Safety First

[Griffon]

Germans take their factory safety very seriously. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G95n427P9-w)

[Donson]

Dave told Me that was a BMW factory training film!

[DarthRider]

'Tis but a flesh-wound, I've had worse!

[Griffon]

Dave told Me that was a BMW factory training film!

That explains the cost of the bikes! If the factory has to pay out death benefits and buy prosthetics for employees...:eusa_clap:

[Donson]

There was a guy like that at Bell Helicopter in the late 60s.He managed to cut off 8 fingers in a 50 ton shear....After rehab,they put Him to work in the paint shop-which He managed to set on fire-along with His leg.After rehab at burn hospital,they put Him on a forklift-yep,He ran the forks ALLL THE WAY THROUGH a G-model Cobra gunship.....Thanks God for the Union....He was promoted into managment!! This is a true story....

[DarthRider]

There was a guy like that at Bell Helicopter in the late 60s.He managed to cut off 8 fingers in a 50 ton shear....After rehab,they put Him to work in the paint shop-which He managed to set on fire-along with His leg.After rehab at burn hospital,they put Him on a forklift-yep,He ran the forks ALLL THE WAY THROUGH a G-model Cobra gunship.....Thanks God for the Union....He was promoted into managment!! This is a true story....

And we wonder how our economy got in such a mess. I think it's time for the unions to go away...

[Griffon]

There was a guy like that at Bell Helicopter in the late 60s.He managed to cut off 8 fingers in a 50 ton shear....After rehab,they put Him to work in the paint shop-which He managed to set on fire-along with His leg.After rehab at burn hospital,they put Him on a forklift-yep,He ran the forks ALLL THE WAY THROUGH a G-model Cobra gunship.....Thanks God for the Union....He was promoted into managment!! This is a true story....

And this, my friends, is a perfect illustration of the Peter Principle.

Dangerous incompetents should be fired at the very least.:nod:

[Deans BMW]

And this, my friends, is a perfect illustration of the Peter Principle.

Dangerous incompetents should be fired at the very least.:nod:

Not possible if you have a Union shop.

[Griffon]

Not possible if you have a Union shop.

I know. That doesn't mean it makes sense. Initially, I think unions were brought about to prevent exploitation of workers and protect there safety and well-being. If that's still true, a person who is a clear danger to himself and others should be removed from the factory floor. I think it's changed quite a bit since the conditions of the Nineteenth century. Unions need to evolve again.

Workers have a right to be compensated fairly, have health insurance, and work in a safe environment. Employers have a right to dedicated, hard working, and efficient employees. The relationship should go both ways, but doesn't seem to do much of either too much of the time. Too many employers take bonuses and profits without rewarding good work and there are too many lazy and stupid people making too much money.

[JCsman]

And this, my friends, is a perfect illustration of the Peter Principle.

Dangerous incompetents should be fired at the very least.:nod:

Naw, put him in charge of warheads, ammunition and detonators. Gice him a one-man shed for an office well away from the rest of the factory.

Problem self-solved.

[NoRRmad]

I know. That doesn't mean it makes sense. Initially, I think unions were brought about to prevent exploitation of workers and protect there safety and well-being. If that's still true, a person who is a clear danger to himself and others should be removed from the factory floor. He was --moved to management, where he obviously belongs. :pot:

[Donson]

Is that why they put Me in charge of V-22 pyrotechnics? I always wondered about that.....Just call Me lefty!

[DarthRider]

Corporations and "their" unions are like Republican & Democrat politicians...they should be working together for the common good, but usually aren't.
I say pack up the unions and send 'em to China where they would have a purpose.
Might as well send the Republicans & Democrats with 'em too...

[X-Troller]

A union doesn't move you to management, management moves you there. If you want to see incompetent managers just work for the government.

[Griffon]

A union doesn't move you to management, management moves you there. If you want to see incompetent managers just work for the government.

Work nearly anywhere. The best places I've ever worked were small operations where the boss was highly capable and had fair values. It's all about relationships. If you know and like the people you work with, it makes it harder to be a waste of space. As well, small companies need the whole team to work well. As such, the boss usually does a better job at vetting people.

[socalrob]

And we wonder how our economy got in such a mess. I think it's time for the unions to go away...

Right now I'm looking at some paperwork for a project down in San Diego. I'd do the field work myself with a robotic survey instrument, but if I read this stuff right it looks like I will be forced to have the union send out an apprentice at my cost (about $40-$50/hr) to just watch me. Crap! Stimulus rules here we come.

[X-Troller]

If it wasn't for a union Capt. Sulley of Cactus 1549 fame would have probably been let go during the Yes Air Cactus merger to make room for one of those lower pay scale less experienced pilots.

[panthercity]

If it wasn't for a union Capt. Sulley of Cactus 1549 fame would have probably been let go during the Yes Air Cactus merger to make room for one of those lower pay scale less experienced pilots.
Oh SNAP!

[DarthRider]

If it wasn't for a union Capt. Sulley of Cactus 1549 fame would have probably been let go during the Yes Air Cactus merger to make room for one of those lower pay scale less experienced pilots.

Good point Nick, but there is a lot more to it.
I'm no expert, but I have many commercial pilot friends, many of which agree the pay-for-work and retirement largess are just ridiculous, or were at least, maybe it's all changed now, I don't know. I have often marveled at how the system can be worked for pay with NO work, and such.
I am not anti-pilot at all, most of my best friends are or were pilots and I really don't want the guy driving the bus to be pre-occupied with financial matters. But there are things that are not just right, like AA pilots striking for more money when they were the highest paid in the world.
And the old Delta retirement programs.

