Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
This column is about what I felt and experienced at a plant factory in Japan.
When you’ve been in the field for over 10 years, a lot of things happen. I write freely about what I remember.
Please feel free to read it while thinking, “Wow, that’s how Japanese plant factories work.”
Unforgettable Mishap I Had While Transporting Seedlings
An incident that happened in the past remains clear as day in my memory. On that day, I was assigned the task of transporting seedlings.
I carried a flat of seedlings in each hand as I jogged through the narrow passageway between the growing racks.
With the growing racks on both sides, the passageway was a mere meter wide. I tucked my shoulders in slightly as I carefully moved forward, cradling the flats against my chest.
Suddenly, and with a thud, the corner of the flat in my right arm hit the growing rack.
In that very instant, the opposite corner pierced the pit of my stomach.
I gasped as if I had just been hit with a powerful body blow.
A sharp, shooting pain raced through my body, as if my insides were shrinking.
Since I had been jogging, the corner of the flat dug into my stomach with even greater force. I crumpled to my knees on the spot, writhing in pain.
I could not breathe properly from the shock and my vision started to blur around the edges.
Intense pain stabbed at my stomach, and I collapsed to the ground. There was no one around, and as I lay there on the cold concrete floor, I think I lost consciousness for a few seconds.
When I regained my senses, I realized that I was lying on the floor of the cultivation room, still clad in my coveralls.
Feeling the cold sweat on my forehead, I thought, “This is bad.” And although I felt lightheaded, I managed to get up and stagger out of the building toward the office.
The pain had subsided somewhat, but I felt nauseous and could not stop the cold sweat from trickling down my skin.
Fortunately, after I lay down in the office for a while, I started to feel better.
However, I have never forgotten the severity of the blow to my stomach and the experience of collapsing on the floor.
Always remember, no matter how familiar you are with a task, never let your guard down.
This column was published in a collection of know-how to improve on-site skills.
This column is included in the Plant Factory Know-How Collection below.
This know-how collection is packed with useful tips to help you increase profitability, regardless of the specifications or equipment on-site.
This is a must-read for those operating plant factories or indoor farms. Implement the know-how to increase profitability.
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