Hey guys! I'm kind of new in the company but everything looks cool so far. Do you think that our industry is stressful? I found this article yesterday about mental health in construction and I was thinking about it: https://geniebelt.com/blog/mental-health-in-construction Especially because we are in a stereotypically "alpha-male" industry, so to say, and sometimes it's a bit tough to address such things. Thanks for your answers
I have always gotten a little peeved when I hear that the big money CEO's get is because of the high stress level generated by the job. I asked a very highly paid upper manager(a good guy) at a corporate dinner one night why he felt his stress level was higher than a dish washers. I explained to him that if he got canned tomorrow he should, if he was the least bit living within his income, have enough money to live on for a long time. I then told him if the person that washed dishes for a living lost his job today he may not eat tomorrow. How could have more stress than the dishwasher. He had no argument and said he never thought of it tht way before.
I've gone through a few bouts of what I assume is depression. I never went to a doctor or psychiatrist to have it looked into. Usually happens to me in winter because we only get like 7-8 hours of sunlight but it has never been near bad enough that I'd have ever considered self-inflicted harm. I don't believe in medications as I think those are just a band-aid solution for a deeper problem. Personally I coped with it by simply finding new things to occupy my mind with outside of work. I can't say its this easy for everyone because I don't believe what I experienced was as deeply routed as what others may be experiencing.
OIH, wish you could have known my mom or her dad. I was not fortunate enough to know to know him myself. But mom always made it a point to let people know that no matter how menial they thought their job was it was just as important as anyone else's. She would tell them what her dad had told her, he was an immigrant from England back just before WWI, he said that if not for the plumbers and people who keep the sewers working the king or queen of England would not have a place to go to the bathroom! And your mention of dishwashers reminded me of just such a person at the little diner she and dad often stopped at for breakfast. This guy was feeling pretty down about his job washing dishes so she told him that bit of advice from her dad. Next time she was there he mentioned how it had made him think about his job and his attitude was much better. Guess the owner of the diner noticed the better attitude as within a few months this guy was now working as one of the head cooks in this diner and thanked mom for her advice often. If that CEO or upper management guy does a poor job it can cause major problems to the point hundreds of people loose their jobs but by the same token if the dishwasher or housekeeper in a hospital does a poor job people could get very sick or even die. So how can one say one is under more pressure to do a good job. Then when you add in the fact that the CEO probably has compensation rate of over 1,000 time that of the dishwasher..... Poor CEO might have to sell a Porsche or two or maybe one of his vacation homes in the Caribbean.
There are many stresses..and all people in any job have stress..whether its about finances, emotions, phobias..you name it...and it is real for the BIG money execs all the way down to that dishwasher....the bottom line is any stress will kill you dead..so it doesnt matter the stress..you need to deal with the cause.and if that isnt fixable you need to figure out how to handle it, and many times the only way to handle it is to make a life change....and tons of books have been written about that...
Hansen, I lost my own Grandfather when I was three. My Mom's Dad, was a refinery worker/welder's helper as he did not manage to break into actual welding, was not good at it. He put in hard days and harder nights second jobs, worked Shell Oil CO Roxanna IL, also held time at Western Cartridge East Alton IL. Throat cancer stressed his system at 57, heart failed at 60. He too would have related the level of stress is not due to the level of management one can attain, he was very careful with his cash but was one bad week from not eating as noted. Wife, daughter, house he built and was paying for from 1936, gas rationing, WWII and the loss of his own family members WWI, WWII, lots of stresses. His first job was miner, 14 years old in Annapolis MO lead belt mines. Swore as he came out for the last time he would not ever enter a hole in the ground voluntarily again.
For a lot of people medication makes a huge difference. They are trying to educate and change peoples views on the subject but some idiots like Tom Cruise think depression and mental illness aren't real. Millions of people who have been helped by therapy and proper medication would disagree.
My depression kicks in when I find a piece of old iron that I like and can't afford. The stress comes when I buy it and have to figure out how to get it home. The fear kicks in when she says "What is that". Sorry, The stress related illnesses and deaths are all to real. Humor does help, hopefully even my feeble attempts.
This. My stress comes from not having anywhere to put it.
My dad was the local undertaker.....buried way to many local farmers well before their time. Heart attacks, every one, IMO, no doubt stress related. Ed
Trying hard to put in words my thoughts on this. If one has an infection no one thinks they are "weak" if they take medication to fight that off. If someone gets bit by a snake and needs a treatment of anti-venom are they "weak" for taking that? If someone has Psoriasis, are they "weak" for taking medication to help control that?
I personally am on the fence about medication to treat things like depression as I believe the medical field is all too often willing to hand you a pill for any little thing. I do believe therapy is a better route if possible. Just like physical therapy for injuries instead of medication.
I agree. Doctors seem to be in big pharma's pocket.