But the airline unions are not really who I was referring to...I was thinking UAW, Teamsters and the like.

I'll probably get my butt handed to me on a sling, but that's the way I feel.

[X-Troller]

Many Unions ask for more money knowing they won't get it the AA pilots in 97 were most concerned with getting stocks and being able to fly the commuters without loosing everything they had worked for. They got their stock options that later the company devalued so much that they were worth virtually nothing, The pilots also took a 30% pay cut in 03 I believe and lost most of their retirement since. Meanwhile Crandell and Chew walked away with gobs of money earned by the employees of the airline that was their life.
I also agree that unions like most other large organizations become self serving bloated and full their own importance but to dismiss the good they have done is painting with a very big brush.

[Deans BMW]

From what I remember with my Dads company which had 4 seperate unions it was the work rules that were just unbeliveable in his case, sounds like Robs problem as well.

[DarthRider]

Nick, I don't think anyone doubts the good unions have done through the years, for the most part a great many years ago. Air unions may not be the best example of the good being long ago! Probably the good and the bad things unions (and corporations!) do tend to be exaggerated.

The large petro-chemical corporations I spent my career working for were non-union, and yet they managed to flourish. Their rank & file, professional and management employees were generally cooperative and non-adversarial. Work rules & safety were excellent, pay scales & salaries were above average, and retirement plans were very good.
Unionizing attempts were fairly common and were without exception turned down by the rank & file.
There was no need for them...and no desire either, for the most part.
I think maybe there are, or should be, better ways to run corporations these days than to perpetuate the us vs them nature of unionized companies.

[Biff's R]

I am a inactive member of the Laborers Union. I had to join to get my summer job working construction about 16 years ago.

The attitude is different in different areas. In Ohio south of Akron is good to work in, and north of Akron was a pain in the ass. North of Akron you needed a Laborer and a Teamster to check the orange barrels in the construction zone. The Teamster to drive the pick up truck, and the Laborer to pick up the barrels. It pissed me off as a taxpayer, since it cost the state of Ohio at least an extra $120k over 2 years to complete the project.

[Arby]

When I was young, I was a letter carrier (mailman), & National
Assoc.of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO.

After three years of that, I couldn't wait to get out and go to work in my father's garage. There were two rules there. #1: the world doesn't owe you a living #2: If you work, you get paid, if you don't work, no pay.

But getting back to the original post, geez, that's a gory training film. More like a horror flick,imo.

RB

[Griffon]

I have a feeling it's not actually a real training film. Those Germans love their horror movies, and "comedy/horror" has been a rising genre. It would be interesting to know the back story on this, but it was a forwarded link from a friend.

[Donson]

When I went to work for Brown and Root-Halliburton on the Power Plant near Show Low Az. in 89,I had to attend a safety training class.I already had years of construction experience,but never any training like this. Grapic doesnt begin to describe it.Actual,glossy,close-up photos,digits rolling around the floor like little sausages,one poor bastard had a 90 ton boiler vessel dropped on Him.Right on top of Him.Another chap with a forklift through His torso.Even the hardened among Us were squirming in Our seats.Three laborer trainees walked out and didnt come back.Probably a good thing.Unlike the clip Jeremy posted,this film was very,very real.I guess it worked. That was the most dangerous job I ever worked,and I lived to tell the tale.

[Griffon]

That kind of training makes a lot of sense Don. I really believe that experience people are just as likely to make grievous mistakes as beginners. It's too easy to become complacent with the equipment. I hope I never outgrow my respect for the danger inherent in a 1000cc engine or any of my power tools.:nod:

[Donson]

Power tools....Next to a Suburban driver with a cell phone,My biggest fear-a table saw-scares the crap out of Me..

[Griffon]

I worked in a furniture factory the summer between junior and senior year in college. One of the partners was missing a finger.

One of my landladies in Philadelphia was missing a thumb, index, and middle finger from a careless moment on a table saw.

Both of these folks were experienced woodworkers who knew better. After seeing that, I resolved myself to never let myself get over my fear of power tools. I might be overly cautious, but I'm hoping to avoid dismemberment.

[Deans BMW]

I used to own a furniture factory while I lived in Colorado springs, one of our tools was a 20 HP 20" table saw, the thing ran all day long cutting. There was a dried blood swath across the ceiling just above the blade.

I belive strongly that a table saw is the most dangerous tool in a wood workers collection. I have two of them that I use for all the building projects around here.

[Nail24]

What really puzzles me are those who remove all the safety features because they "hinder the use of the table saw." Go figure.

[Donson]

TWO TABLE SAWS-You are livin on the edge,Dean!

[Deans BMW]

TWO TABLE SAWS-You are livin on the edge,Dean!

Hell, even had Dave, Roger and Mike operating it one day when the deck was being built.

Now that was scarey I tell you, I had towels at the ready in case we needed to mop up the blood and a serious supply of adult beverages on hand.............

[Arby]

Judy's brother, a professional carpenter/expert furniture/cabinet maker with his own woodworking shop is missing most of the fingers on his right hand due to the table saw. The ones he didn't lose are mangled.

I haven't figured out how he manages to ride his HD!

RB