Photo By Shelby West | Several Nursing Mother’s Rooms have been upgraded during the Self-Help Teams...... read more read more
Editor’s Note: Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Strategic Framework is a tool to communicate the shipyard’s mission and vision statements, and shows how initiatives executed across the command tie together with why NNSY exists—to deliver warships. In order to bridge the gap between mission and vision, NNSY has identified four critical focus areas—our pillars. These pillars are the highest priority strategic focus areas we must urgently work to improve. They are Infrastructure; Dependable Mission Delivery; People Development; and Process Improvement and Innovation.
Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) facilities can be vulnerable to wear and tear after years of aging, and deficiencies and degradation can outpace the means to refurbish them. Facility improvements that are reviewed and approved through a work permit process provide an avenue to augment Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) sustainment resources. The work permit process allows the Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure facilities improvements are accomplished in accordance with applicable codes. Over time, the work permit process became bogged down with redundant requests causing excessive review periods and a declining output in the work permit process. Additionally, at that time, NNSY dissolved the Self-Help Program, leaving no dedicated support or a dedicated team to execute facilities improvements. The objective of the Self-Help Program was to improve NNSY’s ability in organically executing facility improvements through an accelerated work permit process.
As a support system for the NNSY Strategic Framework and its Infrastructure pillar, the Infrastructure Pillar Team (IPT) identified a need to improve the work permit process and reestablished the Self-Help Program. This was one of the first initiatives accomplished by the IPT. The benefit to this program is it allows NNSY to utilize available organic resources to achieve facility standards above what is currently resourced through CNIC.
The new Self-Help Team consists of a trades manager, one supervisor, one work leader and 13 mechanics. This team of multi-trade specialists have received over 193 work requests since November 2020 and executed approximately 160 of those jobs to completion with the rest still in progress or awaiting materials. These projects have been able to be executed through an accelerated work permit process that was developed with the help of the Facilities Support Branch (Code 985) and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC). This allows the team to perform cosmetic and nonintrusive work such as painting and new flooring in the facilities upon request through a Facility Operations Specialist and the materials are funded by the requesting organization.
Code 900F.1 Temporary Facility & Equipment Division Head Jason Smith said, “Some projects that have been completed or are currently in progress are Bldg. 1500’s first floor remodel for alignment to move Code 300 and Code 900 management and staff, allowing waterfront projects closer access to the north end dry docks in Bldg. 1505. The Self-Help Team remodeled Bldg. 510’s Superintendent’s Office and administrative area as well as their break room, multiple areas in Bldg. 62’s Radiological Control (RADCON) spaces have had new floors, ceiling tiles installed and walls were painted. Several of the nursing mother’s rooms throughout NNSY have been refurbished; Bldg. 184’s Technology and Innovation area is under ongoing refurbishment for the use of incoming equipment to support waterfront projects. The team has also executed projects in Bldg. 510, 369, 202, 163 and 298 to replace missing or damaged ceiling tiles, clean diffusers, replace old or damaged flooring and repainted several walls throughout.”
In addition to these cosmetic projects, the Self-Help Team also performs maintenance throughout the shipyard by changing light bulbs, repairing toilets, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) work, cleaning up and furnishing offices and other spaces with desks, tables and chairs.
The IPT champions the execution of calculated infrastructure investments, based on time, manpower, and financial requirements, to strike a purposeful and optimized balance between operational requirements, regulatory requirements, safety, and quality of life. The successes the Self-Help Team has experienced so far has been led by the Waterfront Production & Self Help Support Branch (Code 900F.11) Supervisory Waterfront Branch Head Steve Vernon, Internal Shop Manager Gary Harvey, Maintenance Mechanic Supervisor Steve Hall and each of the 14 personnel who seek to do high quality work in a timely manner every day. They work hand-in-hand with the Code 985 facility operations specialists, engineers, NAVFAC and customers to ensure material estimates and schedule estimates are provided and executed. The team is working to better achieve a state where the NNSY’s infrastructure (defined as facilities, utilities, equipment, and information and communication systems) supports on-time warship delivery to meet today’s mission as well as the mission of tomorrow.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2021 07:03 |
| Story ID: | 407149 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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