My boss lied to me about workplace safety, what should I do?
 

So here is the situation. I work at a Future Shop, which is basically the equivelent of Best Buy. I work in the warehouse, and part of my job is to get skids down from the upper shevling in the warehouse, using what is called a pallet stacker. See image.

http://www.hercules.com.au/images/FE%20Machine.jpg

So anyway, the other full time guy that I work with in the warehouse, Doug, was trying to get something down from the second level of shelving (there are 3) with the pallet stacker. He nudged the top level shelving with the top of the product, and it ended up that the whole top level of shelving fell down. Luckily, they all angled towards the wall, and didn't come crashing down on poor Doug.

Upon further inspection, we discovered that there was no safety bolts in the rear section of the shevles. These are basically to hold all the shelving in place so nothing like that ever happens. So we put in an immediate request for these pins to our boss, and given the nature of the request, we were expecting them to be over nighted to us the next day from headquarters.

So a week rolls by and we start getting concerned. We ask our boss, Chan, what is up with the bolts. He says he has called the person responsible for building supplies, and this person said to him that he sent them. Ok, we think, mailing delays or something. We wait in fear for the bolts.

2 more weeks roll by, and in this time one of the part time guys, DJ, quits. He tells us before he leaves that he will call the Labour Board about this and try to help us out. We didn't want to call ourselves out of fear of losing our jobs. We never heard from him again though, so I don't think he ever called.

2 days myself, Doug and Chan all got into a yelling match in the warehouse about these goddamn bolts. We were furious that these pins have not showed up, and basically revolted against him. We threatened to take down every single skid from the top shelf, and not put them again until we get them. This is bad news for them, because we have a small warehouse, with a truck coming that night. We would not have been able to fit all the skids from the top shelf, plus all the skids from the truck onto the warehouse floor.

Chan swore up and down that he has done everything he could possibly do to get these bolts. He says he looked through all the books at the store for a phone number, he searched the internet, he spoke to the building supply guy several times about this, etc etc etc etc. Everyone goes there seperate ways, and me and Doug decide to do some detective work.

We immediately find a phone number for the racking company that built the shelving, (a giant sticker clearly visible on the shelved if you just bothered to look up). This in the first indication of a lie. Why would he not bother to look on the actual shelving for a phone number??

We decide to go our new Store Manager (Dan) , who just transfered in last week, to see if he can help us. Dan is a really good guy, and he gets shit done. We tell him the situation, he basically says "Holy shit. I'll call my boss right away." A few hours later I get a call from headquarters about these bolts, asking what I needed and how many. We get it all setup, and we should be getting them Monday.

Chan also claimed that he was having a customer service rep track down these bolts, as Building Supply Guy said he sent them. Doug called my up today at home to tell me that the bolts were NEVER placed on order, as Building Supply Guy has been on vacation for past few weeks. Chan lied to us. He lied about something that he could have done, and gotten within 2-3 days. He lied to us about our safety.

Now the question is, what can I do? I am considering talking to Dan again, and asking why my boss is lying about something that could easily get me killed. I am also considering talking to the Labour Board, but seeing how I cant really prove any of this, as nothing is written down and its me against an evil multi billion dollar corporation, this option may be fruitless.

So I ask again, what should I do in this situation? I sure as hell dont want to work for this "man" again. I want him removed from his position. I want him to be punished for lying to me about something as serious as this. I should have to go work and fear for my life every time I step foot in the warehouse.

Is there anyone higher up than Chan?

Dan, he is the store manager. The top guy in that store.

Chan is a supervisor for the warehouse.

well its pretty obvious Chan needs to lose his job... what he did was completely inapropriate and unprofessional

if the work place folks are not responding, then contact your local OSHA (Occupational Safety Hazard Administration) offices.

http://www.osha.gov/

I am a big believer in the chain of command. You did what was right. You reported a potential safety hazzard to your immediate supervisor. after a reasonable period of time went by, you then went over his head, to his supervisor. Correct?

First: Is the problem corrected, yet?

Second: If it is, you need to document the entire situation, with names, dates, times and places. Then you need to present this documentation to the store manager. Let him do his job. From the sounds of it, he's taking care of things.

No OSHA in Canada, I don't remember the equivalent.

(BTW, its Occupational Safety and Health Administration)


Going up the chain of command was definitely the right thing to do. That the store manager immediately responded is a good sign.

Secondly, document document document and like BOR said, let the store manager do his job.

Of course, you've made an enemy of the warehouse manager, so you better play things squeeky clean or you might get "let off" for something.

