What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Thai Society and culture, Living in Thailand.
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parrot
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What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by parrot » August 20, 2018, 5:46 pm

When I was in the Air Force, I cringed at the thought of OSHA inspections.......exit lights properly lit, spray cans properly stored, electric/phone cords properly tucked away....silly things like that....along with the occasional annual OSHA briefing reminding us not to climb to the tippet top of step ladders or clean floors without posting yellow warning signs. I may as well have had OSHA tattooed on my arm.
Somewhere tucked away in hundreds of photos I've taken here is one of several workers laying piling for a bridge in a nearby village. Two men were operating the pile driver.....a contraption of loose and then tight exposed cables along with the sledge hammer mechanism that operated within inches of the man controlling the cables. Both men were in flip flops. And as the men worked, a woman and her child played perilously nearby. Probably the spouse and child of one of the men. Someday I'll uncover that photo and post it here.
In the meantime, this photo taken from one of Udon's facebook page showing men repairing part of Thongyai Rd in town. A little bit same same but different.
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Barney
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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by Barney » August 20, 2018, 6:16 pm

Parrot
So you may have thought it was all silly items at the time, what was your opinion at the end of your work life? Did all that silliness save anyone from an injury. Not having a go at you, just asking if your attitude changed over time?

It appears you have been away from the work front for sometime, in my industry it is now daily safety advice, if not every change of task through the day, for the workers on what you may have had annually.
I have in the last 45 years in the trade seen some big changes, especially where some work practices like working at heights etc were allowed and also a certain number of deaths were allowed for on the large projects, to what we have today of absolute ZERO LTI's and very minimal medical treatment tolerated.

To answer your question, what is does for my mind it has me thinking about safety as an auto cue whenever I'm out and about. Through my, at times unwanted persistence I have the girls now in my life, wearing helmets and using seatbelts. She now wears gumboots, gloves, an old motorbike helmet with visor in addition to safety glasses while doing the whipper snipping, prior she wore only gloves.

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semperfiguy
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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by semperfiguy » August 20, 2018, 6:23 pm

I would have to agree that in the US the OSHA regulations are just "over the top" in many cases, but the totally lax standards in Thailand can be extremely dangerous for workers and the general population altogether. The first thing that comes to my mind is walking through the night market on the river in Nong Khai on Friday nights. The sidewalks are laced with wires from a multitude of extension cords as well as exposed wires from lampposts that have been removed over the years along the promenade. One truly has to proceed with caution or else trip on wires, or worse, be electrocuted, especially if it has been raining. I could easily think of dozens more incidences of danger that goes unchecked, but I think those of us who have been here any length of time are already very familiar with them.
Colossians 2:8-10...See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. For in HIM dwells all the fullness of the GODHEAD bodily; and you are complete in HIM, who is the head of all principality and power.

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by FrazeeDK » August 20, 2018, 6:42 pm

but, note at most major construction sites here in Thailand there is always a big sign in English that says loudly, "SAFETY FIRST!!"
Dave

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by parrot » August 20, 2018, 7:05 pm

" just asking if your attitude changed over time?"

Except when I was flying (and fully endorsed the safety needs), I was in air conditioned comfort of offices or pretty safe work spaces. But every office had to have someone who enforced OSHA......and when there was little to enforce, you went over the top to enforce what was left. I never had a problem with the idea of OSHA......I'm a believer in regulatory organizations....seatbelts, helmets, safety glass, hearing protectors etc......all for our well-being. Yes, OSHA is ingrained in my brain!
I think, though, that the longer you live in Thailand, the more you begin to realize that operating a pile driver or jack hammer in flip flops is pretty much the norm......and when you see a work crew constructing a new Lotus (like they did in Nadee a few years ago) outfitted in hard hats and work shoes, you do a double take and wonder what planet they came from. I don't like to see 4 (or more) people on a motorcycle, but realize that my idea of a Dodge Caravan and the Thai idea of the same is different.
For all the screaming and gnashing of teeth that goes on in this forum about Thais not wearing helmets, there remains a fair number of states in the US that allow riding without a helmet. When I lived in Texas, I doubt a year went without a death from trying to cross a barricaded low-water crossing or trying to bypass a train barrier. Such is life.....not just here.

