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An Interview with Master Li, a Medical Product Production Worker

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Interviewer(Me): Master Li, hello! Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this interview. The products your factory produces, like iodine cotton swabs and hand sanitizer, are essential items in our daily lives, especially for medical protection. Today, we'd really like to talk about your work and your story.

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Interviewer: Master Li, how long have you been in this position? When you first started, what did you find to be the most challenging part?

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Master Li: It's been eight years already. Time flies. If we're talking about the hardest part, it wasn't really the physical labor, but rather the constant mental "vigilance." When I first started, I thought, 'isn't it just putting cotton swabs into tubes and filling bottles with liquid?' But once I actually started, I realized the most difficult thing was completely banishing the thought of "close enough" from my mind. For example, when mixing the concentration for hand sanitizer, it's calculated in parts per ten thousand. A tiny deviation, and the disinfecting effect might not meet the standard. At first, I was always worried that my hands weren't steady enough or that I wasn't meticulous enough. This mental shift from knowing how to do it to knowing it must be done right was the toughest part.

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Interviewer: Speaking of "must be done right," which detail do you pay the most attention to in your work? How do you ensure every single product that leaves your hands is 'perfectly reliable'?

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Master Li: What I care about most is "cleanliness." Not just ordinary cleanliness, but sterile-level cleanliness. For instance, the filling workshop is a core area. We have to go through several disinfection procedures to enter, putting on sterile suits, gloves, and caps—not a single step can be skipped. My personal habit is to quickly check one more time before sealing—see if the head of any cotton swab is crooked, or if there's any tiny visible impurity in the liquid bottles. We have quality inspectors for each production line, but I believe we ourselves are the first line of quality control. If a defective product passed through my hands, I'd feel really terrible about it.

 

Interviewer: That sense of responsibility is truly admirable. After all these years, has there been a specific moment that made you suddenly feel this job is particularly valuable and something to be proud of?

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Master Li: Yes! I remember vividly during the peak of the pandemic a few years back. There was a shortage of disinfectant products everywhere, and our factory was working around the clock. One day, I saw on the news that a batch of supplies carried by a medical team sent to aid Hubei included the hand sanitizer produced by our factory. I pointed at the TV and told my child, "Look! This, your dad made this!" At that moment, really, I felt a bit choked up. I just felt that while our work might seem inconspicuous normally, at critical times, it's protecting those doctors and nurses who need protection the most, and it's contributing to the health of the whole society. That kind of pride can't be measured by money.

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Interviewer: That's truly remarkable! There must be a lot of interesting and warm-hearted stories in your workshop? Is there a particular person or event that left a deep impression on you?

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Master Li: There are many warm stories. There's an elder sister in our workshop who is very detail-oriented. Once, a new young guy, because he was inexperienced, produced a small batch of defective products and felt very down. This elder sister didn't criticize him. Instead, after work, she stayed with him, teaching him the techniques over and over, and even shared her own tips and tricks gathered over the years. Later, that young man became a model worker in our team. Here, everyone shares the same goal: do the job well and avoid mistakes. So the atmosphere is very good; it's common to lend a hand or help each other out. If someone has family matters, others will proactively cover for them. It's like a big family.

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Interviewer: Since you work in medical products, have your own habits, or your reminders to family and friends about hygiene, changed because of this job?

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Master Li: Absolutely! For example, when eating out, I habitually use our own iodine cotton swabs to wipe and disinfect my child's utensils beforehand. When friends visit, I make sure they wash their hands as soon as they enter. They all joke that I have an "occupational habit." But I think it's a good thing. Bringing good work habits into daily life keeps family and friends healthier.

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Interviewer: Speaking of occupational habits, after working in the factory for so long, besides the "hygiene habits" we just mentioned, are there any other occupational habits or effects? It could be related to health or daily life.

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Master Li: Physically, it's mainly from standing for long hours. My lower back sometimes gets uncomfortable, and I have a bit of varicose veins in my legs. Also, my eyes get dry easily from staring at small parts for extended periods. But the factory cares about us; they provide lumbar support belts, eye drops, and encourage us to do workplace exercises.

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Interviewer: It sounds like the team atmosphere is really good. So in daily work, how does everyone coordinate?

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Master Li: We are like cogs on an assembly line, interlocking closely. The person in the previous step is responsible for the next one. For instance, I'm responsible for filling. If I don't screw the caps on tightly, it might cause leakage for my colleague in the next step who applies the labels, affecting their work. So we have an unwritten rule: after finishing our own task, we subconsciously check it for the next colleague. There are also line leaders and quality inspectors patrolling constantly, communicating immediately if they find a problem. Our motto is "if the previous step is wrong, the next step shouldn't proceed." We check each other's work, which makes us both efficient and ensures stable quality.

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Interviewer: Let's end with a lighter question. After getting home from work each day, what do you most want to do to relax? And after all these years, what would you most like to say to yourself?

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Master Li: After work? What I want most is to soak my feet in hot water and then play with my child for a while. Seeing my child's smiling face washes away all the fatigue of the day. Having worked for eight years, if I had to say something to myself, it would probably be: "You've worked hard!"

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Interviewer: Master Li, thank you! Your dedication and perseverance are safeguarding the health of countless people. Our respect to you and your colleagues