My wife uses a UV lamp in the mornings ( 15 minutes) during the winter. Believe me, it helps! Worth the 75$$ Cam
all our genetic make up is different..its not like going to auto zone and buying parts to fit a specific year car and the part will fit every car like it..not so with the human body..what works on me may not work on you..and that is one of the major problems trying to get medications to work for a particular person..I dont take any meds other than some pain meds and high blood pressure meds.. but know too many people that take meds for psychological issues...and have listened to all their tales of problems and what the meds do to them...since im not in that frame of mind its hard to comment for those that are..but if there was a chance something might help I would try with caution..I would first try to find out the cause and im a big believer in the holistic area and alternative treatments..it wasnt too long ago insurance companies laughed at acupuncture as a treatment..now they pay for it as its been proven to work..there are many directions to go looking for help in this area, and yes the Drs help support the big pharmaceuticals by prescribing way too fast meds to fix everything....its a long road to get back to where you were if you can...the downside..I have seen too many take what they think is the easy way out.....its a tough call anyway you look at it...
Big Pharma scam for increased profits with help from APA. The American Psychiatric Association meets in secret to develop the DSM. All task force members are required by the APA to sign non-disclosure agreements. This practice has been assailed by many, even former DSM chairman Robert Spitzer, who stated in an interview that "When I first heard about this agreement, I just went bonkers...transparency is necessary if the document is to have credibility." In March 2009, The APA made an announcement that it would phase out the practice of accepting contributions from pharmaceutical companies for medical education seminars and food provided at conventions. The pledge was short lived, however. Less than two months later the organization accepted $1.7 million from Big Pharma for its yearly convention in San Francisco. Groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), which were allegedly founded to advocate on behalf of people with mental disorders, have since been exposed as nothing more than front groups created to push Big Pharma's profit-driven agenda... Depression: Is Not Caused by Brain Chemicals Imbalance http://kellybroganmd.com/7-facts-about-depression-that-will-blow-you-away/
Some Dr's. like to give out prescriptions like candy but not all. The fact is a lot of people benefit from medication and mental illness and depression are real. It will likely be debated for eons just like the lunar landings though. There are some quack Dr's. as well. I know people who take medication and it keeps them on a level playing field. Canada has a big Lets Talk event every year to try and bring awareness to mental illness but there are still a lot of people who dismiss it. Of course the attitude is, it will never happen to me.
So Dave, can you name ONE medication that does not have adverse negative side affects? Sure depression is real, but treatable without using petro-chemical based drugs. Doctors prescribing meds for depression are mostly 'just' enablers; many individuals seek out a 'label' to justify their behaviors, i.e. 'I am bipolar' you have to put up with my ****! The field of Psychology; base upon science? Answer: https://arachnoid.com/psychology/psychology_science.html Updated 2017: In 2013 the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 79 ruled that the contents of the DSM 76 would no longer be accepted as the basis for scientific research proposals, for the reason that the volume has no scientific content. About this ruling, NIMH director Thomas Insel said, While DSM has been described as a ‘Bible’ for the field, it is, at best, a dictionary, creating a set of labels and defining each. The strength of each of the editions of DSM has been ‘reliability’ – each edition has ensured that clinicians use the same terms in the same ways. The weakness is its lack of validity. Source: https://arachnoid.com/psychology_and_neuroscience/index.html Behavior Disorders; Our Genes! Mostly NOT!
Have to agree with Stan here. Have had a few bouts of a depressed sentiment, the only way I found would or could get out of it was to get myself out of it, drive in another direction. Nobody else preaching, examining, coaching, convincing me my parents were evil or abusive people or meds would have or could have made any difference. All too many EXPECT a pill or pills as does my sweet little wife. She gobbles major quantity of pills albeit some kind of miracle vitamins or supplements or her own anti-depressants as she has weight control issues she cannot seem to understand or manage if you eat too much crap(loves cake and ice cream) then stare at the boob tube for literally hours on end you are gonna gain weight that causes her to feel less public capable. One side effect of anti-depressants is weight control, another is fits of uncontrollable depression, becomes a self eating watermelon at that point. The psych groups have to have patients or they do not have work. Someone figures out how to avoid them big pharma and the psycho docs go back to basics or the insane asylums/hospitals. I have lost jobs, houses, girl friends and good friends(deaths) early on, made and lost my fortune a half dozen times where I am now almost too old to try that crap again yet it lingers always in the background. Kids today, women with NO tolerance levels, people that just will not expend the effort to pull their own butts out of the gutter want something handed to them to make it all better much as the twelve year old that cannot get the new toy or must have clothes or special treats foods expects as a secondary reward to not pout or be mad or 'depressed'. As with bi-polar, (I did have a girl friend that way, LEGIT) a lot has to do with diet, hormone control, living a better life than just feeding more drugs. The old gal friend could almost spin her head 180 degrees to screech at someone(generally me) when she tripped, eventually she found a reasonable less than Quack that set her off standard birth control and the anti-depressants she took onto a hormone her system was lacking and she stopped acting so weird for her last known boyfriend/husband.