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by glalt » August 20, 2018, 9:24 pm

OSHA US cost industry a huge amount of money. Some rules were necessary and needed but after the major problems were corrected, the inspectors thought it was their job to justify their existence and nit pick everything. One maintenance man cut his head open on a totally useless guard. He had to be held back and stopped from beating the hell out of one of the useless inspectors because of the useless guard. OSHA also failed to keep up with technology. Electronic safety devices were not approved. Sometimes even the best intentions go seriously wrong. OSHA failed to recognize that an industrial accident cost the company big money.

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by tamada » August 21, 2018, 1:53 pm

semperfiguy wrote:
August 20, 2018, 6:23 pm
I would have to agree that in the US the OSHA regulations are just "over the top" in many cases, but the totally lax standards in Thailand can be extremely dangerous for workers and the general population altogether. The first thing that comes to my mind is walking through the night market on the river in Nong Khai on Friday nights. The sidewalks are laced with wires from a multitude of extension cords as well as exposed wires from lampposts that have been removed over the years along the promenade. One truly has to proceed with caution or else trip on wires, or worse, be electrocuted, especially if it has been raining. I could easily think of dozens more incidences of danger that goes unchecked, but I think those of us who have been here any length of time are already very familiar with them.
I am with you on the OTT aspects. For over 40 years, I have safely wandered through my bit of the oil patch, sometimes while wearing 'Japanese safety boots' (in the early days) or changing light bulbs while standing on a tea chest set on the poker table... in the dark, or grappling for a tow cable off a back deck with a steel hook pole in a thunderstorm, or racing down the Yellow River on an airboat with no seatbelt and no prop guard. Oh, the bullets we have dodged.

A whole lot of it comes down to common sense and if you are born without much of it, then please don't sit between me and the emergency exit on the crew change chopper. I am aware that this concept can be alien to even the most educated of the Third Country Nationals that I have had to train, teach or cajole into embracing some corporate safety culture, a basic premise that doesn't even exist in their country. Also, having 3 score and 2 years on my odometer without an injury, illness or losing an appendage, the inner gambler in me realizes that the odds are seriously stacked against me. So please don't get too upset if I do insist on getting the window seat on that chopper, OK?!

The worst is when they try to incentivize the lower-order workers into finding a set amount of safety-related items during their 28-day tour in order to get a t-shirt, coffee mug or some other bauble. TBH, this does work best with the TCN's where they grapple with the odd notion that losing a finger or an eye doesn't have to be optional. On crews with mostly white skins and round eyes where common sense is assumed (I know - dangerous), looking for dangers when none really exist yields such gems as "Bleeding gums from brushing teeth too hard" with the offered solution of "Don't brush your teeth too hard." Or "All fridge doors open right to left which is dangerous for left-handed crew members" to be solved by, "Purchase more fridges with left-hand opening doors." I had to step in and stop the bosun from swapping all the fridge door handle/hinges just to address this nonsense.

On the other hand, I would like to think that the subconscious adoption of some basic safety advice that seemed blatantly obvious to me at the time has helped my make Mrs tam and our oldest sprog more safety conscious through explaining why (for example) scissors should be closed and put away when not in use... and certainly don't run with them. Dry hands before touching light switches, etc.. you know, the usual stuff. Hopefully, our youngest one will benefit from mum's and big brother's tutelage should I leave the building early. As for the rest of the family, they're on their own. Knock yourselves out. Please.

Regarding the risks inherent of a life in Isaan, being aware and cognizant of the rather unique and esoteric dangers of everyday life here should keep us all on our toes. Non-grounded grounds, wrong way traffic (lights optional), drink driving, potholes, snakes,.. Anyone have any more?

