Ever asked to do dubiously dangerous jobs?

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A few weeks ago the company hired a new 15 ton forklift to help with a big job and shortly after I was expected to flip multi ton sheets of rolled steel over with it with some chains and clamps along with driving the sheets and the forklift into the workshop past scaffolding with men on it, under doors and under the crane.

I have no training or "licence" for this forklift. Pretty much everyone in the workshop has no up to date licence or training. This goes for most of the machines in company.

I assume I'm not alone alone in thinking this is a common problem?

No company should ever allow you to move a forklift or even get on it without certification and proper training. It is also a big no no to operate a forklift with other people attached. Sounds like your employer will get seriously sued if someone gets hurt

That assumption is correct.
Also:
In the late 1980s I lost a couple jobs because when instructed to ignore regulations I said NO.

My entire dumpster fire "job" is dangerous

At least two pedestrians have gotten struck by cars in the parking lot where I work as a Lot Attendant.

At least five car crashes in 18 months

Day laborers loiter around all day long and there are a lot of them

Homeless likewise

A couple of weeks ago it appeared that two homeless dudes were wrestling. It made me paranoid that a car would run them both over and someone would order me to mop up their corpses

The slave plantation in the middle of a homeless encampment

Every day I get paranoid someone might run over my worthless corpse with a car or rape me

Plenty of suspicious looking characters



Off leash dogs

Ya I had to get on a 20-30 foot tall platform and stand on it as part of my old job.

I don't have such a colourful variety of problems but the ones the workshop do bump into are usually serious. About a year ago someone almost lost his thumb after it got trapped in the "safety guard" of a 75 ton press. I'm writing this comment with a massive bruise on my leg after a 25kg lifting lug broke it's welds and grazed from my knee downwards a week ago. It's only been 5 weeks since a mystery broken foot too. Broke my hand after dropping a beam on it a few years ago as well. Everyone seems to have bumps and clashes with metal or machines.

Luckily only one dog was spotted in the workshop so far.

This is the biggest problem. Today I was in another forklift and I'm sure it didn't even belong to the company I worked for.

Everything is a lot less by the book in the field I work in. You even need to make sure keys for vans are not left in the ignition as any white van is fair game for someone who's carrying more they would like to carry.

It's like a real life version of GTA but one where vehicles eventually return at the end of the day.

Call OSHA!!

Use the number below to report emergencies, unsafe working conditions, safety and health violations, to file a complaint, or to ask safety and health questions.

800-321-6742

Nades is in the UK.

The pertinent number would probably be:

0300 003 1647

I wouldn't drive a forklift without training. They can be very dangerous, especially when there's items on it.

A long time ago, I drove one. I don't remember why. But I was scared.

Well. Good news is that they appear to take the chronic lack of training more seriously all of a sudden and sending a load of people to training companies myself included.

It's only a minor health and safety course to allow people to work on site but at least it's a start.

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Sometimes the forklift driver drives too close to me while I am (trying to be a spotter) and I am afraid the forklift might crash into my worthless corpse

A customer almost closed the door on my (wing) arm while I was trying to load sod into the car (at her demand)

Numerous times almost fell on potholes

At least one customer fell over a pothole

A couple of months ago a customer was sitting on the floor and a forklift was next to her. It appeared that she got hit with a forklift. (Things are not always the way they appear)

Mice in the lockers


Some customers and employees act out of control when they feel like someone violated their "rights". Suspect plenty of convicted felons and psychiatric diagnosis


Esp in the loading area, reckless drivers

My working life was largely spent in a place and era where health and safety were not a thing yet. I have been asked to do dangerous things, and have just done dangerous things to get a job done. Ive seen some injuries over rhe years. Never been seriously injured myself, thankfully.
I think in this day and age you shouldn't be expected to do something without proper training. It is your right to refuse. Refusing to do something is also unlikely to make you many friends with those who are asking you to do those things. Therefore I would say choose your battles carefully. What you see as dangerous might not seem that dangerous to someone else. That's not to say they are right.

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Sometimes the forklift driver drives too close to me while I am (trying to be a spotter) and I am afraid the forklift might crash into my worthless corpse

A customer almost closed the door on my (wing) arm while I was trying to load sod into the car (at her demand)

Numerous times almost fell on potholes

At least one customer fell over a pothole

A couple of months ago a customer was sitting on the floor and a forklift was next to her. It appeared that she got hit with a forklift. (Things are not always the way they appear)

Mice in the lockers


Some customers and employees act out of control when they feel like someone violated their "rights". Suspect plenty of convicted felons and psychiatric diagnosis


Esp in the loading area, reckless drivers[/quote]

Forklifts weigh a lot. They're just slabs of cast iron. The second safety problem for you sounds like the loons who hang around near by.

Forklifts weigh a lot. They're just slabs of cast iron. The second safety problem for you sounds like the loons who hang around near by.[/quote]

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Some customers have fallen over potholes in the parking lot

I tripped over a protruding nail in the loading dock. A supervisor and manager, zulema and Miguel, put on an entire"are you ok", smoke and mirrors, but nobody removed the nails

Once I fell over a cart backwards

Six times in my life I have heard the word "chino". Five times at work and four of them were separate day laborers

Frequently almost get hit by a car

Barking off leash dogs

Customers that act like wild animals when they are not happy

This is a problem, for sure.. and probably fairly common - especially depending on where you are in the world.

It's been my experience that it's not super common here to have untrained/unlicensed people operate forklifts, though.. I mean, maybe that happens at some small businesses here, but in general everyone here Knows you have to have a forklift ticket to get a job operating one.. and then most places aren't going to put the new guy on a big machine with a sketchy load.

But yeah, even though we have a lot of safety laws in place, I've still done sketchy stuff - especially at heights.. working on rooftops/ledges without the required fall arrest gear etc. But the older I get the less willing I am to do anything sketchy. I'll still do things that wouldn't be allowed on any large commercial construction site, but as long as it's physically Safe to do, I'll do it even if it isn't "technically," allowed. More interested in self preservation than following every last rule. We DO have the right to refuse unsafe work here - so - I will when I need to. Some guys, like the old man I've been working with, will do all kinds of sketchy stuff - like walking across planks at height while wearing stilts.. umm, no thx.

I'll do what needs doing, but I won't risk my life or someone else'. If it can be done safely I'll get it done. If someone insists on some sketchy unsafe method, then they can do it themselves. I'd rather walk off a job for a day or permanently quit than do something Stupid that could kill me just for a couple bucks. I have the luxury of having some money saved, so skipping out on some wages isn't going to put me out on the street. Unfortunately for a lot of people, they Need every hour's pay to make it to the next payday and so on and so are more willing to just accept doing dangerous things. :/ That's how people get killed.

Just gotta find that balance between safety officer required "Nerfing everything," so no one gets a paper cut and getting things done in a reasonable amount of time w/o any significant risk of injury. I feel like people like me are critical on construction sites because I'll straight up tell a boss to his face that if he didn't bid a high enough price to get the job done safely, that's not my Fking problem and he can do it himself. It teaches hard lessons to bosses about abusing peoples' rights to safe work/need for income, and sets an example for younger more risk taking worker bees to Also tell people to F off if they insist they do something stupid for their hourly wage. Be the change you want to see in the world!

I was asked to do a job without a signed contract once. That was pretty legally dubious. The employer apparently didn't expect to be given a polite response of "lol get f****d mate".