This sounds ugly!

E

Excalibur

Joined
Jun 28, 1999
Messages
235
I work for a large manufacturer.( Company Name withheld for obvious reasons) We have over 900 employees in our factory alone. ( the Company owns 4 others and is building another one)
Recently we've had a couple of employees that were injured when they cut themselves with their own pocket knives. One was using his knife as a prying tool (uugghh!) when it slipped and cut him, the other was using a POS knife to strip insulation from some wire when the dull blade slipped off the insulation and he jabbed the end of the knife into his hand.

The "Company Response" :

Due to the recent injuries, we are considering initiating a policy that will not allow employees to carry knives in the workplace.
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Can you believe that! Now this is not a place where everyone has a desk and uses their knife for letter openers. Probably 95% of the employees are working on an assembly line, building great big things that roll down the interstate. These guys are always needing a knife to open heavy cardboard boxes, cut lines, cut tops off of tubes of caulk, trim insulation, and hundreds of other things. Almost every one that works there carries a knife!

Now here is the real kicker, they don't allow the use of those box cutter type utility knives either! ( you know, the ones with the razor blades in them. )

BTW the Company is based in California.

I guess they will have to sharpen their teeth so they can chew those boxes open now!
rolleyes.gif


I have never heard of a more ridiculous policy! I thought one of the "suit & tie" guys would pass out Friday, when I clicked open a little Spyderco Jess Horn to open a box! Does anyone else work for such a "sheepish" place as this? I am still in shock!!
 
Thank goodness, no. On the list of "Required Tools" for being a Stagehand put out by my Local, "Pocket Knife" is third, right behind Screwdrivers and ahead of Crescent Wrench.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Maybe they could issue those round ended plastic "scissors" that they use in kindergarten.
 
You could put your eye out with those things.
smile.gif


Jack

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Two degrees in be-bop, a Ph.D in swing, he's a master of rhythm, he's a rock and roll king.
 
We had a problem with guys cutting themselves with dull POS knives too. I solved the problem by issuing everybody a Leatherman or Gerber.
 
I have a friend that works for a LARGE lumber/hardware chain store. After seeing him using a POS to cut things while working on his house I gave him an inexpensive but decient knife. A couple of weeks later I saw his oldest son using the knife. I ask if he had "borrowed" it while his dad was at work. His answer was, "No, Dad can't bring this to work. The Company calls this a weapon and he could be fired for having it at work."

Of course my friend doesn't eat anything with poppy seads in it for fear of the random drug tests.



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Dwight

It's a fine line between "a hobby" and "mental illness".
 
I'm blessed.

Went to get my CCW renewed and the clerk said to me, "You're the third anesthetist to come in here in the past month!"

Anyway, an obviously conservative bunch I work with. Just turned a couple more fellow "gas passers" on to a Spydie Wegner and BM 710. The Wegner guy went and bought Wegner, Jr's for his sons for Christmas!

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Frank Norman
Attitude - The difference between an adventure and an ordeal.
 
This really BLOWS! I can't believe the offensive authoritarian treatment that we are allowing to be perpetrated against us on an almost daily basis. What's worse, is that we just set around and let it continue. Where is all of this headed? How long will it be until we have to apply for a license to buy a new living room sofa?

My personal belief: We would all be much better off if we could get rid of all of the;

1. Lawyers
2. Journalists
3. Kennedys

Just say NO!
 
When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, they got rid of the laywers and journalists first. They didn't have any Kennedys. Then they got rid of another third of the population.

But back to the original topic, the company's new policy sucks with a mighty sucking sound. Don't they think they can teach their employees basic safe handling of common tools?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
From the sound of it, you should talk to a union Rep, and have them go to the company with a request for said company to provide you with proper cutting tools since you won't be allowed to carry a knife. I bet if its something that will cost the company money the decision will be reversed. It might work.

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Jake Evans,War Chief of the Terrible Ironic HORDE, Wielder of the Mighty Blade SOUL STEALER

[This message has been edited by Jake Evans (edited 01-25-2000).]
 
Originally posted by Barry L. Schuchart:

My personal belief: We would all be much better off if we could get rid of all of the;

1. Lawyers
2. Journalists
3. Kennedys

Just say NO!
Click to expand...

