Comment by atom058

We visited a manufacturing / assembly plats for industrial vehicles in Sweden during the autumn. Everything was spotless, bright, and almost silent. All the tools were neatly organised in overhead ergonomic hangers, reducing the stress on the workers. It looked like a great place to work, nor akin to an office than a dirty grimy workshop.

On the other hand, I visited a Canadian plant and the difference was stark. There was hardly any lighting, the floor was black with dirt, and the noise was unbearable. This was a small supplier about 10 years ago, so take it with a pinch of salt.

There is interesting effects from group dynamics and having a sense of purpose that can help people reintegrate into society. But the work environment has to be prioritised to make it easier on the workers. If the work place looks and acts like a prison camp, you are not going to get those benefits.

The point is that clean factories do exist, and manufacturing can be a good place to work. But it needs some work to make it so.