# I'd like to thank my cow-orkers for making so much deafening noise for 8 hours a day
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 20, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334 "2012-09-20T23:41:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/1 "2012-09-20T23:41:17Z")
I am so SICK of that stupid blow-out station… (Compressed air cleaning station)
no, let me restate that, the BOS is an inanimate object, and is not inherently good or bad, what I’m sick of is…
PEOPLE NOT USING THE BOS CORRECTLY!
they go in there with a bunch of stuff to be cleaned and proceed to blow it out IN THE OPEN AIR, PRODUCING DEAFENING LEVELS OF HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE, and they do it for _HOURS ON END_
Decibel ratings can range from mid-eighties (damage starts at 85 dB) to just shy of 100 dB, and that’s even after the sound attenuation hardware was installed, thanks to the sound attenuation hardware, it tends to keep it on the “eighties” end now, but it still can get louder, especially when the hood isn’t used
(Names Farscaped to protect the innocent)
At first it was just Grayza and the rest of the POS crew, they’d been asked nicely to please use the hood properly to keep the noise down, but polite requests have been IGNORED, they still produce deafening, screeching cacophony of noise with the thing, it honestly seems like they just don’t fucking care “oh we’re only out there for a little while, it’s not going to affect us”, completely ignoring the fact that there are other people in the warehouse that it _DOES_ affect (I’m just the most vocal of the group)
D’argo has confronted the worst offenders a couple times, still it continues, it looks to us like they just don’t fucking care
and now, more people are ignoring the hood, blowing out in open air, and causing ear-splitting noise, all because they’re ignoring the hood and blowing out in the open air, it almost seems like the thought process is “well, if the POS department can do it, we can do it as well”
all the work Stark and his group have put into the sound-deadening enclosure is _USELESS_, it may as well not even be there if people are going to ignore the hood
Over the past month, at the end of the day, my ears have been ringing, and that’s even with using the supplied hearing protectors, my hearing _IS_ being damaged by incorrect usage of the BOS, and I’m not the only one, D’argo is sustaining cumulative hearing damage, as is Rygel, oftentimes, I have to ask Rygel to repeat himself and he’s only sitting about ten feet away from me, D’argo has also noticed similar effects of Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Chiana has verifiable hearing damage and it is highly probable that it was caused by extended bouts of unprotected exposure to BOS noise, and nothing can be done to repair the damage, the damage is done, and is irreperable, this is inexcusable
Like it or not, the incorrect usage of the BOS _IS_ affecting other warehouse staff, hearing is being damaged, and hearing damage is _NOT_ medically repairable
to be perfectly blunt, unless the incorrect usage of the BOS is addressed, you can put all the sound attenuating devices you want around it, but it simply WILL NOT WORK if people ignore the equipment and just blow stuff out in the open air, any attempts at sound attenuation are futile if the station is used incorrectly
No, the answer is NOT supplying hearing protection, or transferring me into the Lab, as it’s not just me who’s being affected anyway, the answer is to ENFORCE THE PROPER USAGE OF THE STATION!, if items are blown out under the hood, the noise levels are within the safe range, and no further building or enclosures are necessary, but if people _insist_ on ignoring the hood and blowing out items in the open air, then the noise attenuation items are useless
I understand that there are some items that are too large or inconvenient to fit under the hood, and that there’s really no other effective course of action than to blow them off outside the hood, but it seems that even the smallest items are being blown out outside the hood, for no reason other than “it’s easier” and/or “everyone else does it, why shouldn’t I?” and that’s the bigger issue here
there’s also the issue of the hood may be a tad too tall for some of the shorter employees, and they probably feel they have no other alternative but to go outside the hood, we need to redesign the hood to first make it more usable for people of all heights, and second, to allow larger items to fit under the hood and have more room to work under the hood itself
We basically need to enforce the proper use of the hood…
1; insure the item being cleaned is _BEHIND_ the yellow line
2; if the unit can fit under the hood, then KEEP IT UNDER THE HOOD while cleaning, no exceptions
Bluntly put, I don’t care that it’s “more convenient” for you to blow out the item outside the hood, your SELFISH desire for convenience does not give you the right to risk damaging the hearing of the warehouse staff
When _I_ use the station, i make the utmost effort to keep the noise level I’m producing below the danger range, out of respect to my fellow employees, even if it means it makes the cleaning job _slightly_ less convenient
---
### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/2 "2012-09-20T23:48:39Z")
Could you make a complaint to [OSHA](http://www.osha.gov/)?
---
### Author:  [@Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Che_G.Anonymous_Capitalist)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/3 "2012-09-20T23:48:49Z")
You put the hyphen in the wrong place.
---
### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/4 "2012-09-21T00:01:10Z")
My first thought was what **Oakminster** said. Why haven’t you called OSHA yet? Sounds like an inspection and a fine are what’s needed to get management in line and making everyone do the right thing.
