Chapter 13: Writing Work Instructions That Shop Floor Workers Will Actually Follow

A work instruction is garbage if your operators ignore it. And they will ignore it if:

• It takes 3 minutes to find the relevant step
• The language is bureaucratic instead of plain English
• There are no photos showing what "correct" looks like
• It was written by someone who's never actually done the task

The 60-Second Rule: If an operator cannot extract the critical step in under 60 seconds while wearing safety glasses and hearing protection, rewrite it. Your work instructions compete for attention with production schedules, equipment noise, and muscle memory. Make them win.

Practical Formatting for Shop Floor Realities

1. Lead with photos or diagrams — not text. Show the setup, the starting point, the finished state.
2. Use numbers, not bullets, for sequential steps — "Step 1, Step 2" prevents confusion about order.
3. Keep steps to 1–2 sentences each — "Install the fixture on the machine table and tighten the four corner bolts to 25 Nm." Not: "Install the fixture on the machine table. Ensure all bolts are tight. The specification is 25 Nm. Do not over-tighten."
4. Include a "Critical Points" box at the top — three to five safety or quality issues that kill parts or hurt people.
5. Use QR codes linking to video — for complex setups, a 90-second phone video beats 500 words of text.
6. Post it where the work happens — laminated A3 sheet at the machine, not filed in a binder in the office.

Here's a real example.

Bad: "Perform a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) inspection of the part according to specification and document results in the inspection form."

Good: "1. Place part on CMM table with surface A flat against table. 2. Zero the CMM probe on the reference edge (marked with blue line). 3. Measure the three holes in position per the print (see photo). 4. Enter measurements in the digital form—red cells only. 5. If any measurement is outside tolerance (print shows green zone), mark FAIL and notify your supervisor."