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  • Yeah, no injuries, thanks for caring

    We're on a reconfiguration install. Among the problems we run into because it is the undisputed king of shit systems to install, we have the glass upper screens. I absolutely despise glass because it is glass, and as such is very breakable. Most systems actually use some kind of intelligent clamping system that allows you to open up the clips for easy insertion, removal, and staightening adjustments. This system however is utterly insane. To insert the glass, you place a gasket into the bracket, then use brute force to push down on the glass until it goes all the way in. There is an extremely high risk of shattering the glass. If you push down too far on one side and the edge hits, if the gasket slides out, or just simply if you push too hard, the glass will shatter without warning. Removal is even crazier. You have to pry it up with whatever wedge tool you choose, then with brute force. Once again, very high risk of shattering the glass. It's such a delicate operation that only myself and one other guy are trusted to do the work.

    I actually put in a complaint about this product the first time I worked with it. After extensive research and consultation, the final conclusion was that my technique was correct, and the safety recommendation was to do the work "carefully". Yeah, thanks for that groundbreaking epiphany there asshole.

    So anyways, that's the situation we're in. Option A is to deal with it. Option B is to lodge an official complaint, get the heath and safety committee involved, have them tell me to shove it, so then have it go to the Ministry of Labour, have them consult the manufacturer, have the manufacturer show their engineering specs, if the manufacturer says it's safe, it must be safe, regardless of what common sense tells anyone with a brain, just do the work "carefully".

    So we go with option A. Things are going well enough, but then from the other end of the room I hear the unmistakable sound of glass shattering. I rush over to check on the situation. I make sure he's okay and uninjured, he's shaken up, a little ashamed, and a lot pissed, but otherwise okay. There's no need to read him the riot act here, he knows what he did, and I know that it was a pure accident caused by difficult product. I reassure him and we get to work cleaning up, I tell him to make sure he doesn't miss any pieces - he's got to get this pieced back together and glued That lightened things up a little bit until the client decided to make her way over to us:

    SC: That's tempered glass, you can't let the edges hit anything.
    Me: We're fine. There were no injuries. Thank you so much for caring.
    SC: We can't have any more of these break.
    Me: I am aware of that. This product is HW. It is absolute shit. Proper, intelligent manufacturers have a bracket system that can be unscrewed. This garbage doesn't. We have to pry them out with brute force. We are being careful but these kind of things happen when product is this poorly engineered.
    SC: Well make sure you're more careful next time.
    Me: Yeah, don't want to get any blood on these pretty panels right

    She huffs away to go and put another complaint in about us. I don't care. On top of being a bitch throughout the entire project, she showed no care whatsoever for the well being of another human being, her only concern was the broken panel. I couldn't care less about a complaint from this kind of person.
    D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
    Quoth = Crossbow "EvilHomer, Irv, Gravekeeper, and Seraph: the Four Horsemen of the Dumbpocalypse."

  • #2
    Do it yourself

    Sometimes I could do it, most times I could not. But when possible if a customer insisted I do something that was too hard or dangerous I would just tell them to do it themselves.

    I rarely got backing from management if the job was just a lot harder than expected, but they did back me if what the customer tried to ask me to do something that I considered too dangerous. I was not going to add wiring to a panel that said "Danger - High Voltage", and if it was more that 120 VAC don't expect me to do the wiring, and if it was 240 VAC on the plug but I can't find on the hardware any writing that it will input that voltage I am not going to plug it in.

    The one time a customer did not listen to me and plugged it in himself that were some strange noises and very funny smelling cloud of something rising to the ceiling.

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    • #3
      Can't grease the glass with soap or something?
      AkaiKitsune
      Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

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      • #4
        Quoth Rosco the Iroc View Post
        Can't grease the glass with soap or something?
        I don't know. If I'm ever unfortunate enough to work on this crap again, maybe I'll try that.
        D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
        Quoth = Crossbow "EvilHomer, Irv, Gravekeeper, and Seraph: the Four Horsemen of the Dumbpocalypse."

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        • #5
          Nice woman. Don’t break one is such helpful advice. Good thing he didn’t have to go to the ER.