I guess then nobody should ever have an operation that could save their life because there's always a risk something could go wrong. Nobody should take Synthroid for a thyroid condition. What about schizophrenia? It's a mental health issue too. Had a guy off his medication and decapitated another person on a bus. Back on the street now and has to agree to take his medication. Brook Shields was treated with medication for post partum depression. Olympic medalists Clara Hughes and Elizabeth Manley both benefitted from medication for depression. Clara Hughes is the main spokesperson for the lets talk event about mental health. Nobody ever likes to admit it but I bet a lot of people you know take medication for depression and it helps them. The whole reason for trying to make the general population more aware how big mental health issues are. My mom takes a small dose of medication and it is a major improvement. Without it she's paranoid about everything and thinks people are out to get her. It really helps with her thought pattern. She ended up in the hospital because she called the police and said some guy phoned her and said all her kids were killed. Can't imagine how she must have felt thinking it was true. Never dawned on her to call us and see if we were OK. With medication she doesn't have thoughts like that! That's a first account of how meds helped my mom. With the internet now, you can find as many different views on a subject to support your agenda as there are minutes in a day. That's why the debate over medication will still be going on 100 years from now.
Mr. Miller screaming females that never grow up!
And all this time I thought that's why they make barley soda . LOL ! https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/320/17193/
I've been dealing with my mild depression by hitting the gym. Keeps the mind occupied and I've dropped 50lbs in the last 18 months. Like I said I've never been in any dark places but I've never really felt 100% "great" mentally since my mid teens. This last year has been absolutely freaking amazing though. Not sure if its just all the endorphins from working out or the weight loss but my mental state is operating on a level I haven't felt in years. This is just my experience anyways.
Different levels of depression. Some people can find a way to deal with it, some can't. Some have caused physical harm to themselves and even committed suicide. No one can tell anybody else how they should feel. Just because some people have overcome depression doesn't mean everybody can. Some people with depression have been helped by medication is all I'm saying. Will it work for everyone, no but it has helped a lot of people. You can't put every Dr. or every patient in the same boat.
Problem is too many over medicate using that, my wife's late husband for example. His solution to dealing with a second sentence in jail for that was the application of a 12ga. I had the job of helping clean up the basement after that.
Not saying I disagree with anything you've posted as you bring up a lot of good points. I just feel that some doctors these days seem to want to take the easy way out and write prescriptions for every ailment, rather than trying to solve some of these issues without meds first. If meds are the only thing that make a difference for a person then they should absolutely take them.
I guess I see it a little differently. Doctors are quick to write out a perscription because thats what most of the customers want. Most people want to take a pill and and hope that solves it. Thats easier then actually dealing with the root of the problem. Same reason its easy to sell a get rich quick book, or lottery tickets. There definitely are people who need medication. There's alot more who need to do some self examination and fix the cause instead of the sympton. And i doubt the construction industry is any different then any other in the number of people with mental health problems.
Sorry to hear about your wife's late husband Ken . My comment was more " light hearted " intended . Not a bit uncommon for us to get a few people together around a camp fire & barley soda party . Loosens everyone up & if someone has an issue or problem they want to share with the group chances are one of the boy's will come up with a good solution . People would surprised how many solutions came out of a Beer Can .
There's definitely Dr's. that would rather prescribe pills than look into the real reasons why someone feels the way they do. In a lot of cases I think a psychologist is much better than a psychiatrist. They can't prescribe medication and actually have to listen to you. Psychiatrists are often took quick to give a prescription and don't spend a lot a lot of time talking to try and figure out the root cause of what's troubling someone.
Most all the solutions that came to me out of a beer can landed my tail in hot water. I tend to not take my self to seriously after I've had a few. Keeps things simple.
Good posts, all. I've found ( slowly over the years as I've continued to wear myself out as probably a lot of us do in life and heavy industry) that if you have the state of mind to mention to your doc that you're not necessarily looking for a medicine to fix you, then they normally say "rest, amuse yourself while you rest, and don't do it again if it hurts". Pretty good advice for a lot of ailments, but it doesn't fit in with a lot of lifestyles. Depression is one of the hardest ones to fix, but enjoying yourself while resting while sick, is one of the best cures I've heard of. If you can.
Why didn't I see this before I got married???
That's a great point Knepp ! Far better off stayin loose & not taking yourself to serious on the Job or at play . Been around people that are just " wound to tight for the job " . They will micro manage it all out & panic at the first little hitch in the plan . After that happens it's the equivalent of loading cattle in the truck , there is always one that will panic & bail over the fence on ya . I'll drop on some Dobie Gray at no extra charge .
I have seen a few that allowed a depressed state to overwhelm them much as my wife. She took the role of care giver of her parents against the cautions/recommendations of real health care workers that do it day in day out. She became so overwhelmed by not being able to medicate her Dad or Mom and to sit while they died by inches in the same rooms that she became so clinically depressed she almost needed institutionalizing. The meds she took actually made the condition worse until they figured out she was also enduring the magic change of life, they corrected her hormone condition and the depression backed way down. She has established her cross to bear and has days but less so that before. My Dad lived in the Brown bottle unable to cope with the loss of our Mom and our older brother within a year of each other. He was delusional as to his prowess with the Ladies especially those wives of friends of his where he alienated most within a short time driving him further inside the booze. I look at this as his penance for what he did to the family and Mom all the years they were together, he was quite a abusive load most of his life to everyone around him.
