Team mates now feel seen, heard and welcome, while also boosting safety and productivity at Nissan’s Sunderland plant.
Car production plants are noisy environments, with heavy equipment and complex machinery filling the space. Clear communication is a top priority to ensure a safe working environment, as well as a welcoming one.
The paint shop team at Nissan’s Sunderland plant have four colleagues who live with a hearing impairment, and, based on team feedback, decided to learn BSL (British Sign Language) to make everyone feel included.
“More than anything else, we want all our people to feel included and part of the team,” says senior supervisor Peter Haydon. “So, we carried a full review and one thing that everyone wanted to do was learn to sign.”
No more barriers
10 members of the team went on an 11-week course to learn BSL. “It was hard to pick up at the start and you really need to stay focused,” Peter adds.
"But the team all wanted to learn and chucked themselves into the training and said that by week six they started to get the hang of it.”
The change has been positive. Michael Connolly, who lives with a hearing impairment and works in the team explains, “In the past there has been a breakdown in communication due to a language barrier, part of the barrier has now been removed.
“Morale between the team is much improved and it’s been fantastic to see the team so enthusiastic about learning sign language.”
Nissan’s HR director Michael Jude calls this inclusive act of teamwork “a fantastic example of our people pulling together and going that extra mile to support each other.”