Smoking in the structural shop

[fortyonethirty]

No smoking in my shop. I wouldn't hire a smoker.

[welditforyou]

I wonder if your inspector smoking to annoy you wouldn't be considered harassment. It doesn't have to be sexual.

He doesn't smoke to annoy me, he just smokes. Like any other smoker, that's what they do. It's the petty little man BS of coming to my area to do it. Now since I've said something about it, he comes right up to the edge of my area. I can only say so much before the company pulls the plug on smoking all together. Then of course it will all be my fault. Not the guy who chose to come to my area and smoke. Regardless of the fact the city has put a stop to smoking in the work place. Do you think anyone will want to BS with me on there way by or sit at the same lunch table with me. I'm betting not. I'll have the plague. I don't know, maybe I'm not giving the guys enough credit, but I think all they will see is that they can no longer smoke at work because I didn't like it.

Incidently, I'm typing this during the day because my wife had a procedure done today so I'm off. All went well. So, say a welders prayer for us or otherwise and may the force be us.

[zapster]

I was a bouncer for over ten years in CT.

Rozalinis?


...zap!

[John T]

He doesn't smoke to annoy me, he just smokes. Like any other smoker, that's what they do. It's the petty little man BS of coming to my area to do it. Now since I've said something about it, he comes right up to the edge of my area. I can only say so much before the company pulls the plug on smoking all together. Then of course it will all be my fault. Not the guy who chose to come to my area and smoke. Regardless of the fact the city has put a stop to smoking in the work place. Do you think anyone will want to BS with me on there way by or sit at the same lunch table with me. I'm betting not. I'll have the plague. I don't know, maybe I'm not giving the guys enough credit, but I think all they will see is that they can no longer smoke at work because I didn't like it.
.

Well, It's really too late to get cold feet now.
The damage is done.

you should have thought about the repercussions before you went to the boss.

This guy will continue to bust your balls until you follow through OR kick his azz in the parking lot. (and probably get fired)

If it were me, I'd probably demand no smoking especially if it is a workplace law.

I could care less what people think of me.

now that said, If the guy apologized and said... I wont smoke around your workplace, I'd forget the entire thing.

This guy is the problem, not you.


fwiw, My company banned smoking all together. No smoking on the property PERIOD. Or any of the vehicles.
Get caught smoking, your gone.

it is amusing to watch the parade of cars leave the parking lot at lunch break... so they can park down the street and powersmoke 3 cigarettes and hurry back.

[johnrbauer]

I live in a small town in Indiana the Excise State Police came in a convenience store I go to and busted them for smoking in the office not store and got them for paraphernalia a pack of cigarettes astray and lighter fine $100.00
John

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[TJS]

I worked for a company where all the shop people smoked except me. I was the newbie there. The only one knew how to TIG or weld if that matter. I know they all smoked in the shop before I got there. I made it a point to remind the owner that no smoking in the shop(law). They all had to go out back of the shop now to smoke while I worked. I could care less. I was not there to make friends. I was there to work and get paid. I knew they were pissed at me but I knew they would not say **** to my face, cause back then I did not need a hoist to lift bare blocks into position on the race cars I worked on and they were not aluminum.

[welditforyou]

I don't have cold feet and I did think about the repercussions. That's why I told the super I didn't want to see the shop go no smoking.
Just NOT in my area. I don't care if they can smoke or not. They simply need to see that the smoker was the root cause of this, I was the first part of the result. The next part may be the smoking ban. Not my fault.

If he would have apologized this would not have happened. He isn't the type to do that. If he were to apologize, too little to late. I can't stop it now. This whole thing started 2 months ago. The union steward ask me not to do anything about it (gutless fock).


Jim

[CGT80]

I am allergic to cigarette smoke. It causes me breathing problems after 10 minutes or so and eventually leads to nasty headaches, not to mention the stench. Spending a few hours around a smoker will leave me with breathing problems for up to a day. I don't have asthma or other issues, other than allergies and congestion, but somehow it does a number on me. Screw the smokers who can't keep it to themselves. I do like the e cigs as I have not noticed any effects from being near people who use them and often I can't even smell them. It lets them get their fix and I am not effected ( I have not stayed around one for more than 10 minutes or so and don't know what would happen after hours of exposure).

You should not have to work in that kind of environment. Welding hazards are a given and part of your job. You can use a respirator if you want or just dodge the smoke, it is your choice. Welding has to happen. Cigarette smoking is not necessary for the job at hand, and is not something you signed up to deal with, and has been banned as you stated. I have had family and coworkers who smoked. It consumes much of their lives.