I grew up as one of ten children. Dad was a Teamster pulling gas transports and we worked in the woods, logging pulpwood on pretty much his every off moment. I used to whine about having to go to the woods every weekend and evenings in the summer, but I have come to realize how lucky we were to be close to our father and have been able to spend all that time with him. Some of my fondest memories and certainly a large part of my "worthwhile" education came out of the timber. These posts only reinforce how fortunate I was.
Good thread but to take it back to the initial question of mental health in the construction industry. I believe that most people would rather do a good job rather than sluff off to collect an easy pay check. It's when we are prevented from being able to accomplish our best work that the morale runs down and the attitude changes. I've seen a few people get depressed as they tried to accomplish jobs that were unsolvable puzzles meant to drive people insane. Fixing old junk with no repair parts and little to no help working 50 or more hours a week and seeing little enough home time. Owners and supervisors who rant and rave and talk behind your back running your reputation down to make themselves look good. It's not just us on machines either. Think of the house framing crew looking to meet a builder's dead line and the weather turns nasty or violent. I had a friend many years ago tell me of being a contractor in the Houston area doing storm damage work. He needed a large crane for a days work. Machine got on site when a storm blew up and the construction was stopped for three days. He was stuck with $15,000 worth of crane time when nothing could work. Sounds a bit stressful to me. The great golfer Lee Trevino remarked one time that stress was a $100 bet on the last hole of the day with only $10 in your pocket.
Yeah, it kinda is. Lots of interesting replies and personal insights into some pretty heavy stuff. What's ironic is that the whole thing was most likely just somebody's using HEF for what's called "Search Engine Optimization." Search engines will place sites higher on their list of results when they're linked from other sites with related content. The opening poster hasn't bothered to come back and join the discussion; actually hasn't come back to HEF at all since making the post. Go figure. And if I were to reply, my first reaction would be that you gotta be a little nuts to be in this business anyway....
Way off topic, um sort of. Pill pushing doctors (per their training as Rockefeller intended ) causing Adverse Drug Reactions are the number 4 leading cause of death in the US. Governments' support; if you have time read this linked article by John F. Kennedy Jr http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/ne...fda-regulators-used-statistical-gimmicks-hide After reading the replies on this thread and Williams Marines health thread/shop topics I see guys blaming their earlier self job abuses (knees, joints, back etc) mostly on that behavior. A big contributor the those past/current health issues is the fact that we're all swimming in exposes to chemicals that can/do destroy health. Nerd article, related to 'you are what you eat' https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4662178/ Gut~Brain axis, 70% of our immune system is located in our guts ( microbiome), communicating bidirectionally via the 10th cranial vagus nerve. Oh, I just had a great meal, pasta; energy hits the floor, 'gotta take a nap'....Gut~Brain, blood sugar spiking, gut immune response to what it sees as toxic invasion ramp up the defenders! Our bodies are like a 'ecosystems' not different parts like conventional doctors were taught and they were also taught to use synthetic drugs to treat and suppress systems, not cure or prevent diseases. They receive cash kick backs for each prescription written (check here https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/) and each referral (you need to see a specialist). In the US over 50% of the populist is taking prescription drugs and that statistic is increasing yearly. Cheers
I THINK.. John C. nailed it.. Your working your nuts off, 4 people standing around watching & not 1 offers to help.. THEN you hear the boss running you down because the job took to long & "we" didn't make any money.. & at the end of the week, EVERYONE got a paycheck, but your the only one beat to hell & back.. Doesn't do much for the morals or state of mind.. OH< what I wouldn't give for 1 DAY.. just 1 DAY.. of not being pizzed off at work.. JUST 1..!!!!
I can relate, worked for years in a shop as a grunt where they decided the operation needed night shift asking myself and day working foreman to run it. He could not take the late hours so they asked me to take his position. Did the billing, customer association, aligned estimates and took on the diagnosis challenges to make those estimates took care of phones, complaints and parts reorders/charge outs. Guaranteed me 25 hours a week initially, then found that as I made chargeable hours the guarantee would be reduced by those hours so could barely break 30-35 in a week. I asked to be returned to floor where I had been breaking 45-55 hours a week on good weeks the argument was the customer base knew me and would come to me instead of the replacement so NO so I left them as the inability to make as much as the floor mechanics pizzed me off but I was newly married, house payment and such bills so stuck it out three YEARS which was MY fault. The next guy required a 45 hour guarantee or would not accept which they grudgingly gave but then added the caveat he would have to produce 35 chargeable hours a week, he only lasted two months before that had to change or he would leave. They needed a desk foreman service writer, they expected 40+ hours a week from everyone and did not or would not understand the duties the owners performed on days office wise had to be reflected in the operating foreman at night. They have sold out, got old and sick could no longer manage the business, sucked it dry and left the mechanics to fend for themselves with a one week notice of closure. Almost forgot, the night crews had over doubled the amount of gross income for the facility, the owner scoffed was due to HIS reputation not the crews. Pompous azz.