---
### Author:  [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/5 "2012-09-21T00:03:25Z")
Your post is very jargon-heavy, but I got the jist. An OSHA complaint might the way to go, but I think you might start by just telling your boss how unbearable it is, even with hearing protection. They need to soundproof the thing better. If your boss doesn’t listen, go to HR and inform them that everyone in your warehouse is suffering. If they refuse to cooperate, they’re going to get work comp claims for hearing loss from ALL of you guys (and they’ll be stuck with paying for hearing aids until you die). Then, tell your primary doctor about the ringing and any hearing loss. They will help you file a claim against your employer’s work comp policy. And I’m sure the insurer will be VERY interested to know that your company is refusing to remedy a hazard on the job that will lead to multiple expensive claims in the future. wink.
Also, it kinda sounds like there’s a job opportunity here. Right? Someone could be hired and trained on proper use of the BOS. Then stupid coworkers could just hand over their parts and have them sprayed out by the BOS guy. If you suggest that to your boss (along with better soundproofing), you’ll be seen as a team player with VISION!
---
### Author:  [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/6 "2012-09-21T00:09:28Z")
> [@Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](#):
>
> You put the hyphen in the wrong place.
How do you know? In my experience, orking cows makes a god-awful racket.
---
### Author:  [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/7 "2012-09-21T00:32:10Z")
> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> Could you make a complaint to [OSHA](http://www.osha.gov/)?
This is a much more reasonable solution than I came up with - my first thought was violence, and my (slightly) more civilized idea was to put a lock on the circuit breaker for the BOS and refuse to open it until the station was setup correctly. I gather that you don’t have the authority to do that, so OSHA is probably your best bet.
It sounds (no pun intended) like D’argo, Chiana, and Rygel have potential workers’ comp claims - employers don’t like to hear things like that, so (depending on how adversarial you all feel like being) you may have some leverage there as well.
---
### Author:  [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/8 "2012-09-21T01:02:10Z")
To be honest, the company is a great place to work, very laid back, my department basically manages itself
One minor issue as far as management is concerned is that the department manager doesn’t like to deal with conflict, his attitude is basically “why can’t we all just get along”, he feels very uncomfortable bringing complaints from one dept to another
The biggest issue is, quite simply, that the BOS noise attenuation equipment works very well, WHEN IT’S USED CORRECTLY, if everyone would simply USE the hood, as they should be doing anyway, noise levels are low enough that no hearing protection is needed
The problem occurs when people are cleaning the items outside the hood, most common excuse is “it doesn’t fit under the hood”…
Bullshit
If I can fit a [Lexmark Color Laser printer](http://www1.lexmark.com/US/en/catalog/product.jsp?prodId=3756) under the hood and effectively clean it, then they can certainly fit their tiny cash register printers under the hood as well
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/9 "2012-09-21T03:26:41Z")
> [@Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](#):
>
> You put the hyphen in the wrong place.
New here, eh? 😉
ETA: No, really, it’s been an SDMB meme since before anybody had heard of internet memes.
ETAA: Or around the same time. It’s old.
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/10 "2012-09-21T03:32:20Z")
ETAAA: That’s “old” in the internet sense.
ETAAAA: And since the internet does not really revolve around the SDMB, it probably started somewhere else.
ETAAAAA: Meaning it’s really old.
---
### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/11 "2012-09-21T05:17:33Z")
As has already been noted, it’s time to call OSHA. Time to get the government involved in protecting the health of the workers in your warehouse.
---
### Author:  [@Celidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celidin)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/12 "2012-09-21T13:06:49Z")
> [@dropzone](#):
>
> ETAAA: That’s “old” in the internet sense.
>
> ETAAAA: And since the internet does not really revolve around the SDMB, it probably started somewhere else.
>
> ETAAAAA: Meaning it’s really old.
It’s from Usenet way back in the day, but became more widely known when Scott Adams popularized it in Dilbert and his Dilbert Newsletters in the early 90’s, IIRC.
> **[Scott Adams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_adams#Coined_phrases)**
>
> Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is an American author and cartoonist. He is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several nonfiction works of business, commentary, and satire. Adams worked in various clerical roles before he became a full-time cartoonist in 1995. While working at Pacific Bell in 1989, Adams created Dilbert. By the mid-1990s, the strip had gained national prominence in the United States and began to reach a worldwide audience. Dilbert remained popular ...
---
### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/13 "2012-09-21T15:40:38Z")
> [@MacTech](#):
>
> To be honest, the company is a great place to work, very laid back, my department basically manages itself
Yeah your OP sounds really laid back. :rolleyes:
You’ll never teach everyone to use it correctly. Sounds like either you or the blower need to move. Is it something you can move yourself? Just be proactive and move it somewhere.
---
### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-thank-my-cow-orkers-for-making-so-much-deafening-noise-for-8-hours-a-day/635334/14 "2012-09-21T16:15:39Z")
> [@Celidin](#):
>
> It’s from Usenet way back in the day, but became more widely known when Scott Adams popularized it in Dilbert and his Dilbert Newsletters in the early 90’s, IIRC.
>
> [Scott Adams - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_adams#Coined_phrases)
Yeah, we were orking cows back on alt.folklore.urban back before I ever heard of the SDMB.