Expert?

Have you ever noticed that "if you're from out of town, you're an expert," but in your own workplace you don't know anything?

A few days ago I told a worker that he was using the wrong PPE and then told him what he should be using.  Well, that started a rant about how "OSHA doesn't say that I have to.  I looked it up."  I carefully explained that the standard was a performance standard. You know, that's where the relevent OSHA standard tells you what to achieve but not exactly how to achieve the goal?  Then I explained why the PPE that he was using did not meet the criteria.

Ironically, I had trained this employee in the proper procedures, but for some reason, after several years of conducting the operation with the appropriate PPE, he had decided that he would not do it that way anymore.   Then the inevitable "show me where OSHA says I gotta."  I then carefully explained "performance standard," and why his choice of PPE was inappropriate.  Again, ranting and raving that I need to speak with his immediate superior, etc.  Obviously, the employee received a disciplinary note in his personnel file and an admonition that continuing to use the wrong PPE would result in more severe discipline.

So, as you might imagine, I visited his immediate superior to explain the situation, how I handled it, and told him what I had explained to his subordinate.  I was met with, "I looked it up in the OSHA standard and it doesn't say that."  Again, a carefully crafted explanation of "performance standard," OSHA interpretations, and "best practices" ensued.  Then, as you might expect, the "I need it in writing from someone that says I gotta."

Yes, I know that I should be the last word on the issue, but that does not often work in the real world.  Nevermind that I was hired because of 30+ years of safety experience, a degree in Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene, past safety teaching experience at a community college, and the OSHA 500 course authorizing me to teach OSHA 10 and 30 hour courses.  So, I pulled out an article that I had written a few years ago, added a pseudonym at the bottom of the article.  The article explained the situation in exactly the terms that I had verbally given both he and his subordinate (obviously, because I had written the article), but now the name of the author wasn't my name.  He read the article and said, "that's better, now I understand.  You need to communicate more like this guy."  Really?

I have had no compliance problems with this issue since.  I know, I could have gone up the line to the supervisor's superior, but I'm not sure that the consequences would have been worth the effort.  The immediate problem was solved and it looks like I may have a strategy for solving future problems.

But, the guy that wrote the article was from outside the company, so he knew better!  Imagine that!