impossible to socially distance out there- as well as somewhat difficult to wear a mask while doing hot work.

 

[Dawg1976]

Ingalls was my first job out of college. Back then I believe employment was close to 25k. I worked in Finance and people were packed in like a can of sardines. At least we had a/c tho.

 

[o_tacodawg]

Ingalls was my first job out of college. Back then I believe employment was close to 25k. I worked in Finance and people were packed in like a can of sardines. At least we had a/c tho.

I believe onsite there are somewhere near 10k. The other 3 are distributed around the state.

Depending on where you work within the yard it can get extremely crowded.Not to mention the state of the art cafeteria and Chic Fil A they just built is always slammed.

 

[rem101]

My wife was in charge of temperature screening out there (through her company). You are correct about the social distancing - even with certain engineers/finance guys able to work from home, every day about 3500 people came through one gate within an hours (and probably less than that) time and had to have their temperature scanned. And that was just one of the gates. People coming and going 24/7 out there.

 

[o_tacodawg]

My wife was in charge of temperature screening out there (through her company). You are correct about the social distancing - even with certain engineers/finance guys able to work from home, every day about 3500 people came through one gate within an hours (and probably less than that) time and had to have their temperature scanned. And that was just one of the gates. People coming and going 24/7 out there.

I know Singing River took it over now. I’m not aware if the temp gun is suppose to make a noise or something at a certain heightened degree but they do NOT check those guns. They scan you and tell you to have a good day without even looking at it. Been that way the entire time.

 

[Dawg1976]

I believe onsite there are somewhere near 10k. The other 3 are distributed around the state.

Depending on where you work within the yard it can get extremely crowded.Not to mention the state of the art cafeteria and Chic Fil A they just built is always slammed.

I was there 76 - 78. Fortunately my job was located in an office in Moss Point. But I had to go to the east bank at least once a week. This was back when they overhauled submarines. But I dreaded going there from the standpoint of finding a parking spot. Ha

 

[HotMop]

I know Singing River took it over now. I’m not aware if the temp gun is suppose to make a noise or something at a certain heightened degree but they do NOT check those guns. They scan you and tell you to have a good day without even looking at it. Been that way the entire time.

I'm surprised more places don't install the thermal imaging cameras. My work has it but only at one entrance. The other 4 gates still have a someone in full hazmat gear in this heat with a temp gun during shift change.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Those stupid laser temp guns are wildly inaccurate when shooting foreheads, which is what I've seen 99% of the time. Most readings are about 1.5-2 degrees low, sometimes more. If you've been active outside it will read high

Don't laugh, but the closest to an accurate, consistent reading I can get is to shoot the inside of my mouth.

 

[o_tacodawg]

Those stupid laser temp guns are wildly inaccurate when shooting foreheads, which is what I've seen 99% of the time. Most readings are about 1.5-2 degrees low, sometimes more. If you've been active outside it will read high

Don't laugh, but the closest to an accurate, consistent reading I can get is to shoot the inside of my mouth.

I was registered at, no joke, 93.5, while standing in line in 90 degree weather for nearly 3 hours. Buddy wrote it down and sent me on my way to get tested.

 

[o_tacodawg]

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do and take pride in my work and what we build. I’ve worked for this company for 5 years and they always try to do what’s right. This time, like any company, they are struggling to plan and enforce any type of way to contain this crap. That’s the only frustration I have.

Otherwise, great company to work for.

 

[mcdawg22]

Yeah, wearing a mask seems insane on a shipyard.

 

[o_tacodawg]

Yeah, wearing a mask seems insane on a shipyard.

Especially with any overhead work. If I’m wearing my proper PPE, I’m fine. If I am wearing a cloth mask that has been given to me, I run the risk of burning my face.

We aren’t allowed to wear dry fit shirts for that reason, yet we are issued the same material for our faces. Make it make sense.

 

[o_tacodawg]

I'm surprised more places don't install the thermal imaging cameras. My work has it but only at one entrance. The other 4 gates still have a someone in full hazmat gear in this heat with a temp gun during shift change.

Too many folks in and out of there at every hour of the day to keep up. It’s two cities within itself, literally. We call the most western part of the yard Gautier because it nearly cracks the Gautier zip code. 800 acres of American built beauty. Now that the East Bank has been restored, no telling what the acreg (so?) is now.

 

[RocketDawg]

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do and take pride in my work and what we build. I’ve worked for this company for 5 years and they always try to do what’s right. This time, like any company, they are struggling to plan and enforce any type of way to contain this crap. That’s the only frustration I have.

Otherwise, great company to work for.

The unions used to be really strong at Ingalls, at least for hourly workers. Are they cooperating with the measures being taken?

