Intelligent Boilermaker Or Intelligent Safety Man

[Raider Nation Fisher]

So a few months back. While working a power house outage we were all called away from our work for a safety meeting. This was in addition to our usual weekly safety meeting. So we were a bit surprised when this announcement was made. Well the cram 120 of us into the room (we were safety meeting 1 of 4), and start their meeting. The topic was in regards to gloves. The high dollar, cut proof, and heat resistant gloves that they like for us to wear so much. An ironworker had had a small accident with a Metabo. (A 6in high speed right angle cut off grinder. Designed to cut pretty much any and all metal. They are extremely efficient at it as well.) Apparently he was not wearing one of his gloves, the grinder binder up and kicked back. It left two of his fingers hanging by skin, severing completely through the bone like it was butter, gashed two other fingers and split part of his hand open to the bone. It was obviously a quite messy accident. The point had been made though for us to wear our gloves and be mindful of what we are doing. Then the bone headed safety man opens his mouth. "If he had only been wearing his gloves....." Oh come on now! As I have already described. This tool is made and designed specifically for cutting metal! The RPMs are a decent amount higher than a typical angle grinder and the wheels are a lot stronger and cut ALOT better than regular cut off wheels. Who the hell is he trying to kid. Anyway, from out of the back of the room a boilermaker shouts out. "Yeah he would have had a hell of a time removing his severed fingers from his ripped up gloves!" Well ol safety man turns dang near purple and sputters out "Well we will never know now will we!?!" To which the hidden boiler maker replies, "Naw we all already know what would happen. He would have still almost cut his fingers off. Them gloves ain't a magical fix all to protect everything. They serve a purpose which is to protect from heat and minor cuts. Not to protect from a cut off wheel. But if it makes you sleep better at night. Then just believe that these magic gloves will make everyone completely safe."I have edited the language for this site.)

Never have I seen anyone as angry as this safety man was. I swear he would have fired the lot of us just to be rid of the worlds only intelligent boilermaker. After more dressing down about our wonderful gloves. (which I might add are extremely comfortable and VERY electrician friendly. I kinda wish my current contractor would buy us some) We were gruffly told to return to work and be safe. We were also informed that they would not be feeding us our hotdogs and chips Wednesday of that week, because the accident had resulted in a loss of time recordable.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Wow I didn't realize my post was that long.

[tipptruck1]

That is like having emergency stops on CNC machines. They are moving so fast, and covered in coolant. That you can not use the skills you learned on manuel machines. To tell if the tool is going bad, or to prevent it from crashing.

[Fishing Rhino]

Wow I didn't realize my post was that long.

 

It's a filibuster.  Talk about a soapbox derby.

[Jigfishn10]

There are misconceptions sometimes as to what the items we wear out in the field and appurtenances constructed to satisfy safety requirements. Hard hats aren't designed to stop a wide flange beam dropping on your head if the beam were to fall from above, hard hats are designed to protect your head from small items like drywall screws falling from above while a wall is being constructed (just an example).

 

Temporary safety rails constructed around an elevator shaft isn't designed to stop you from falling down the shaft under any and all conditions, they will make you aware of the opening when you get near (just an example).

 

There are items you where that are designed to stop you from getting hurt, a safety harness comes to mind for fall protection.

 

Those gloves your referring to Raider, is a new one on me, I don't have that type of construction experience of working in a power plant. I'm sure they are being touted as and end all, be all, but me thinks they are design to prevent most types of injuries, but not all. Take it for what it's worth.

 

BTW, JMHO

[slonezp]

There are misconceptions sometimes as to what the items we wear out in the field and appurtenances constructed to satisfy safety requirements. Hard hats aren't designed to stop a wide flange beam dropping on your head if the beam were to fall from above, hard hats are designed to protect your head from small items like drywall screws falling from above while a wall is being constructed (just an example).

 

 

I've smacked my head on stuff more often and much harder while wearing a hard hat than not because I lose some peripheral vision. Same with the side protection on safety glasses, but I wouldn't be caught dead without eye protection. I've got prescription safety glasses which are much nicer than the plastic ones. They're not uncomfortable and don't get all scratched up.  