I "THINK" today might have been my last.. WAY to pizzed to go into details.. PLUS my fingers wont take a break from walking to the frig.. if ya know what I mean.. We'll see what tomorrow brings.. Hows THAT for Mental Health??
Same twit as before?? Sorry to say some days it is just easier to make up your mind enough, I found my worst last day in June.
I hope you are refering to work and not something else.....
Stay " Loose " thepumpguysc . As Mitch504 says ... Don't sweat the petty things & don't pet the sweaty things .
I've had some bad days and I just said to myself, "as long as my paycheck comes on Friday I am happy to work here". I have to learn not to care how anybody else does it or what anybody says to me about how I am doing my job. I can change my ways, after all the boss signs the paycheck, he gets to say how it gets done; or they can fire me, but I must have been doing something right, because nobody ever did. I'm I came close a time or two but never happened. Another guy said, "I was looking for a job when I found this one." As long as you show up for work the same time every day, not drunk or on drugs, and work until they say go home, and have some reasonable skills, you will always have a job somewhere. TPG, I am sure there is more to it, but I would advise following paragraph #1 until you can leave on your own terms.
While I am in The same state right now,(tequila shots) please think with a clear head before doing anything that will affect you pay check and long term goals..... Cam
The rest of the story>> Things have gotten REAL SLOW at work.. I'm standing around moping floors & cleaning windows.. all the while, everyone else is sitting infront of a computer terminal watching utube videos for 8-9hrs a day & getting paid.. & I'v got work out the azz at home.. I walked into the "foremans" office & said, Hey, as long as we're not busy, would it be ok, if bring a "side job" in.. clock out & do it?? I buy my own parts & use my own tools & I'm NOT on company time.. how about it?? He hemmed & hawed & said, well, your still stealing.. then the phone rang.. he couldn't pick it up fast enough.!!! I gave it about 20 seconds, long enough to hear it was a friggin personal call, ON THE CLOCK.. & I left.. it was 5:00.. We're gonna finish this conversation weather he likes it or not. this morning.. The back story is> HE DOES IT!! just on the weekends.. He's actually sent ME out to fix HIS side job screw-up's.!!!! & sends other employees out on side jobs after hrs too.!!! IF I cant talk any sense into him, I'm going to the BIG BOSS & explain the situation & gonna throw that stupid SOB foreman, under the bus.!!! The thing about my situation is> I can walk out anytime I want.. I'm financially secure & have a marketable skill.. We'll see what today brings..
I wish you the best of luck, and completely understand where you're coming from. I have been there before and have long since removed myself from the situation.
I kinda like sweaty things, if I had worked that sweat up!! pumpguy, caution to the wind may not be the best here, have seen that form of explosion in my old job where I was damned near walked to the gate myself. If it is getting too much take a short vacation, if that fails to take the edge off it may be that time you noted as was mine. Sometimes leaving them to their own designs is enough satisfaction. I am moving on where I may take up a part time local driving job, no more high pressure crap for me.
Isn't this why they made sick days? "I'm sick of work" days.
I take the afternoon off and go home if my work is done and I have things at home to do. Boss does not know what I am doing there. Cam
I absolutely hated slow times. My experience though was that employers don't like to give time off when slow because the good people start looking for a better job somewhere else. When I ended up in your situation I usually started working on an exit strategy that would make a lot of people stop and think, if only for a minute. Pumpguy: it sounds like you like what you do if not necessarily the people you work for. If it is worth continuing doing what you like then I think it is worth the risk of making the noise required to change things. From where I sit I would ask what have you got to lose. Good Luck!
Hey pump guy, sounds pretty crap hey, how far up the tower does the Big Boss sit, does he not see what goes on? Is he the foreman's brother in law or anything like that? Best of luck mate.
WELL.. I wussed out & didn't say anything.. I was done working at 9:45AM & thought long & hard as to what I was gonna say.. He came in late & was hung over drunk.. I walked around for the rest of the day pondering.. I finally said to myself.. if he had any nuts, he would have said, hey, lets finish that conversation so theres no miscommunication on this.. So I just figured he has no nuts.. he KNOWS he's wrong & he's just avoiding the situation entirely.. Because I have more on him than he does on me.. & have customers & employees that will verify MY STORY.. So the way I figure it is.. when & if the time comes.. I'll just clock out & do my thing...IF he says anything, I'll tell him to take a flying F off a rolling donut.. I'm not on your clock.. DONT WORRY ABOUT WHAT I'M DOING..!!!