 

[RocketDawg]

Especially with any overhead work. If I’m wearing my proper PPE, I’m fine. If I am wearing a cloth mask that has been given to me, I run the risk of burning my face.

We aren’t allowed to wear dry fit shirts for that reason, yet we are issued the same material for our faces. Make it make sense.

The Navy doesn't allow the polyester khakis on a ship for that very reason. Dry fit is pretty much the same. You have to wear "wash khakis".

I've worked in a shipyard for the Navy, but it was in Philadelphia. Not hot at all compared to coastal Mississippi, but it was plenty hot. I can't imagine having to wear a mask all day in Pascagoula in the summer.

 

[o_tacodawg]

The unions used to be really strong at Ingalls, at least for hourly workers. Are they cooperating with the measures being taken?

I am a member of my craft’s union but have never had a pleasant experience in my five years. There are particular folks who they will go tooth and nail for. Everyone is grasping for straws at this point.

 

[maroonmadman]

Just for comparison Nissan has had 48 employees test positive. We did not start full production until last week. We restarted the 1st week of June, ran limited production until the last week of June, shut down for 2 weeks for our normal mid summer shutdown, then fired back up at full production, or at least what was full production at that time.

 

[o_tacodawg]

Just for comparison Nissan has had 48 employees test positive. We did not start full production until last week. We restarted the 1st week of June, ran limited production until the last week of June, shut down for 2 weeks for our normal mid summer shutdown, then fired back up at full production, or at least what was full production at that time.

Ingalls granted 7 weeks of “Liberal Leave,” for everyone. It was meant for folks who had children while daycares were shut down, sick family members, things like that. You could collect unemployment or come and go as you pleased. This was in the lesser numbers months. Production was never halted because essentially production could never stop for defense measures.

Now that we are seeing numbers rise even worse, did they jump the gun on liberal leave? We can be penalized for missing days now (2 excused absences and 2 unexcused every 60 days until you’re up for termination or discipline- normal company policy) not like the 7 weeks of liberal leave- yet are at the, seemingly, height of this all. It’s not being managed well.

 

[SouthOfI10]

My wife has worked at Ingalls for many years and plans on retiring later this year. My youngest son works there also. A lot of office types are working from home still .... a lot... Working conditions on a ship under construction are during certain times are very crowded.... communicating with someone you have to almost get in their face to say something because of noise levels..... The numbers are going to grow I would think for a while longer

 

[rem101]

Yep - July 5 was the happiest day of her 2020 when they passed the contract to Singing River. Nothing to do with Ingalls, but people texting "where's the bathroom?" or "where do I put my lunch/snacks?" at 2 am, with an infant and having to be out there at 4-430, ran it's toll.

ETA: we were both grateful that it provided work and income when many didn't have that luxury.

 

[o_tacodawg]

My wife has worked at Ingalls for many years and plans on retiring later this year. My youngest son works there also. A lot of office types are working from home still .... a lot... Working conditions on a ship under construction are during certain times are very crowded.... communicating with someone you have to almost get in their face to say something because of noise levels..... The numbers are going to grow I would think for a while longer

I wish your wife a splendid retirement. Is she a master shipbuilder?

 

[o_tacodawg]

Yep - July 5 was the happiest day of her 2020 when they passed the contract to Singing River. Nothing to do with Ingalls, but people texting "where's the bathroom?" or "where do I put my lunch/snacks?" at 2 am, with an infant and having to be out there at 4-430, ran it's toll.

Yep. Welcome to Huntington Ingalls

 

[o_tacodawg]

I’ve worked on a lot of boats as well. LHA 7, LPD 26, 27, 28, and 29. Spent a few jobs on DDG 119, needed a thinner feller for a couple jobs- inner bottoms- nonetheless, Ingalls produces world class material for the US.

Plans in place for this type of pandemic have been long overlooked, hoax or not. Us workers are suffering because at the end of the day, we have to work to provide for oursleves, wives and children. We see numbers rise and wonder what we can do to stay safe. Stay home? Don’t get paid. Go to work? Potentially get sick (I know the percentages are low when it comes to mortality in young age- 26 myself- some of us are immunocomprised) and bring it home to our family.

It’s a long, very strange, very weird debate. We have a Fortune 500 company that is responsible for 70 percent of all active Naval fleets that doesn’t have a concrete answer, and they expect someone like me, making a thirty second of the folks who have never seen what it takes to build these ships , ,wages (while topped out in pay) to make the right choice. Get paid or get sick.

Something isn’t right.

 

[SouthOfI10]

Nope ... she has been there about 25 years. She’s a manager in the apprentice program.