Stupid workplace safety rules

[japody]

Have you seen how much OSHA fines run? 50K to 100K is not uncommon.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Reading this thread, I don't know weather to laugh or cry. I have 20 years in semi-conductor manufacturing, four in aerospace along with various and other occupations including driving truck. We had some 1400 various chemicals, compounds, etc, etc in semi-conductor, many of which would go poof in the night. Lots of opportunity for a "learned" safety officer. That is until "it" hits the fan. Then they tend to make themselves missing in action.

 

[Deere Dude]

That's one of the reasons I retired when I did. Safety shoes, glasses, hard hats, tethers to keep you from falling out of baskets or scissor lifts, oxygen masks, extra people standing around while doing certain jobs. Safety is a concern but sometimes they get carried away with difficult rules to follow..

 

[turnkey4099]

It all goes back to the beginning of OSHA. Soem of their first rules were totally asinine. E.g. Farmers having to provide toilet facitlties for field workers. To fully comply they would have had to tow an outhouse behind the combines.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Probably three! Men, Women and Gender Neutral!

And all handicap accessible.

 

[BigBlue1]

That's one of the reasons I retired when I did. Safety shoes, glasses, hard hats, tethers to keep you from falling out of baskets or scissor lifts, oxygen masks, extra people standing around while doing certain jobs. Safety is a concern but sometimes they get carried away with difficult rules to follow..

It really gets sickening dealing with all the push for eliminating every vector of possible harm. Sure, I'm for being careful, but there has to be a balance of common sense to it. In business, this push is mainly due to litigation, bad publicity and insurance costs. In the public sector (i.e laws/government) it is often pushed by bleeding heart folks who just wail at every tragedy and must never encounter them again. I've said for a while now, the only way to make those folks happy would be to wrap everyone in bubble wrap and strap them to the floor in a locked room when they are born to prevent anything from ever touching them. Then they will have their safe nirvana.

I can't believe I've survived all these years using ladders by myself! What luck I must have!

Rob

 

[poncho62]

I was in the plastics industry for most of my life, on the safety committee for most of it. It can be a real pain in the *** for some, but for others its really needed.....Seems that you couldn't idiot proof some machines for some people, they were so clueless. People think they are invincible and its not going to happen to them.

In one regard, I wish that the rules would have been enforced sooner and more strictly. From working for 40 years around loud machinery, I am mostly deaf now and must wear hearing aids. Only since the 1990s were we tested and made to wear hearing protection....too late for me.

 

[Clint S]

We had a clock at work that needed batteries. Put in the appropriate work orders. A week goes by ands still nothing. I go ahead and change the batteries. The clock is easily in reach without any sort of stool or ladder. Another week rolls by and a guy shows up to change the batteries, with his supervision (as they need two guys for everything for safety). Needless to say I get reamed by his supervision for changing the batteries and then by mine because I or a visitor could of gotten hurt. I also had to fill out 2 forms as to where I disposed of the batteries . We used batteries every day in hand held equipment and we have a bucket where they go to be recycled. Well I guess I don't need to know what time it is that bad.

 

[Wagtail]

You can turn the situation around to work to your advantage if you know the 'rules'.

As I mentioned, I did a Navy posting (3 years) at Navy Safety. This entailed training in the "system" that was in place.

My next posting was located in a "Heritage Listed" dockyard warehouse that the interior was converted into modern offices. The facade had the old wooden drop-down loading platforms at the upper floors cargo entrances. These platforms were weathered and rotting. The ancient 'Victorian' davit & winch system was probably rusted in place with a very infrequent slap of black paint over it. "Nobody" could get it repaired.

So I lodged the appropriate forms and work-orders, couching it it so much OH&S terms and legalises as I knew how. Within a fortnight an assessment of the work required was done and all of the platforms where fixed by replacement. It took them a month to complete (9 platforms in all - to 'heritage specs'), plus the 3 davits were inspected and refurbished.

The 'system' works both ways.

 

[3930dave]

We had a clock at work that needed batteries. Put in the appropriate work orders. A week goes by ands still nothing. I go ahead and change the batteries. The clock is easily in reach without any sort of stool or ladder. Another week rolls by and a guy shows up to change the batteries, with his supervision (as they need two guys for everything for safety). Needless to say I get reamed by his supervision for changing the batteries and then by mine because I or a visitor could of gotten hurt. I also had to fill out 2 forms as to where I disposed of the batteries . We used batteries every day in hand held equipment and we have a bucket where they go to be recycled. Well I guess I don't need to know what time it is that bad.

Many large organizations really just want mindless drone workers, who take no initiative.

For some reason, your post reminded me of working late, years ago, in a secure test facility. Working alone in the back lab, I managed to get a minor cut on one finger that needed a band-aid. I wandered through the entire facility, looking for a first-aid kit.

Finding none, I ended up calling the security guard. When asked where the first-aid kits were, his answer was "We keep those locked up".

I could have said, "What part of FIRST Aid don't you get ?"

Followed by "Let me get this straight:

1) As you can see by my badge, I have Secret level security clearance.

2) I'm trusted to use millions of dollars of equipment. (Back then, $1million was a lot of money).

3) We are in a mag-locked secure facility.

4) If I'd cut my self worse, and bled out while wasting time looking for a non-available first-aid kit, for future reference, who should my family be suing ?

But, I took the high-road and just thanked him for the band-aid from the securely locked cabinet.

Like Scott Adams has said " I really don't have to write much, the real-world stories I get from people keep Dilbert very busy....."

Rgds, D.