Pumpguysc from what I've witnessed on this forum, any injection pump shop would be lucky to have you! If the big boss isn't aware of this, you should be looking elsewhere but my guess is he knows. I would also bet the foreman is a little, or a Lot jealous of you. You know your stuff.
The old saying goes" If a man loves what he does he will never work a day in his life".....why stay and be miserable and stressed, unless the upper management sides with you and they dump the guy who is a thorn in your side..
That's a good point Hobbytime ! Life is just to short for hanging at a job that causes un needed stress & the BS that go's with it .
I got a little worked up today. Had to go out with another field guy for a 2 man job. About 10 minutes after the morning meeting the boss makes a snide remark about us still being there. Well we've got to find and load up jacks, jackstands, our parts and all the heavy tooling we need to do the job. Plus its not like all this stuff is locate right by the door, ready to go. Its all over the darn place.
Worked at West Edmonton Mall (amusement park) and some higher ups opened the door and came in the welding shop at 6:10am and were pizzed off because we weren't working. We were planning our day and what jobs needed priority. We had to see if the millwrights that inspect the rides noticed anything the night before that needed attention before 10am when the park opened. Another job, the boss was telling me first thing in the morning I should be able to get 2 seams on tapered flare stacks welded and if I didn't there was something wrong. He basically giving me -hit before I even started. I ended up getting almost 3 completed and shortly after got another job. The boss used to be better but they moved to a new shop and he really changed. I think he was getting commission or bonus's on work completed ahead of schedule. Originally he was really happy with my work and complimented me on my 2nd day. I worked the night shift at first. The foreman said that doesn't happen often. Later he said I was too good of a welder not to have my B pressure ticket and pushed me to get it which I did. I gave my notice and said it's more money ($1/hr) and closer to home... A couple days before I left he asked me the real reason I was leaving and I told him. I said about 3 weeks ago I was called out about my work not being fast enough before I even started it which wasn't called for because I ended up doing as much or more than anybody else in the shop could have done.
In My country, Industry make people sick and have cancer ! Make a lots of money but I dont like it.
Vietnam is making people sick in many countries. Tilapa might a well just consume poisons
Any advice to keep yourself from going bonkers because of work? This past week at work has been the absolute worst I've had in nearly 4 years. At least my days off start after tomorrow .
I'm in the same boat.. The way I do it is>> ya gotta have a "project".. mine at the moment is my new shop.. I keep telling myself, for every hour I'm there, "that's 1 more board.. that's 1 more board.." Music is a VERY GOOD distraction too.. I turn the radio on in the shop & the day goes faster.. Somebody usually says something about it cuz the ONLY station it picks up is "country".. & I'm a "rocker".. I simply tell them, "I cant be left alone w/ my thoughts at the moment." "I'll probably do something VERY stupid".. They just look at me & walk away.. JUST HOW I LIKE IT.!!!
I just like to be left alone at work so I'm happy when I'm out on the road. Been in the shop mostly all sumner due to not much field work and I think the politics are starting to wear on me. At least in another 2 months the field will pick up again and I'll be there a lot less.
never thought about mental health in this way. thank you for the share
I really enjoyed working at a power station, we were lone wolves picking thru the machinery each day on 7 different watch stations, seven men of a crew monitoring, adjusting swapping equipment was great as I only need deal with the control room as they needed me or myself them. Retiring was a tough decision, loved my work DESPISED the micro management, the need to make 'busy' work so the bosses could see the fruits of their choices as to plant operation or as I noted the folly's of their crappy attitudes and choices. Most senior people were retired or ex Navy Nukes, a couple had come from the Big 'E' Enterprise the pride of US Nuclear Navy and they attempted to drive the plant as they had their ship. Problems arose as we were Union 148 IUOE, and do not kowtow to nor salute a manager when we knew they were wrong. Was hauled before the Plant Manager once, for a decision I made to NOT perform what was asked of me, he asked why so I explained the problem of the requested action, the PM had to stop another member that had been sent to do what I wouldn't and the supervisor ended up demoted as the action could have gotten a welder killed. The guy that took his orders as a true Navy Boy was also taken off shift awhile as he "Did not fully understand the plant functions enough to preclude or argue a dangerous condition he was sent out to perform". Sometimes you just have to remember the small stuff that can bite you where it hurts and not blindly take orders. I wonder how much of that premise has or is happening in the Navy today given the major ships incidents of recent time.
What was the job that could have got a welder killed?
Had men INSIDE a High Pressure feed water heater, supervision did not understand they could NOT feed steam anywhere in the turbine hall due to reverse flow to a secondary system that would backfeed steam up the drains system into that heater. Our steam system was 545 degrees, 1000 pounds, next to no free oxygen where to allow it to seek equilibrium with a manway open and a man inside was certain death. They were re-installing a access diaphragm internal to the heater. Had a similar argument to clearing workman's protection tags, a side note was to leave a drain valve open, I refused to do so unless I could be assured there was NO condition that could end up with flow thru that drain. Argued thru four supervisors, two protection writers and finally my shift manager. They flat out stated HAD TO BE CLEARED in order to continue another job within that boundary that was blocked. So we as a crew cleared it leaving the drain OPEN and hose attached(a warning device). Hour after we cleared the tags and just after we left the plant from shift the next crew started a coolant water flow pump shooting 125 psi water out a 1" hose and flooded the room 2" deep in a matter of minutes, drowned a engine start air, air compressor drive motor, were going to chew my azz for allowing the tags be cleared but the first supervisor that I argued with stood up stating I had argued was NOT right, performed under written protest and presented the written protest document. Few doubted my judgment calls after that.
