Full Nissan production zone learn to sign to support deaf teammates

Nissan Sunderland Plant is famous for teamwork, it’s 6,000 people working as one seamless unit to build hundreds of thousands of cars every year. 

So what do you do if you work in a production zone where your team mates are deaf and can’t hear the constant communication and interaction needed to build a car almost every two minutes?

The answer: You all learn sign language.

Peter Haydon is a Senior Supervisor in the plant’s Paint Shop and takes up the story: “Four of our team are deaf, which made communication a challenge for our supervisors and our team on the production line.

“More than anything else, we want all our people to feel included and part of the team, so we carried a full review and one thing that everyone wanted to do was learn to sign.”

Initially ten of the team, including Peter, went on an eleven-week course to learn the basics.

Peter, who leads the team in the Bumper Paint zone, added: “Learning sign language wasn’t easy… It was hard to pick up at the start and you really need to stay focused.

“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. It has been really inspiring to see members of the team who went on the course teach others in the shop how to sign.

“Communication is key to teamwork. But we also want all our people to feel included and be their best at work. These improvements enable the operators to grow and follow the same path as other staff within the team.”

As well as learning to sign, the zone was also overhauled so that activities such as training, meetings and briefings used visual aids. And despite the team’s burgeoning skills, sign language interpreters are also brought on site regularly.

Micheal Connolly, one of the deaf operators, said: “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.”

Michael Jude, HR director at the plant, said: “We’ve had deaf operators before and have of course made adjustments to make their workspaces safe and practical.

“But this team has four deaf people, and as a group they wanted to go a step further. It’s a fantastic example of our people pulling together and going that extra mile to support each other.”