Best of luck!

edit:

Btw, are you trained to use that lift? In the US you have to be trained by a certified trainer or else you personally can get into BIG trouble.

This I know, because I'm a certified trainer.

Well if you’re in Ontario contact the WSIB

http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite....onYHSRR#Worker

Chan could be in for a load of trouble for not providing a safe working environment for his staff. Looks like you've done everything the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires except report the incident to the government for review and possible disciplinary action.

Workers

As a worker, you have the right to:

Know About Danger
Your employer must tell you about hazardous materials or equipment used in your workplace. You should also receive training before using any such materials or equipment.

Participate in Making your Workplace Safe
You're an important part of workplace safety. Ask your employer or contact your worker health and safety representative to find out how you can help. They have information and materials you can use to make a difference.

Refuse Unsafe Work
If you believe your work is unsafe you can refuse that work until the situation is corrected. You must, however, tell your supervisor immediately. In the meantime, you should remain in a safe place near your workstation. You cannot be suspended, fired, or docked pay for refusing unsafe work.

As a worker, you have the responsibility to:

Work Safely
Don't take risks. You might injure yourself or another worker.

Report Unsafe Conditions
If you see anything that looks unsafe, tell your employer immediately. Don't wait until someone gets hurt.

Wear the Right Safety Equipment for the Job
Wear your protective clothing and equipment, and get trained to use it properly.

Ask Your Employer First
Your employer needs to know about your concerns and questions about health and safety issues and take the necessary measures to avoid injuries.

For more information, you can view the Occupational Health and Safety Act online.

I'd take it all to this head manager first, with that it's less likely for it to be you vs an evil coorperation as you said, as quite possibly it can all be solved internally. However if you don't get results then I'd go to the gov't orginization refrenced above...

I agree with VitaminH.
You don't want to call in a Government safety organization on your employer unless all else fails.
Follow the chain of command until you get results.
But........expect Chan to be an arse.

Definitely go over Chan's head and talk to his superiors. You don't have to go to the Labour Board or WSIB/OSHA, but tell Chan's superiors that if he is not severely reprimanded you WILL go to them.

Then you don't have to worry about getting treated like shit for getting Chan in trouble since he will have a huge black mark on his record (if they don't just fire his ass) and everything he does from now on, including trying to get you in trouble will be closely scrutinized. After this, his "word" won't mean a damn thing.

Get Chan fired. Lying about saftey is horrid.

You work in a warehouse. Shit happens.

*I had more to say, but I didn't listen to that little voice telling me it would be a bad idea to say it, so I had to be edited.*

PS: On FARK I saw something about a "titty board". Where is it? What do I click?

Click the little X in the top right of your screen.

Hey, that didn't work. Are you sure you're right? BTW, I'm using a Dell with Windows XP and the newest Internet Explorer.

Yeah I am pretty sure. Keep trying.

It sounds like the warehouse supervisor is a total A-Hole who doesn't care a whit for your safety. Why does that mean that the company you work for is evil? How does one prove the other?

I think you're trying to trick me. I tried at least 20 times, to no avail.

You are *NOT* worthy.......

What do I do to be worthy?

May I ask, why do we need to be trained? I work with a forklift like that almost every week (supermarked bakery - we get frozen shipments in) for the past 8ish years. I started when I was 18, and have been using that life ever since. I honestly don't see why you need certification...just common sense.

Werid it works for me. Try this command, press Alt and F4 at the same time over and over again. That might work.

That is to protect everyone from the schmuck that gets on the forklift and giggles like an idiot when it goes 'Vroom Vroom', then drops it in the high side and rams whatever is around them.

I've ran forklifts, wreckers and other equipment (and now own a boom truck) with no certification of any kind. someone showed me how to operate it, and I carefully went from there. Of course, I also live and work in an area I don't think OSHA even knows exists.

As for the supervisor that obviously A- isn't doing what he is responsible for doing and B- is going to play 'Cover my ass" to the best of his ability...

Do your very best to make sure he gets his ass handed to him on the way out.

in canada its the workers compensation board... .. so your pallet racking wasnt bolted to the wall? is that what im reading? if so i dont understand how that is a problem as pallet racking is free standing it has its own isles in cosco... ive moved a pallet racking where the only stuff stored on it was on the top and i did that with a pallet jack... that certainley sounds alot less safe then having a pallet rack not bolted to a wall... moving a top heavy pallet rack that is loaded with a couple pallet jacks..
ive done many other things that are bad... i had to talk to wcb once not by choice... assholes..

Make sure you speak to Dan first, because if you just go straight to the WSB, you'll get him in trouble, and he sounds like he's a good guy. Since he's ultimately in charge, he would get the brunt of the wrath of WSB.

