Joe,
I've worked in a LOT of factories, where all the safety rules go out the window as soon as you enter the place.
Mainly because of one thing:
Management, mainly the middle type.
One place where I used to do break-down work, I was greeted by this jumped-up guy saying this:
"Oh you're here!, you're too late, I've already fixed the problem, it was just a blown fuse, I replaced it."
I asked to see the plant room and the switch-board panel that controlled the huge pump that had just had a fuse replaced on it.
I was refused entry, given the excuse:
Don't pretend that you know our plant, I know what is going on here, you don't work here all the time, I do"
I said OK, just let me check the thing, which I was allowed to do.
Looked at the contactor and fuse gear and smelt a burning smell, I shut the thing down.
Opened the fuses up to find 3 fuses shorted out with tinned copper wire and the O/Loads set to manual trip.
This sort of thing really gets my goat.
"Only enough knowledge to be a danger to staff and equipment"
But this attitude of "keep the plant working at ALL costs", is a saddening indictment on modern management, I've seen it all over the place.
Don't get me wrong there are places around that call an Electrician at the slightest murmer from a motor or a problem with a blown fuse.
Just because you are a Supervisor in a factory, does NOT qualify you to go your own merry way with electrical faults.
What you do can kill someone later on down the track.
Don't get me started on bypassing controls and safety systems.
GRRR