All one needs to do to understand the problems that can be caused by management not understanding a system is to take some time to read through the "Fatal Grams" posted by MSHA. Look at how many of the people killed in those reports are management type people! They may not be the majority but considering how those people are not hands on the jobs most of the time and only get involved when they think they are needed to get production going fast it tells lots! We often said the two most dangerous people on a project was the new kid or the boss trying to "help out". Many times when lifting or moving something heavy if I was running the machine doing the work I would make it a point to ignore the hand signals of a boss!
I was running a NEW STYLE injection pump.. very 1st one our shop had seen.. the fuel output was 600 cc's.!! Every one of the previous pumps, for the last 10 years have been 200cc's of fuel at 1000 strokes.. It was VERY CLEARLY STATED that a NEW STYLE drive coupling MUST BE USED on the drive of the test stand because the OLD STYLE drive COULD NOT handle the force & WOULD EXPLODE WITHOUT WARNING while running the pump.. Guess WHO was told.. "just see what it does"??? I said FU.. you do it!!! this job aint worth MY LIFE.. A new drive was at the shop 2 days later.. The boss wasn't about "to try" it.. BUT wanted me to.. real nice guy, huh?
Had a friend from school do something really stupid 20 some years ago and should have known better. He had to weld inside a small vessel and the shop didn't have the proper breathing air respirator so he hooked a hose to an oxygen cylinder instead! Had an implosion and said he smelled like burnt chicken. Dr's. said if wasn't wearing glasses would have sucked his eyeballs inside his head! When I worked the mall, the boss said sometimes you just have to do the job and the engineer can approve it later!!! It doesn't work that way doing structural welding.
Speaking of "mental Health".. I called the wife on Friday all frazzeled.. I was having a REALLY BAD day.. Started out first thing when I got out of the truck.. I grabbed my "go bag" & my BRAND NEW SMART PHONE hit the concrete parking lot, smashed the glass.. its my 1st smart phone & I haven't had that phone for 48 hrs.. Then I called the Dr's office at noon to verify that my MRI was approved by insurance.. NOPE.. They were just about to call me.. My appt was at 2:00.. I can still get it, BUT it'll cost "ME" 865.00.. I said, take me off the schedule.. I'll let the Dr. & ins. co. fight it out.. As I'm telling her this, she's laughing.!!! I didn't think it was funny.. SHE DID.. Then she explained HER THINKING.. ITS ALL JUST STUFF>> phones are a dime a dozen & THATS WHAT ins. co. DO.. I realized she was right.. It just caught me off guard seeing I was at work & it seemed like the world was out to get me & nothing was going MY WAY.. She said, Nobody knows they cancelled your apt, Right?? Just leave at 1:00, like your going to the Dr's.. if its THAT BAD.. AAAHHHH, the voice of reason.. So that's what I did.. Early day on FRIDAY.. On my way home I had a craving for HOT CAJUN boiled peanuts.. The "peanut man" was set-up on the corner WAY OUT in the boonies on my way home.. stopped & started a conversation w/ him.. We were both standing there sweating our ass' off & I said, don't you have an A/C unit in your trailer?? He said his gen. was leaking gas & didn't wanna run it.. I'm pretty good at fixin things & I was off of work so I said, lemme take a look.. It was the screw on the bottom of the carb bowl, the gasket was broken.. I had a lot of gaskets in my truck so I replaced it & we fired up his generator.. Took me all of 15 minutes to help the old man out.. He was VERY appreciative.. & offered me a Pepsi.. He wanted to know how much he owed me?? I said, not a thing..Just one neighbor helping out another.. he helped ME more than he knew.. The rest of my afternoon went great & I forgot ALL ABOUT the crap that happened earlier..
Some days is just the little things that take the edge off or put it on!!
thepumpguysc, Sometimes helping someone else can help you more than it does them!
Get a good phone case. Worth every penny. I've got an Otter Box on both my work and personal smartphones.