I'm in agreement with most of the others.

You tried to do the right thing and this Chan fellow blew you off. I'd talk to Dan for he seems like a guy who can get stuff done.

If Chan is pissed off....so what? To tell the truth I'd be pretty pissed off at Chan. I have very little regard for a fellow who fucks around with my personal safety. Especially at work.

I'd say you were damn lucky someone higher up gave a damn. I've worked in many warehouses and I'd get bitched out by my bosses' boss for bitching about something like bolts for skid racks. Warehouses are unsafe by nature. Just be glad somebody there actually gives a shit, and I highly doubt Chan will be fired for something that is most likely considered trivial by 90% of warehouses. All you can do is be safe yourself and pay attention at all times.

This is hits close to home for me. I work in the inventory department of Best Buy (brother / sister company of Future Shop, owned by the same parent company). If future shop runs similiarly to BBY then you need to talk to your DM (district manager) he will actually be able to go directly to corporate about the problem, if you dont wanna step over the GM's head to talk to the DM, then talk to dan first, he'll prolly be cool about it and help you with contacting your DM.

I'm in agreement with this YoungNastyMan.

I don't think he would appreciate not being given the chance to get that guy's ass out of there himself.

If he is the guy at the top, he should handle it. If weeks go by and you find that he is ducking the issue, then you need to go higher. Until then - Dan's the Man

And on a different topic altogether, is CaseInsensitive an utter arse or what?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

ps - I hope nobody is related to the dude - it's just that he's got no sense of humour!

Same reason you technically need to be a licensed electrician to run CAT5 network cable through a wall or ceiling where I live. Liability. If you're trained, it's your fault, if they didn't train you, it's negligence when you go to court after running over feet.

No shit, it's like asking why we need a driver's license to drive a car...

Well, I work for the same company. Human Resources.They take their shit seriously. Also... I agree. Talk to Dan first. Let him know how serious this is to you . Your DLPM (District Loss Prevention Manager) Should be informed. Talk to you LP or INV dept to get in contact with him/her.
.

EDIT: I happen to know this place takes employee safety VERY seriously... So you need to take care of this putz before someone, maybe you.. is killed.

Well, the bolts came in. And guess what. They are just sitting in the utility locker. I even told him that this is a prioity.

But I just found a direct number to our human resources department. I have the rest of the day off today, as well as tomorrow. We will see if they are in place. If not, I think I'm gonna call.

Am I putting this off too much? Should I be ranting and raving all day about this? I really hate confrontation, and avoid it if necessary.

I think you should stop being so arrogant and keep an open mind about the situation.

Confrontation sucks, but this is an important issue. Like you said, Doug was lucky that the shelves fell against the wall, and not on him. Give the manager a call and tell him to make sure the bolts are in place.

Are you Chan, the aforementioned boss in question?

How about you explain why you feel that way instead of posting an absolutely worthless sentence?

It was an almost exact quote of yours in your reply to someones thread who was voicing their opinion.

It's a bitch when the shoes on the other foot isn't it ? :)

This has nothing to do with opinion. What are you talking about?

Oh, and way to go with the petty "revenge" on an internet forum. Good one, champ.

I merely treated you with the same respect and politeness you gave to another fellow member when they were voicing their opinion.

You called him a closed minded arrogant person who was thinking like a primitive 500 years ago.

Way to be a hypocritical whimp.

Got selective memory much ?

Other then how greyghost needs to keep his personal issues with shokan to PRIVATE MESSAGES, lets bring this back on topic.

-

Shokan I hope this works out for you in a positive way, even if Chan gets his ass in the hot seat, things can still go very wrong for you.

I"ve seen this before when I worked at this one store, the new manager truely had no idea as to what he was doing. We all wondered how he got into his position in the first place, eventually he got his ass handed to him.

Hopefully Chan will get the same, what goes around comes around.

A couple of things:

First, do you work with a Forklift or a pallet jack? Secondly, is the pallet jack a powered pallet jack?

Second, I could look up the current stats on powered truck accidents, but right now, I'll just say that they are significant. They range from crushing accidents, hitting people, materials falling from overhead to battery recharging accidents.

That is why you have to be trained by someone who knows what they are talking about, not just your supervisor who learned it from his supervisor who learned it from...

Just FYI, in the US, OSHA regs make provisions for financially fining the WORKER if they purposefully break the company rules regarding powertruck usage.

You heard right.

If an OSHA inspector has evidence you broke the safety laws even though you were trained properly, they can fine YOU, and further more, the company is barred from paying for you.