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by Barney » August 21, 2018, 4:02 pm

I think you have covered it Tamada.
I'm the same vintage as you and have survived till now not by good luck mind you, but I can remember the real dangerous situations I foolishly put myself into way way back. Some working alone on live electric situations and a few at heights, because the work just had to be done. I feel common sense got me through and ability to think on my feet. I have improved my safety attitude over the years because I had to when you become the supervisor. Like you when here in Thailand with my little team I just think no further than us. I had 120 thai and 350 bangla electrical guys in Bangladesh on a gas plant construction and believe me after the morning safety speech in 3 languages it was clear it was a close call whom got it. Thais just made it.
One problem these days is a worker cant make a mistake without the threat of a Spanish inquisition, when I was a boy if you hit your hand with a 2lb lump hammer you certainly learnt not to do that again, ain't allowed to happen these days.
A little bit of the years of the increase and constant daily barrage with safety expectations and audits has worn off and got into my brain. I think for me personally in the end its a good thing.

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by parrot » August 21, 2018, 4:40 pm

Tamada "Regarding the risks inherent of a life in Isaan, being aware and cognizant of the rather unique and esoteric dangers of everyday life here should keep us all on our toes. Non-grounded grounds, wrong way traffic (lights optional), drink driving, potholes, snakes,.. Anyone have any more?"

When we first moved to Udon in 1996, we rented a home owned by an expat who lived next door. The hot water heater in our house was installed directly under the shower head. I inquired "Is that safe?," and he assured me the tenants who lived there previously had no problem with it.
As I was unfamiliar with Thai style hot water heaters, I wanted to know what's inside....I removed the cover and there was a warning label (in Thai). And beside the warning label was an empty screw. I mentioned it to our neighbor who agreed to have a ground installed. After the 'cousin' installed the ground and left, I reinspected. The thin copper wire was strung outside the bathroom window and attached to a piece of exposed rebar in the nearby wall. That was that!
So, my advice to anyone, especially a renter, is to remove the cover of your hot water heater and be sure it's grounded. Things have improved in Udon....electric safety wise......but I wouldn't risk my life over it.
In the meantime, I've learned there are all sorts of warning labels around....on our appliances, on the roads, even on the escalators at Central!......which leads me to my reason #2108 for learning some Thai.....but that's for another thread.
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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by sometimewoodworker » August 21, 2018, 11:44 pm

parrot wrote:
August 21, 2018, 4:40 pm
After the 'cousin' installed the ground and left, I reinspected. The thin copper wire was strung outside the bathroom window and attached to a piece of exposed rebar in the nearby wall. That was that!
To be fair that that earth connection was probably electrically good (see Ufer grounding), though a thin copper wire suggest that a thicker wire would have been safer
Jerome and Nui's new househttp://bit.ly/NJnewHouse

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by semperfiguy » August 25, 2018, 2:01 pm

Loved your post Tamada, and very well written. You should write a book of your experiences. Your example of closing the scissors when putting them away made me remember the two or more times when I have seen workers in my home opening something with a box cutter and then sticking the cutter in their back pocket with the blade still protruding. One guy opened up a cardboard box containing a piece of furniture, then carried the table through the house with the box cutter still opened and extended in his hand. I came along beside him and nearly lost my manhood and he never had a clue he was doing anything dangerous. Or, the dozens of times I have seen guys riding a motorbike with a weed whacker blade stuck out in plain sight just waiting for someone to ride along beside him and lose an arm or a head. They simply never give thought to the possibility that anything tragic could happen.
Colossians 2:8-10...See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. For in HIM dwells all the fullness of the GODHEAD bodily; and you are complete in HIM, who is the head of all principality and power.

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Re: What OSHA Does to Your Brain

Post by tamada » August 25, 2018, 3:27 pm

Here's a genuine danger that fairly unique to our chosen camp site... centipedes. The real big ones that we see around these parts.
Scolopendra_subspinipes (Small).jpeg
This ugly bastard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_subspinipes

There was a recent news item about a woman getting bit and her condition progressively worsening till her leg turned black and she ultimately expired.

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