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          • #6
            Quoth evilhomer View Post
            I don't know. If I'm ever unfortunate enough to work on this crap again, maybe I'll try that.
            A little but of dish soap does wonders and easy to clean off when done.
            AkaiKitsune
            Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

            Comment


            • #7
              Or if you can get yer mitts on it, tire soap. That stuff gets damn slippery, as in you got some on your hands and can no longer hold tools properly until cleaned off. It's great for making rubber products slide where they want to grip on metal. A little soap solution in a bottle to spritz where you need it and...

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              • #8
                Maybe a spritz of WD-40 on the rubber groove?
                "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                  Maybe a spritz of WD-40 on the rubber groove?
                  I had to check to make sure this wasn't the nurses thread.
                  AkaiKitsune
                  Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth Rosco the Iroc View Post
                    I had to check to make sure this wasn't the nurses thread.
                    Now I have to go check out the nurse's thread.
                    "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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                    • #11
                      Actually, a little bit of a cut while cleaning it up would've been a nice excuse to start off your "Option B". Also, a little bit of a note to your company's insurer about the problem might produce a useful result.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        What a very nice, compassionate woman. I am so glad your co-worker wasn't hurt, you might have had more than one rude word to say to her outrage at the blood on the carpet.

                        Tire soap is actually pretty easy to come by in my experience. Go to a tire store and ask to buy a little, offer a couple of bucks and an explanation as to what you are using it for (which does not involve mounting a tire) and show that you brought your own small container.

                        You won't need much, as was mentioned up thread, that stuff is slick as summer snot. Use a wand dauber (1 inch ball of cut up rags or cotton on a twisted coat hanger will work in a pinch) to keep it off of your hands so you don't get slippery fingers.

                        And, good luck. It really sucks to have to deal with processes that don't work and/or are dangerous.

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Slave to the Phone View Post
                          It really sucks to have to deal with processes that don't work and/or are dangerous.
                          Yes, it does, especially when there are safer and smarter ways to do that process, but the people in charge can't be bothered to go that direction.
                          I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
                          My LiveJournal
                          A page we can all agree with!

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                          • #14
                            Quoth XCashier View Post
                            Yes, it does, especially when there are safer and smarter ways to do that process, but the people in charge can't be bothered to go that direction.
                            Having just finished watching the last episode of James Nesbitt's Disasters that Changed Britain series, that really hits home. In all the cases covered (Zeebrugge ferry disaster, Kings Cross fire, Paddington rail crash, Piper Alpha, the Munich air crash, Grenfell Tower) there had been many near misses, and in some cases fatalities, but none of the safety precautions that the experts were begging for were implemented, usually due to cost or because it would cause too much disruption.

                            Keep pushing, evilhomer. I know that it feels like no-one's listening and no-one cares, but at least if the worst happens (which, I hate to say, it probably will at some point) you'll at least have the comfort that you did everything you could with what you had to work with.

                            Also, because I'm a cynical so-and-so, keep copies of all written communications where you warn about risks and violations somewhere safe and off-site. Given what you've posted before I don't trust your bosses not to try and blame it on you if something goes wrong due to their cutting of corners. If you warn them verbally, make sure you follow it up with an e-mail noting "as we discussed..." and keep a copy, just in case.
                            "It is traditional when asking for help or advice to listen to the answers you receive" - RealUnimportant

                            Rev that Engine Louder, I Can't Hear How Small Your Dick Is - Jay 2K Winger

                            The Darwin Awards The best site to visit to restore your faith in instant karma.

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                            • #15
                              In this case, my MiM have done their due diligence and have their asses covered. A multi-billion dollar furniture manufacturing corporation is saying it is safe, who are we to say it is not. Regardless of what common sense tells anyone with a brain, they have conducted their testing, they have certified that it is safe. So when the shit hits the fan, it is the manufacturer's ass that is on the line.
                              D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
                              Quoth = Crossbow "EvilHomer, Irv, Gravekeeper, and Seraph: the Four Horsemen of the Dumbpocalypse."

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