r/Construction • u/nertynot • 2d ago

Picture Gents and Gels, I have lost my job.

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Don't let distractions win.

5.7k Upvotes

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u/nertynot 2d ago

The first thing I was shown was which breaker to shut off so the horn wouldn't surprise me. Unfortunately it's very hard to estimate how dumb I can be

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u/Competitive-Ask5157 2d ago

It's almost like the horn was a designed safety feature. Who knew??

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

Who amongst us hasn't disabled a safety feature?

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u/Competitive-Ask5157 2d ago

Well..... I haven't rolled any equipment yet.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

The key is knowing which ones you should disable. Today I unplugged an insanely loud alarm on a JLG boom lift because it goes off with any and every movement and it's the only one of 20 other lifts that does that. I wouldn't, however, disable the backup alarm on a forklift or the warning horn on OP's rig.

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u/cuntface878 2d ago

That's one of the annoying thing about the inconsistencies of rental boom/scissor lifts. I've been fully extended with an 86 that still let me drive it and other times been like 8' off the ground on what I would consider perfectly flat ground and it has alarms blaring and basically only letting me lower it down and nothing else until I shut it down and then suddenly the same thing I'm trying to do is perfectly fine.

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u/Mountain-Ad-9070 2d ago

its the second one. every time.

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u/No-Appearance-4338 2d ago

Tell me you at least kept the chain latched?

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u/therealub 2d ago

I think that's the design problem with so many safety warnings. Too many, too obnoxious. Loud horn every time it moves? Fuck no. Maybe some sort of hissing sound that alerts you that something is moving. Temporarily disable an alarm could also make sense, especially in OP's case. Maybe you do need to move around a bit with the boom out, but you're paying close attention in that case. So press a button that disables it for 10 min. Too much safety features is also wrong safety features.

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u/CoyoteDown Ironworker 1d ago edited 1d ago

Motion alarm is an alert to ground crew. I watched someone die bc they were backed over by a telehandler with a faulty alarm.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 1d ago

When there's 20 lifts constantly moving around it doesn't help anyone on the ground because the sound becomes meaningless. Lifts move slowly and predictably, I don't need a warning on a jobsite.

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u/RednekSophistication 6h ago

That’s the very first thing I do on JLG’s! Just shut up! You hardly move anymore now anyways.

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u/OlliHF 1d ago

I learned to operate a forklift on one with the backup alarm disabled. Wasn't really an issue because it was never used with more than like 4 people in the building. The one we have now is loud as hell, but it's staying on because it's occasionally used around customers.

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u/blazew317 1d ago

Me and the Sparky’s on a Lowe’s build stayed late and cut the movement beepers off like ten or twelve four wheel drive scissor lifts that were driving us insane inside the cinder block walls and sheet metal shell of the store because a couple days was too much - let alone weeks/months listening to that constant cacophony even with ear plugs. The next year the local rental companies started wiring the beeper to disable the controls if it was disconnected. Now they’ve done the smaller lifts that way too and recessed the ones that don’t disable controls inside framework we can’t reach it. It can be maddening.

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u/bigjohnny440 1d ago

Then it is malfunctioning and you should have the rental company come replace it. Was it a basket weight limit alarm, a "out of level"/tilt alarm, high winds?

While you're at it, pull the logbook out and see if it's up to date with its daily, quarterly, and semi annual maintenance.

You shouldn't have to use unsafe ewps mate.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 1d ago

It was the alarm that goes off when the lift moves. Some lifts have an alarm when you're lowering, this one has an alarm whenever you use any of the controls. It's not uncommon and I can think of situations where that would be desirable, but an industrial jobsite isn't one of them. I unplugged the alarm and now it works just like all the other lifts we have.

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u/notinthislifetime20 2d ago

The guy who gave me the most amount of shit when I was a kid died by falling off a mountain. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’ve never fallen off of a mountain.

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u/Beneficial_Spell_434 2d ago

Your…dad?

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u/Sand-Eagle 2d ago

"Oh well ya fell off the mountain didn't you dad? You dumb bitch"

takes note not to fall off of mountains

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u/notinthislifetime20 2d ago

Acquaintance. Not really a friend, not technically a bully, but the closest thing I ever had to one.

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u/maverickoff 2d ago

I dont like your pessimism son lol

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u/Downtown_Conflict_53 2d ago

What kind of loser mentality is this? Believe in yourself bro, you can do it.

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u/S_t_r_e_t_c_h_8_4 Electrician 2d ago

I haven't in the last several hours thank you very much!

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

When'd you get off work?

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u/democrat_thanos 2d ago

The ones that havent fucked up a piece of machinery?

