# Two and a half weeks into my new job and I have concerns **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 7, 2020, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312 "2020-05-07T08:04:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/21 "2020-05-08T13:13:48Z")
**Leaffan** , I’ve never been in that situation, but I agree with **Spoons** - go get your own safety gear. You’ve got to protect yourself. Plus, you’re leading by example. Talk a bit at break about what a good deal you got at Canadian Tire on the glasses, and how cheap Walmart stuff is, because protecting your eyes and feet is really important. Not lecturing, just coffee talk. From your position, can you start improving things a bit at a time, like the eyewash station? Not as «that new hire is a troublemaker» but more «that new hire is taking the initiative to fix things up»? You can’t change a culture all in your own overnight, but if you start by getting the eyewash station cleaned and tested so it works, that won’t cost anything. And better sign-in, sign-outs, again, wouldn’t cost anything. And if someone grumbles, just smile and say «Safety. I want us all to leave the plant safe and sound every day.» incremental changes may be the best way, and once you’ve done low-cost things and you’re working well at the place, then maybe work on getting some of the bigger things done. After probation. 😁 If there’s a lot of long-service people there, it must have advantages as a work place. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/22 "2020-05-08T13:19:46Z")
I don’t have a strong opinion (being in construction where all this stuff is aspirational on the small scale), but I will say that in the US gear you are required to buy for your job is (kinda) tax-deductable, and safety-toed shoes can be had under $100 and safety glasses usually are under a buck if bought in multi-packs. I agree that the main way to get compliance from the company is to prove it saves $$$ (or conversely–costs if they have claims against them. That is what gets construction companies to implement). ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/23 "2020-05-08T15:11:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think not. If what is being reported is true, then that Risk manager is either blind as a bat or is in on it. Nobody who gave half a fuck would overlook that much. Not necessarily. One of my duties is being the de facto Risk Manager for my company. I have no way of visiting each of my locations, and rely on the feedback from the heads of Safety in our various office buildings and production facilities. If any of these folks has gone “rogue” and allowed major violations of regulated or company-specific guidelines, I would only find out if an accident created a financial loss, or if my insurance companies raised my premiums as a result of their own inspections or from a claim that was filed. Ultimately these costs hit my performance targets. In fact, I’ve set up a company-wide hotline where any employee can report safety concerns anonymously, in case they fear retaliation from their supervisors. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/24 "2020-05-08T15:12:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > It’s one single plant, and I like it! There are a lot of long-term employees in the 10 to 20 year range, so obviously they’re doing something right. > > I’m going to tackle this gently with one topic at a time instead of firing off a memo listing shit. > > Today I talked to someone in maintenance about the eyewash station. He agreed with me, took down my name and said he’d get back to me. I also was verbally informed by another senior employee that the MSDS I was looking for was in fact in a separate binder in the clean room. I have yet to verify that. > > As for operators not signing off on work instructions, I took it upon myself today to inform them that it was a requirement that they read the document and sign off on every shift. Their supervisor never mentioned it, but I’m going to insist on it for every machine and operator on my shift. > > I’m not involving management, yet. Sounds like you are in a position to enforce some of these things. Perhaps that’s why they hired you, because the last guy didn’t enforce the rules? I would just play dumb on it and proceed with proper procedures like you’re doing. If you overstep, someone will tell you to back off, I’m sure. If questioned, you can always say “Well, that’s how I understood the job. Was I wrong?” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/25 "2020-05-08T17:55:06Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Not necessarily. One of my duties is being the de facto Risk Manager for my company. I have no way of visiting each of my locations, and rely on the feedback from the heads of Safety in our various office buildings and production facilities. If any of these folks has gone “rogue” and allowed major violations of regulated or company-specific guidelines, I would only find out if an accident created a financial loss, or if my insurance companies raised my premiums as a result of their own inspections or from a claim that was filed. Ultimately these costs hit my performance targets. In fact, I’ve set up a company-wide hotline where any employee can report safety concerns anonymously, in case they fear retaliation from their supervisors. The OP says that it is one single plant. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312/26 "2020-05-08T18:04:02Z")
They should have a program to provide safety shoes, even it the employee has to pay for them out of pocket. That is a red flag. Particularly in a manufacturing environment. And there are many new types that can look like ordinary tennis shoes that are in fact safety shoes. They have come a long way from steel toed boots. But people are stupid. We continually need to remind people that just because it is casual dress day does not mean that you can wear flip-flops! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-and-a-half-weeks-into-my-new-job-and-i-have-concerns/853312.md?page=1)