Old iron, here's one know as a true occurrence: A small garage in Portage Des Sioux MO had a contract with a chip and seal contractor for alley's and small back roads, had a asphalt tank/spreader really old all gooed over that had some broken cross members. Guy brought it to the shop stated was as empty as he could get so could be worked on where the kid that did their welding took it in. Was a really hot summer day, the kid left the shop door open and began the process grinding out the cracks then readying the welder with his old hound laying in the sun at the door hole(one door four slot bays). He struck the first arc and as he awoke he realized it was ALL sunny with he in a shady spot and he could not hear too good, the entire shop wall was gone and the tank on the truck was laid out flat with the rear end wall sitting in the yard THRU the hole where the wall used to be. The dog was seen still running a half mile down the road. Owner of truck washed it out with first diesel fuel then white gas to clear as much asphalt residue as he could expecting to not be so much a fire hazard then buttoned up the hatch but leaving the fill pipe valve open for a vent. Must have made quite the correct fuel air mixture to explode as it did driving to the shop. The kid did get MOST of his hearing back but the dog never came back, the shop is long since torn the rest of the way down. BTW I use a 'Life Proof' case as I am so destructive of my phones.
I ended up leaving "sick" last friday, got to the point I was gonna leave "sick" or leave in cuffs. Went home to find a buddy brought over his 67 mustang and dropped it off. Spent the rest of the afternoon tinkering with it, setting the points, setting the float, cleaning the carb, changed the oil, got it running like a top. Turned out he brought it over for me to store it for a couple days with no intention of having me tinker with it. Boy was he happy when he picked it up and it ran like a top. I have been through too many lifeproof and otterbox cases for the price they want. I am using an aluminum and rubber PUNKCASE off amazon. supposed to be watter tight to 6 ft, and drop safe from something like 15 or 20ft.
I started MY mental health therapy.. I started going in at 9:00am instead of 8.. I would rather sit on the couch for an extra hour playing w/ my dogs, talking to the Mrs's & drinking coffee instead of sitting in traffic EVERY friggin morning.. 30 THOUSDAND people cramming the interstates & talking/texting on their phones doesn't make for a "happy" commute.. SO "I decided" to let them do that, while I sit on the couch.. I leave the house at 8.. while everyone else is FIGHTING to get to work BY 8.. & I have a VERY NICE ride to work & get there by 9... Break at 10:00.. 1hr lunch at 12:00.. another break at 3:00 breaks the day up nicely.. & I'm alittle happier for it.. Sure, I loose 5 hrs aweek but its worth it TO ME.. + I can take a 30 minute lunch & make most of it up.. It seems to be helping.. I'm MUCH easier to be around.. Lol
I used to take short lunches, or eat lunch at the shop. Had to stop because someone is always going to bug you. Also half the time I go sit in the truck and doze off for a minute on lunch just to get away from the shop and the idiots. Learned that years ago.
When I'm in the shop I take my breaks when the shop guys are done theirs. All us field guys stick together. For some reason the shop guys don't want anything to do with us field techs. They're a pretty cliquey bunch.
I know what ya mean.. we have an engine shop & a fuel shop & never the twain shall meet.. its sad..
The last ten years or more that I worked I always left the job for lunch. That short time away does wonders for the state of mind. Sometimes with one of the guys or a sub, but made it a point to not talk about the job until we got back to the site. Things just seemed to work better when you get to know the guy and learn a little about what they do away from work. Puts a human element into it.
I agree.. I had a "lunch group".. we left EVERY DAY FOR YEARS & had a ball.. laughing & joking & even the occasional "Bit*h session.. but not that often on the later.. THEN I got hurt, left for 8 months, people left the company & some got "promoted" [what a joke} & turned into TOTAL ass*oles.. Its a TOTAL different ball game now.. I think I'll start drinkin on my lunch hour?? lol.. atleast I'll have an "excuse" for punching someone .. lol
Last place I worked at definitely had a large amount of comradary. Usually 4 of us would hop in a pickup and head out for lunch every day. This place I'm at now, all the shop guys go out for coffee breaks and lunch breaks together. The 3 of us field guys get left out. I can understand since we're never consistently at the shop. Since only the field works weekends we'll usually bring in burgers or hot dogs and do our own BBQ. One guy who used to work with us would sometimes bring a smoker in. Smoked chicken and ribs on a Sunday afternoon was the greatest.
I gave the cell phone a toss out of the excavator last week . You can have to much communication to where it causes problems . LOL ! http://www.heavytruckforums.com/sho...ufacturing-Company&p=4074&viewfull=1#post4074 No more communication problems . Meet with customers face to face . If there is an emergency they will find me . Or leave a message on the answering machine . LOL
I'm active in my local NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) chapter. I volunteer to do "odd jobs". The most recent was taking an old fire escape ladder off the cinder block exterior wall (yes they had a new one installed). I'm associated with them because mental illness runs in my family. I've taken the "Family to Family" class they offer for people who deal with mental illness in their lives. I learned alot taking that class. Mental illness is a real thing. It doesn't show up in a cat scan, or an x-ray, but it's real, and it's different for everyone who has it. It affects everyone in the workplace, in the family, in the circle of friends. It can make someone say things or act in a way they otherwise never would. It can "come on" at some random point in your life. You are not necessarily born with it, but it has caused alot of people to die with it. In short, it really sucks. This was obviously more of a "hot button" issue with me than I thought. I'll pipe down now