You left out insurance companies.
smile.gif


I agree that it blows big time. But how about paper cuts? Would they consider a policy of
banning paper use?
smile.gif


L8r,
Kris
 
As the saying goes:

"If we could only get read of all the clients, colleagues and judges...being a lawyer would be the best work on earth...

 
Hello,

It's much more dangerous to use an improper substitute for a good knife. I once saw an employee at a Lowes home center trying to cut off a length of 1 1/2" rope for a customer by using a bare razor blade! After watching this fiasco for a few seconds I offered my serrated SOG Autoclip and the guy looked at me with this incredulous look on his face. He took the knife anyway and made quick work of the rope.

I also lent the Autoclip to my boss at the office when he was trimming carpet. He was most appreciative - a pleasant reaction.

Later,

MBS

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Nevermind the dog...beware of owner!
 
John, this is a NON-UNION factory. They have had three different unions in the past three years try to come in....each time the company has staged campaigns to keep them out. So far the company has been successful,... Although with this proposed policy and many other new policies, I'm not sure they could convince the workers to vote for the company again.

I think James nailed the problem... rather than ban the use of a knife, give some of the numb-skulls a safety lesson. Usually when an accident occurs, it's because the worker was using the knife for something it was never designed for.
The only problem with safety lessons is that is our Safety Officer would be the trainer I suppose. And he is one of the "Sheep".

 
Barry: thank you for that overly broad statement/knee-jerk reaction. It's a fine example of the same type of mindset with which you profess to be frustrated. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some 2nd Amendment rights to trample...
rolleyes.gif
 
The sad part is that this whole situation is only going to get worse. The gun community is no different than the knife community,the guns and knives are tools and they can be cheap or extravegant and everytime someone gets hurt the "dogooders" want to keep us from hurting ourselves.. BULLCRAP, it is a control issue and eventually it will be like europe and you won't be carrying anything that remotely looks like a self defense item whether it be a pocket knife or a ball bat.
 
Say, does anyone remember the days when the concept of "Personal Responsibility" was rampant and everyone figured that people who injured or terminated themselves doing stupid stuff were naturally selected to exit the gene pool by Darwinism? Those who injured others in a similar fashion were not excused but were dealt with in a fair but serious fashion. Now either are grounds for a veritable flurry of litigation and legislation. Does this constitute an improvement?
The next time you are in a hardware store, take a look at all of the warning labels stuck on ladders and wonder how much longer it will be before you need a permit to buy one of them. Just my .02. End of rant.
 
Excaliber, James brings up a very good point. Approach the Safety Officer and broach the subject in the manner that utility (pocket
wink.gif
) knives are required for safe facilitation of a number of worktasks and line duties, the lack of proper safety training, regarding utility knife use would make the company liable for any injuries incurred by employees. Quasi-legal jingle makes people a bit wary, and mention OSHA, and see if they have any sort of safety recommendations for utility (again, pocket
wink.gif
) knives in the workplace. Stress the injury prevention, and its positive effect on OSHA recordables (I'm on the safety committee here at work, can you tell?), and the reduced costs to the company on medical benefits payouts. Find the cost of safety items such as kevlar-reinforced gloves, or some sort of safety training video, and show them the cost of basic safety equipment vs. the cost of insurance payouts and loss of productions due to more complicated procedures (due to loss of knives for utility purposes).

If you can make them realize that knives facilitate the workflow, removal of knives would hamper said workflow, and people will have and use a knife even if company policy is changed to deny then the use of knives, then pushing the safety aspects of a pro-active knife-safety program would seem their only hope.

Hell, Excaliber, volunteer to be part of the knife-safety program, chase down materials or OSHA recommendations, whatever, be a part of the solution, and I'm sure even your coworkers will appreciate the effort.

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Don LeHue

The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arm's reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.

[This message has been edited by DonL (edited 01-25-2000).]
 
Just take a soda bottle, drink it and then smash it on a near by bench, then ask if they'd like to see how jagged a cut the glass provides?

That kind of foolishness is one of the reasons that I have the quote in my signature below, it's not the tool/weapon it's the person! Quit putting the blame on the wrong thing.

In this case, those folks need to be trained in the proper use of knives, not ban all knives. But there are those that shouldn't be allowed to use Chop Sticks let alone an edged weapon....but enough is enough....

G2

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"There are no dangerous weapons;
there are only dangerous men."
.......... Robert A. Heinlein, 1959


G2 LeatherWorks

[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 01-25-2000).]
 
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