I know I'm talking, I can feel my lips moving!

Parabeagle

Sometimes I just have to wonder why in the h*** I even bother!

Down in Alabama, I conducted some safety training which included slip/fall and ladder safety. Reasonably attentive crowd, including the maintenance guy. Talked about types of ladders. Their uses. Things NOT to do on ladders. Things not to USE as ladders. Fast forward to less than 24 hours later. Maintenance guy needs to cover a motion sensor mounted about 12 feet off the ground under an eave of the building. Uses a 6-foot stepladder, climbs to the top (the VERY top where it says "Do Not Use As A Step"), stretches over and braces his other foot on top of a door to Spiderman his way to the sensor. Covers the sensor, climbs down and sees Yours Truly. What does he have to say for himself?

"Man, I don't think I'll ever do that again. I almost fell."

Why do I even bother? 8-|

Gillian3

Maybe it was your western accent that created communication difficulties.

Paul in Cannon Beach

You see why I don't believe in social darwinism?

HRQ

Apparently you forgot the cardinal rule in employee safety, Pook. They only have to follow the safety rules when HR is watching. (They have to KNOW you are watching. You are not allowed to sneak up on them.)

Don D

Enough with the cute answers. The problem is evident, apparent and glaring. And you are inviting an OSHA investigation. You have educated your employees that no matter what level of training they endure, there is no consequence for violations of safety policies in your organization. In addition to HR, I am also Safety Manager for my facility. Had I witnessed what you say you witnessed, I would have had him standing at attention on the concrete in 4 seconds with a violation-writeup going into his file, and possibly a 3-day unpaid suspension. Safety violations are just as important as attendance or production or behavioral violations and we must discipline them accordingly. Otherwise, what we wind up with is exactly what you described.

I equate this scenario to going through a sexual harassment session with employees, then adjourning to the shop area and slapping the boys on the back while comparing the pin-up pictures in their toolboxes.

Consequences Beagle, Consequences. That's the only thing that gets attention.

Parabeagle

Trust me, Don. He did not get off scott-free. He was sent home (no pay) after I talked to his supervisor and I personally wrote a memo to his supervisor's boss (my coworker) recommending that his anticipated annual increase (which he was to have received this month) be suspended for six months and not made retroactive to his anniversary date.

Don D

"Covers the sensor, climbs down and sees Yours Truly. What does he have to say for himself?

"Man, I don't think I'll ever do that again. I almost fell."

Why do I even bother?"

You seem to have conveniently left out the very most important part of the whole scenario Beagle. Now you say you disciplined the man. That should have been the meat of your first post, not the addendum. I have a hard time finding a credible safety message in your original post, only a flippant comment of your wasted time with training. We would have all been better served had you told us of your proper reaction and admonition of the employee, including, as you now say, your suspension of him without pay and stalling his pay increase. And you are asking me to 'trust you'? People who violate safety policy endanger lives, pure and simple. They should either be written up or fired.

Cinderella

And people wonder why I advocate shake therapy. Actually, I have a new one. Instead of shake or slap therapy, I'm going to start "flick therapy". I'm debating on whether or not to call it that or "flick to the back of the head therapy".

Parabeagle

My mom used to do that to us when we were kids and did something stupid! Man, that could hurt!

ritaanz

This reminds me of our previous maintenance guy. We had a few bad spots in our roof. As a result, when it rained it wouldleak into the plant. The guy was told to find the leaks and repair them. The roof is flat. So.....what he did was put a plastic bag inside a large cardboard box and balance it on the pipes and vents in the ceiling.

One day, one of his creations, filledto the brim, fell over. Luckily there was no one underneath it. When questioned, he said that in his ladder training, he was told not to lift anything heavy while standing on the top step. At that point, there were so many reasons, I terminated him for poor work performance and left it at that.

His replacement found ten more of his "bombs" located in the ceilings throughout the plant.