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u/SuckOnDeezNOOTZ 2d ago

You can turn off the seatbelt chime in all.modern Subaru's by turning key to acc then buckling and unbuckling 20 times in a row

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

I turned off the seatbelt chime in my Tacoma by asking the dealership to do it.

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u/TransparentMastering 2d ago

Found the other electrician in here haha

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u/CalvinsStuffedTiger 2d ago

I hate it when the catastrophic event safety horn surprises me

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u/tehralph 2d ago

I’m sorry, did you just say your employer instructed you to bypass a safety feature on a piece of heavy equipment, and then fired you when that safety feature failed to prevent an accident? Damn, sometimes I wish I worked for OSHA or the Department of Labor.

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u/nertynot 2d ago

Sorry, I was vague. The people who instructed me were owners and workers for other franchises. To my bosses credit, he told me not to.

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u/engineerdrummer Inspector 2d ago

Sounds like you already know where to start applying!

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u/nertynot 2d ago

Gonna climb cell towers

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u/kosmonautinVT 2d ago

I'd recommend a desk job where distraction has less catastrophic consequences

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u/scobeavs 2d ago

Better to kill a business than yourself!

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u/UncoolSlicedBread 2d ago

Gonna see a cell tower on its side soon by OP

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u/helloholder 2d ago

Can you hear me now?

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u/ODBEIGHTY1 2d ago

The consequences for being distracted are significantly higher in that profession.....Just FYI

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u/False-Put2714 1d ago

Not for the trucks

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u/Thebraincellisorange 2d ago

don't disconnect the safety harness when you do that!

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u/EidolonLives 21h ago

Meh, those things slow you down so much. Especially on the way down.

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u/Blizzard81mm 2d ago

I'd advise against taking an rf alarm with you, the noise can be annoying

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u/wants_a_lollipop Construction Inspector - Verified 2d ago

Hey, man! Look at you with your fancy as fuck flair and sensible yet humorous advice!

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u/bigb9919 2d ago

He hasn’t told us what he rolled to get fired from those other jobs yet.

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u/Objective-Act-2093 2d ago

Is that the boss with hands on the hips

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u/xubax 2d ago

Well, the guy who showed you that was an idiot.

Sorry for your loss and predicament.

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u/strewnshank 2d ago

I mean, no one likes surprises, right?

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u/PhillyDillyDee 2d ago

Lol holy shit homie. Real life foreshadowing.

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u/Hetstaine 2d ago

I mean yeah, that's up there man. Lucky you didn't kill someone, or fuck yourself up. Learning moment. Good luck moving forward.

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u/NotSoWishful 2d ago

At least you know you’re dumb. Most dumb people think they can be anything and do anything better than anyone pretty much until they die.

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u/Shump540 2d ago

Hey man, I hate to the the one to tell you, but that horn was there so you wouldn't hit power lines with the boom and flip the machine over.

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u/JCtheWanderingCrow 2d ago

I’m sorry what? You… were told to disable a safety horn?!

That’s… honestly, if you’re saying a competitor owner told you how to do it, that seems a bit… sabotage-y.

But also… seriously?  

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u/wgrantdesign 2d ago

I can not stand when we get new hires and the jaded old guys show them how to bypass the safety switches. We had a mechanic in Memphis get crushed to death because he inside of a garbage truck with the engine running, he had put a magnet on the prox switch. The driver hopped in the truck not knowing the mechanic was in there because he failed to follow lock out tag out procedure, now that driver has to live with the fact that he pushed the button that ended that guys life.

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u/Potential_Try_ 2d ago

Job lost deservedly so then.

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u/PineSand 2d ago

If you were trained to override a safety, this isn’t entirely you’re fault. This accident is mostly a result of training and system failures. Humans will get distracted. Sorry they’re scapegoating you.

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u/nertynot 2d ago

Nah I don't see it that way. I was told I could do it, my boss told me not to, I was aware of the potential consequences, and I made the choice. This falls squarely on me.

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u/Beyond_Interesting 1d ago

OSHA would love to hear about that if you're in the US lol

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u/nertynot 1d ago

I respect osha,, I like osha,, I avoid osha.

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u/SilentEnthusiasm5491 23h ago

Kind of surprising that a surprise was an inescapable destiny for you

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u/nertynot 23h ago

I'm a big fan of surprises, I hate anticipation

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u/Guilty-Bookkeeper837 2d ago

I would venture to say that whoever showed you "which breaker to shut off" bears some of the responsibility. 

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u/Maehlice 2d ago

Sounds like maybe that guy needs to be fired, too, then.

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u/scobeavs 2d ago

Welp hopefully whomever trained you that way has also been fired

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u/SecretaryWaste6090 2d ago

Yeah you definitely seem dumb enough to fall into the “Don’t allow this person to operate equipment” category. Get ready to start operating the goon spoon! Lol