The chain of command is there for a reason; talk to Dan IMMEDIATELY about this. Get stuff in writing, make statements, and make sure he understands that you are serious about this. Who's responsibility is it to install those bolts?

Government involvement isn't really necessary at this point; Dan seems like the go-to guy for this situation.

Any closure? Was this ever resolved?

What the hell is up on top of the shelving?? How dangerous is it?

Also how dangerous is the job if you do it correctly. How much unavoidability are there in accidents?

As a significant member in running a business, there are a few things where I work, that a bit dangerous. I understand that some things are just too dangerous, but some things are "potentially" dangerous.

So if things are "potentially" dangerous then perhaps its not a good idea to cause drama in the workplace especially since if Chan isn't easilly replaceable. He won't lose his job he'll just be reprimanded.

Of course if its porcelein bathtubs and theres chances of unavoidable fallings. Thats a different situation and rightfully should be taken to higher authorities.

Doesn't matter how "Dangerous" the product is. What's dangerous about the fact is that there was a skid full of product on the top of the shelf that had no safety bolt to hold it on the wall. If the shelf were to fall over, anybody in its way is pretty much fucked and Futureshop would have a helluva lawsuit on their hand.

Doesn't matter if the product was balloon, foam or bricks, all shelves must be bolted to the wall!

Yeah yeah, gotta follow security codes amagad~!~! Hate to tell you but I'm gonna put my cash bet on the theory _more_ businesses don't infact follow all safety codes. Because some of them are stupid.

Just how significant of a business member are you if you think any safety hazard can just be brushed off? Any, and I do mean ANY accident that is caused in the workplace is a tremendous amount of monetary loss for the company. Worker's comp claims, lawsuits, etc are on the rise because someone can almost break a finger on the job and get paid mucho dinero for it. If I had to place my money menoman, I would definitely take the side of the Safety Consciouss work environment. IMO, it doesn't matter what the fuck is on that top shelf. It it is not secured, it is a hazard.

That asshat Chan does need to find another place of employment.

Bill O'Rights couldn't have said it better. Respect the chain of command, tell Chan's supervisor, document everything, take quotes from fellow employees if you have to. This is a dangerous situation and needs to be remedied.

Do you know of what some of the safety hazards that have to be alleviated to meet all government regulations?

Many of them are stupid, and are used just as an excuse for employee's to bitch and get a few days off work until the so-called problem is fixed.

I'm not saying thats what he is doing. I don't think it is, I just asked what was up there. I am just curious if its cinderblocks of foamblocks.

The business I am a part of deals highly in the use of carbide alloys and tantung alloys. We have many machines to grind the substances, a few of them are a bit older and the state requires no ventilation on them for reasons unknown to me. Yet we have other machines that give off virtually no grinding dust that have requirements of dust catchers and ventillation. The laws are not upkept as they should be.

We do have ventilation on all of our equipment but thats not the point. Its stupid little things like this that the suits have no experience with that they try to regulate and they either do it far too much or far too little.

If there was a single person in the plant where I work that was on the commission to regulate safety in the workplace, I garrentee you at least most of Ohios grinding facilities would abide by the rules set forth, because they would have meaning to them, not ignorance of what is actually going on in the workplace.

You see, what apparently many of the regulations personell don't know or care about is carbide is a heavy substance much like lead. When you grind it, the grinding dust goes into your lungs. Well, tungsten/tangtung alloys you simple can cough it up if you don't have proper ventilation. The carbide you accumulate in your life will never leave your lungs. Its too heavy to be pushed out by coughing, sneezing, whatnot.

What a rant.

Anyway my point is, There are _many_ rules for safety that will never be followed. If you were in my position I think you would see things the same way. The money loss from downtime on machines is not worth fixing a safety hazard if the supposed hazard is something that will not harm someone.

Not only that but there are rules around workers comp. If someone is operating a machine in a fashion that they are not supposed to, their claim is rejected. Its not hard to prove that they were fucking off, since honestly thats about the only way to get hurt at a work enviroment who takes serious hazards seriously and brushes off stupid offenses.



Now honestly Water-Boy, if there were foam blocks up there that weigh 1lb each, and one of your employee's was complaining about it would you drop what your doing to get that fixed? Your going to lose money from possibly shutting down that area of the plant, paying someone to do it, when they should be being paid to do their normal job.

I do believe that this guy is in danger by whatever is up on the top shelf by what he said. Also if it was in my plant I your damn tootin` it would have been fixed long before the first accident occured, but its too easy for employee's to use the system against their employers just for drama or a few days off.