This study applies CHAT to understanding human agency in complex industrial work, which is increasingly shaped by the intersection of machines, automated systems, and digitalization.

The aim is to explore the interplay between human agency and a complex production context of unplanned stops and restart, by focusing on the interdependence between humans and technology, and the dynamics of human agency problem-solving situations. The Industry 4.0 era has been marked by the emergence of cyber-physical systems that seamlessly integrate physical components with advanced technologies. As technological solutions increasingly automate work tasks and reduce our reliance on human labor, a question arises: How are paralyzing situations affecting human-centric agency toward industrial transformations?

The study case is a Swedish manufacturing company, specializing in mass-producing crankshafts for lawn mowers, saws, etc. In a Change Lab (CL) with eight sessions during 2023-2024, shop floor disturbances and stress were discussed. The TADS analysis demonstrates two levels of conflicts of motives between operators and machines and between operators and managers. This article argues that human-centric agency in complex industrial work is intrinsically linked to machines, by an operational power deeply embedded within machine-system artifacts. In addition to material-related knowledge, human agency supported by strong social skills, becomes essential for implementing a sustainable workforce.