Knowledge is sometimes a dangerous thing. And sometimes knowledge is more harmful to the person who possesses the most. Not that I know all there is to know about electrical and safety, but being an instructor that taught Code and OSHA was a big factor in shutting down my electrical contracting business. I could not see ethically performing and installing on the same level of safety and quality as the competition in my marketplace. To compete with companies that were doing safe and quality work would have meant being owned (and controlled by) a bank or venture capitalist. Code enforcement in the counties is nonexistent in Texas and lax in most towns.
I did not want to be in a witness chair defending myself against a lawyer for an employee who got burned or fell, and claimed I didn't give him or her proper training, equipment, specific instructions or had rushed the work. What answer could I give to the question "Do you not teach Electrical Safety Related Work Practices and know the danger to which you were exposing this employee?" and not look to a judge or jury as being negligent. We're talking careful documentation and a good lawyer to overrule the impression just the question makes. The same scenario can be made for any Master Electrician that was accused of doing sub-standard work.
Unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth or just plain lucky, an independent, ethical person has to make some hard choices to get to the level of achievement that makes them happy and secure. Just don't get into a financial condition where you can't afford to be ethical.
But isn't life all about choices? I made the choice to shut down a business with a great potential and have not regretted it. I feel fortunate to have had another option. Am I really making you more conflicted? Sorry about that.
Gerald Powell
[This message has been edited by gpowellpec (edited 05-24-2002).]
