omg, all the windows in my house are wood! AM I IN DANGER?!??!
i really have no idea what my government is doing anymore. we can't get it together on universal healthcare, but at least hardware store employees are now protected from terrorists. errr... wooden window frames, i mean.
4 comments:
Which regulations protect them from wooden windows??
Sorry, I worked for OSHA and I am pretty familar with the regulations, and OSHA doesn't prohibit working with wood or making wood windows. Wood is among the safest materials, and OSHA's regulations for woodworking equipment are very old and lenient.
Maybe the shop had some trouble getting the machines up to the woodworking machinery standards... but those standards have been around since 1970 and haven't changed one bit since then. They are very simple, weak standards. You can still cut your hand off pretty easily even when in full compliance. Practically all machines built since 1970 are in compliance unless the guards are taken off.
There haven't been any new standards for a long time, too. This looks like the guy who posted the sign is either:
1. Sadly mistaken, or
2. Misleading people.
Employers blame all sorts of stuff on OSHA. If you have ever seen a sign posted in an auto service department that says "Customers are prohibited by OSHA regualtions from entering this area" etc. that is a big lie. OSHA regulates employee safety in the workplace and doesn't concern itself with customers or shoppers.
Trust me, I know a hell of a lot better than that guy with the woodworking shop. He can make all the wood windows he wants to make.
Zim, as Lucas has said, it is most likely wrongly attributed to OSHA. What IS much more likely, is that the shop had other customers bring in termite eaten, or weather warped, or 'painted with lead based paint' post Chicago fire windows, and the jobs spiraled out of control, pissing off the owners who brought them in to be repaired. As a former certified plant engineer, it's possible too that the shop owner may also have a over-aggressive, misguided insurance agent who threatened a re-survey and rate hike. If you really like the shop, ask the owner. I am interested to know which CFR they are trying to reference.
@lucas -- wow, thanks for the info. next time i'm in, i am going to inquire.
i already know how it's going to end:
"Sir, do you have windows that you need repaired?"
"No."
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