I get some of the safety (OSHA) training and I've had plenty. You can't protect everybody from everything.

[Jigfishn10]

I've smacked my head on stuff more often and much harder while wearing a hard hat than not because I lose some peripheral vision. Same with the side protection on safety glasses, but I wouldn't be caught dead without eye protection. I've got prescription safety glasses which are much nicer than the plastic ones. They're not uncomfortable and don't get all scratched up.  

I get some of the safety (OSHA) training and I've had plenty. You can't protect everybody from everything.

It's funny how much you become reliant to safety glasses. I was doing a porch project to my dad's home last summer and I was cutting on my electric miter saw and grabbed my safety glasses. My cousin made a comment about them and my response was: "I was only equipped with these 2 eyes and don't have any spares!"

 

The safety glasses are much better now than when we were first required to wear them, IMO.

[Root beer]

I can relate. The other day we had a safety meeting on using those pads in front of the keyboards to help elevate the wrist, so it would help reduce the risk of carpal tunnel. Talk about annoyance!

[tipptruck1]

It's funny how much you become reliant to safety glasses. I was doing a porch project to my dad's home last summer and I was cutting on my electric miter saw and grabbed my safety glasses. My cousin made a comment about them and my response was: "I was only equipped with these 2 eyes and don't have any spares!"

 

The safety glasses are much better now than when we were first required to wear them, IMO.

I hated safety glasses years ago. Never wore them even in my dads welding shop. Some how I still have my vision. Now though going to school, and working as a machinist . They are second nature to me.They have saved my eyes many times all ready.

[deaknh03]

That is like having emergency stops on CNC machines. They are moving so fast, and covered in coolant. That you can not use the skills you learned on manuel machines. To tell if the tool is going bad, or to prevent it from crashing.

 

Who is this Manuel you speak of?

[BassCats]

The problem with safety inspectors/teachers/man, is that they are only told to repeat what they are told. They do not learn why certain things are there for certain reasons. Proper training would include what each item is for and what that item can and can not do to help protect. Our current way of running things and teaching is to teach what to do and not include why or how. Example: Military required wearing sunglasses while deployed to Middle East. Most people think it is to protect eyes from shrapnel. In fact they were first required to protect from sand blindness, then realized they can also protect eyes from sand grains. Wasn't till Oakley showed photos of sunglasses surviving shrapnel, that they realized this was an added benefit. Unfortunately most commanders use the shrapnel example when telling Soldiers to wear Eye protection. Many Soldiers in Kuwait and non-combat areas don't wear them. Sand grains damaging eyes and sand blindness are both on the rise because of improper information going out. 

 

PS.  My first tour in Iraq they did not give us sunglasses. I have since suffered from sand blindness.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

The problem with safety inspectors/teachers/man, is that they are only told to repeat what they are told. They do not learn why certain things are there for certain reasons. Proper training would include what each item is for and what that item can and can not do to help protect. Our current way of running things and teaching is to teach what to do and not include why or how. Example: Military required wearing sunglasses while deployed to Middle East. Most people think it is to protect eyes from shrapnel. In fact they were first required to protect from sand blindness, then realized they can also protect eyes from sand grains. Wasn't till Oakley showed photos of sunglasses surviving shrapnel, that they realized this was an added benefit. Unfortunately most commanders use the shrapnel example when telling Soldiers to wear Eye protection. Many Soldiers in Kuwait and non-combat areas don't wear them. Sand grains damaging eyes and sand blindness are both on the rise because of improper information going out. 

 

PS.  My first tour in Iraq they did not give us sunglasses. I have since suffered from sand blindness.

I did not know that about the sand. That's interesting.

[tipptruck1]

Who is this Manuel you speak of?

Well you know what I meant.

[K_Mac]

What the Safety Officer had to do was make sure everyone was aware that a serious accident had occurred, and document that a safety meeting addressing the issue took place. If he had been smart he would have acknowledged what Slone said above. You cannot protect everyone from everything, but there are procedures and practices designed to minimize the risks. Those rules have to be followed for everyone's protection. It sounds like he took the intelligent boilermaker's ( an oxymoron I think-I spent a few years in a former life as a dues paying member) remarks personally. He may need some more training as well.