ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Death Wish?

Norcal, this is usualy the way it goes isn't it.

On the other side of the coin, we were fined by OSHA one time for a non GFCI receptacle circuit on a T pole.

The framers were behind and were working on Sunday, (no other trades) the slab was covered in water and their cords were wet which was tripping the GFCI's so they changed out a GFCI receptacle with a standard 20 amp recep.

First thing Monday morning (no one knew anything about what they had done) the job was hit by OSHA, and we were nailed. We contested it, and even with the GC backing our story, the fine was only reduced but not dropped, they said something about we should have checked it when we got there that morning.

Now, these guys like Hal described will blatantly violate safety and never get nailed, life just ain't fair.

Roger



[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 12-27-2004).]

Hal, nobody said the guy was stupid. Sometimes it takes seeing it on paper to make it sink in. Makes a big difference. Love it when someone says a union would have made a difference. Have seen a number of tragic accidents happen to "union" employees and a lot of them have been caused by the ignorance or "stupidity" of the employees involved. One union contractor here insists on following all the safety rules but still comes on the job and finds the employees disregarding them. Besides, I think anyone that stands in knee deep water with a power tool plugged in leans to the side of stupid more than ignorant. I was just out of my apprenticeship and my boss wanted me to energise a power tool from the buss I had to drill for mounting a breaker to have it at the same "potential" so we wouldn't have to shut the service down and interrupt assembly. I told him to tell them to pay us to come in on Sunday or get someone else. We did it on Sunday. If you can't talk to your boss regarding safety issues he is not worth working for.
Ron

I don't think he would understand it if I showed it to him on paper, although he does wire and service well pumps and controls. Maybe a little knowledge is dangerous. I asked him why what he was doing is any different than using a blow dryer in the shower. That's the only time he said maybe they should be doing this another way.

I pointed out that there are pneumatic tools out there (apparently he is drilling something like 1-1/2 inch holes). Said his boss would never go for hauling a compressor around least of all buying one.

As far as unions are concerned I'm very much straddling the fence myself as to pros and cons. I only said that because if it were a union shop he could possibly have someplace else to complain and without it costing him his job.

-Hal