Shop Truths, Phrases, Tales; and Outright Lies

[C-Bag]

Remarkable but all to common story. I have no idea where this came from where it seems to be held you can get a herd of dufii from a temp agency and throw them into the middle of a hot job. And that everything will go as the front office has sold the job for. And there was never any documentation on any machinery and even if there was dufii would not refer to it.

In my case they made everybody sign a release so our "intellect" was their property.

It reminds me of the old joke of the guys betting against a pre recorded football game they have seen before. The very epitome of insanity where you keep running the same scenario over and over expecting a different outcome.

My biggest problem in situations like that was they kept giving me "helpers" and then yell at me because we were talking too much! I asked one boss how am I supposed to tell him how to do the job? I guess they though monkey see monkey do, or some kind of pack mentality would cause spontaneous expertise, dunno. I dumped 9 out of 10 dufii because of no general mechanical aptitude and most of all unsafe work ethic. A guy got his leg jammed through a 1200lb rotating carriage because no safety locks and they were using 2x4" to hold the carriage in place. One guy with 4 dufii and he couldn't keep an eye on all of them.

Thats why us experienced guys sent the temps/ dufii off to do little odd jobs when we were doing the heavy dangerous stuff because we didn't want to get killed. A good friend who did the same work for a different co. was crushed to death when a machine fell on him.

[PJs]

TM51,

First off ISO is pretty much a joke in most places to get orders (like $10-$20k for a CE approval) based on an "apparent standard of practice". I did a fair amount of vendor qualification over the years all over the country, some Canada and Europe and found most of the ISO businesses in scramble mode trying to keep up with it and some of the pedagogue inspectors. It's also permeated with paper-wasters trying to come up with a scheme to keep their jobs, collect insignificant data and satisfy ISO requirements...All in my humble opinion of course. Not that I disagree with the concept of a Standard of practice for manufacturing...but it's been muddled beyond recognition in a lot of instances...another mouse built to gubment specs.

Small story: I was once task with building a "show" unit for our reps and trade shows with tough specs. It had to be about the size of a bread box, <90lbs, wheels/handles, clients see the operation of it from 50', and a crate to ship it around the world and survive multiple times, all right side up of course. Most of our units were the size of a refrigerator or beer frig's. Really an R&D project that included all of our technology and some new stuff I came up with to fit in a small box the reps could handle...and a quartz bell jar no less. It ended up being a 83lb blivet. I did all design and about 85% of the build except for sheet metal and some trick machining on the 7075 flange and stainless feed-through for the tiny cryo-coil, with < 5% loss.

The thing that happened was as I was getting close to finishing it. I was sitting in my little R&D space with all these technologies on the bench and had just finished building a very unique stack technology (Cryo-refrigeration) I had come up with for space saving and here comes the VP-Sales with a bunch of Japanese guys we were negotiating with to license our technology. They all had cameras and as soon as they entered started shooting pictures of everything including my new stack...I actually hollered at the VP...What are you doing! OH, Oh it's ok they are with me and we're on a shop tour and thought I would show them what you are working on. My jaw dropped and I threw a towel over my stack. Believe it or not I got called on the carpet for yelling at him in front of them. Funnier yet was the VP was a 25yr Big Blue (IBM) guy! Nuff Said! NDR's, yeah right....let a lone job descriptions, really?

Sorry to hear about your friend C-Bag. That's a hard one to swallow! Good for you to dump the 9 for safety and sanity. Worked with some temps over the years and think your number is about right!

Old, old saying I just made up: The hard part with dufi is herding them to water but it's much tougher to hold all their heads underwater at the same time without getting kicked.

~PJ

[C-Bag]

Old, old saying I just made up: The hard part with dufi is herding them to water but it's much tougher to hold all their heads underwater at the same time without getting kicked.

~PJ

What was that VP of yours thinking??? I guess if he didn't understand it, nobody else would......

My buddy getting killed was a real shock. He was a rough and tumble guy as you'd expect a millwright to be. So he just seemed invincible. And he was much younger and they had just had a baby the spring before. All of us who knew him were stunned. He worked with much more qualified true professional crew. So it really came home to me how precarious my situation was working with guys that seemed like they picked them up out in front of the local Home Depot that morning.

I got sent out on an emergency crew to get a project back on track and clean up what was being complained about by the owner of the install. They had already sent back the good equipment so I was forced to use a cut off blade ( what we all called a suicide blade) on my 5" Makita angle grinder. I was carefully cutting the piece and was moving my clamps when one of the temps said " be careful man". I looked at him, well duh I thought. But he continued " them things is dangerous" and I agreed. While I'm fitting up my clamps he says "yeah, I won't use one no more" and lifted up his t-shirt to show me a scar across his belly! Now, that would have gutted any normal person and for the life of me I can't even fathom why anybody would be in a position with one of those things to have it get away from you and go across your belly. He was the best of those three temps

[PJs]

What was that VP of yours thinking??? I guess if he didn't understand it, nobody else would......

He wasn't my "Vice President"...but had some other non PC terms for "VP" & him, especially after being called on the carpet.

Such a loss with the baby and all and a rising star to boot. I sure get your point though about s@@ing your precarious position and becoming more aware around them.

Here's another saying on a piece of wood we have by the front door. We see it when we head out into west county traffic.

"I have gone out to find myself...If I return before I get back, Please keep me here."

Some how seem apropos here but not sure Dufi would get it. Think it also applies to getting older but brings a smirk to me every time!

[Toolmaker51]

C-Bag related a situation and consequence I dread; more than anything that might happen to me personally.

I've not experienced loss of a co-worker by accident; some serious injuries and near misses, not any deaths. Family-wise we've had some. Worst probably, elderly couple gathering holiday decorations from garage rafters via ladder. He fell from top, landing directly on her. He survived a short time, the 'guilt' took him as well.

While in USN, we often did breakdowns of scenarios or actual reports, and one thing was common. Lack of awareness was usually first and experience second, equipment not often tagged as cause - as traceable back to the first two. Navy generally avoids phrase 'accident'. System named 'cause analysis' traces outcome from root, avoidable only until a certain and tangible point.
Carrier flight deck is supposedly one of most dangerous environments, my interpretation was that should be 'potentially'. It is so finely orchestrated, even incidents are minimal. I'd say mining, chemical plants, and certain fires would lead the way for 'potential'; because there is either no where to go, or the rapidity and spread cover available distance too quickly!

I appreciated that approach to safety right off; experience-based logic with acceptable/ manageable risks. DEFINITELY not the OSHA vision based on paranoia and insurance company style probabilities. Strikingly, today did a test reworking incomplete features in a laser cut plate, drilling 7/8" through 1/4" hot rolled. Had it tied down well, standing WTH out of way, envisioning the helix taking hold and peeling it out, yet I'll dance with a 48" lathe without much concern at all. Anyway, proof of concept says a bushing plate is the way to go.

In case it isn't clear; I'll reiterate personal appreciation for all contacts we cultivate here. I see two are present in this thread right now, three members and no guests. Yup, its fun too, coining words, tossing in our 2 cents, and all.
But the measure of sanity derived from a simultaneous front row seat and audience makes a considerable difference in my day!