Score One For The Little Guy!

[Richard in Smithville]

A little while ago I came across a cabinet saw in our maintenance shop that was unguarded and did not have a splitter. My company has always encouraged employees to approach management with safety concerns so I shared my knowledge of table saw safety with the maintenance manager( who is also a company safety rep). In so many words, he basically told me that I have no clue what I'm talking about and he knows better. He did install an over arm guard on the saw but wouldn't budge on the splitter.


Fast forward a few months and the corporate office has mandated that "Safety Improvement Opportunity" forms be made available so that everyone can submit safety concerns directly to our chief safety officer. I filed my concern, along with research citing table saw accidents and the recommendations from the resulting investigations by competent agencies. Now this saw and all table saws within the Canadian operation must be fitted with a guard and splitter. My job is done.


BTW: The chief safety officer sought me out to thank me. He said that is something that he would never even had thought of.

[cwsmith]

Good for you Richard, great job!

I had a similar incident back in the 70's when the shipping dept in my plant had a RAS in service for making parts boxes. One guy had seriously lacerated his left arm "when feeding stock" on that saw. A few days after that "accident" I took the opportunity to observe how that could have happened, and noticed that they were pulling the carriage forward, feeding the stock behind it and then "pushing" the cut. Obviously the previous operator got too close on such a "stupid" procedure.

I talked to the foreman about proper procedure and was told to mind my own business. So I filed a report with both the Safety Director and with Manufacturing Operations and a few days later I got called into my boss's office for a "keep your nose where it belongs" discussion.

About a year later another "accident" occured and they threw that dangerous saw out.

Good to know that there are some people and companies that share "safety" concerns together.

CWS

[cabinetman]

Good reliable information can make the difference in a safe workplace. Fortunately you were well informed and took on the task to make the safety implementation.

.

[jussi]

Good for you. I'm sure future operators of those saws you their gratitude as well. Whether they know it or not.

[jseklund]

Good job - too often safety is only thought of after it's too late.

Someone on this forum once started a thread about safety and the fact that most accidents are NOT caused by newbies doing things improperly - but by experienced users who knew what they were doing was wrong but they had gotten away with it before and went to the well one time too many. I always have that thought in my mind when I think about doing something the unsafe way in order to save some time or effort....usually it gets me to change my ways

Good job looking out for your fellow employees.

[chopnhack]

How's your relationship with the maintenance manager now? Some people can be stupid about being wrong.