One of my coworkers would hang around the open door to the building we were working on and smoke. I told him to take it outside. After a few weeks of that crap (along with all the smoke breaks) I let him have it and refused to work with him. I was the foreman for a small company and often times I was working the only jobs going at the time, but sometimes there was a second guy who worked with me and also headed up jobs. I told the smoker that I was done with him and he could ask my the owner to put him on other work if he wanted. He quit instead. He was also the kind of guy that was on assistance since he had a newborn kid and he bragged about buying red bulls because he got extra money but he wouldn't normally waste his own money on that stuff because it costed too much. It was no problem for him to waste that tax money that he got. My boss/owner of company was not happy but he got it. He valued my work greatly and even after I quit and had enough of that work, he still calls me back for things such as running a man lift while he is in the basket and washing down buildings or to do fabrication/welding work for him (which I like better than the other construction work I did).

Do what you have to do. You are already around particles and fumes that are not good. There is no need to add more crap to that. If you want to be really nice, buy the guy an e cigarette and see if he likes that and if it works for both of you. I can't blame your actions and you are being nice by not trying to get smoking banned by your employer.

[welditforyou]

CGT80, thank you for recognizing that.
Obviously more than a few have had there dealings with smokers in one way or another. I just want my space to be respected. Keep the damn cigarettes out of it. Period. Or I will push back.
Here's another aspect of the problem. Suppose the company bans smoking in the shop as they did previously. Now the guys are ducking out the back door to puff one real quick. What's the company to do. If the smoker gets fired, next thing you know you have no help.


Jim

[Bistineau]

I don't have cold feet and I did think about the repercussions. That's why I told the super I didn't want to see the shop go no smoking.
Just NOT in my area. I don't care if they can smoke or not. They simply need to see that the smoker was the root cause of this, I was the first part of the result. The next part may be the smoking ban. Not my fault.

If he would have apologized this would not have happened. He isn't the type to do that. If he were to apologize, too little to late. I can't stop it now. This whole thing started 2 months ago. The union steward ask me not to do anything about it (gutless fock).


Jim

Maybe go to the other smokers in the shop and explain it to them, and ask if they would lean on him not to smoke in your presence or it might affect their smoking in their own areas soon. If the other guys that smoke respect you enough not to smoke in your area except this one guy, then they may can influence him to go elsewhere, before they themselves are forced to go without smoking in the workplace. That way if it did get banned, then they would know the right one to blame for it, and it wouldn't be you.

[welditforyou]

Maybe go to the other smokers in the shop and explain it to them, and ask if they would lean on him not to smoke in your presence or it might affect their smoking in their own areas soon. If the other guys that smoke respect you enough not to smoke in your area except this one guy, then they may can influence him to go elsewhere, before they themselves are forced to go without smoking in the workplace. That way if it did get banned, then they would know the right one to blame for it, and it wouldn't be you.

I like that. I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't thought of that one yet.


Jim

[docwelder]

i never smoked but my folks were heavy smokers. my dad succumbed to smoking related emphysema but in reality was all but dead the last 10 years of his life. i work with 2 guys who smoke in their 1/4 of the shop. i have several large pedestal fans stationed around and will point one at the offender till he get's the picture. as senior man i let them know if it gets out of hand they'll be smoking on the loading dock which is a 20 minute walk.

[MinnesotaDave]

I'm with CGT80 - allergic to it. Plus I now have COPD - but have never smoked.

I've found over the years that smokers are very often a bunch of a-holes about this issue.
I've had to kick family members out of my shop while doing them a favor because they wouldn't refrain from lighting up and would give me attitude over it - favor ended without finishing.
My last encounter ended with me saying "get your F-ing truck out of my F-ing shop right now."

I've had family members refuse to not smoke around my kids even though they were both premature and had lung issues at the time - then get mad because I wouldn't bring them over.

I have very little empathy for smokers due to these, and several other, issues.

Tell your co-worker to blow his smoke out his A$$.

[pat h]

You guys whine so much I would think your tears would put out the cigarettes. Is it just the union smokers or the non union ones.

[welditforyou]

So pat h, what point is it that you're trying to make. I believe I missed it. I take it that you're a smoker. Enjoy!
Just not around me.
I'm an ex-smoker too. It's been said many times that ex-smokers are the worst. I wear that like a badge.


Jim

[welditforyou]

When I quit smoking, I chewed skoal bandits to take the edge off, only about a month. Now 4 years later, for some reason I thought I needed to chew again. So for about 2 months I did a little bit. I walked away from the chew a couple weeks ago. No big deal. I don't miss smoking one little bit.


Jim

[vwguy3]

I guess I am a different kind of azz. I would get the plug pulled on ALL smoking and the first time anyone says a word very loudly say everything was fine until he played his bully card......so if you want to blame someone blame the bully!

[pat h]

So pat h, what point is it that you're trying to make. I believe I missed it. I take it that you're a smoker. Enjoy!
Just not around me.
I'm an ex-smoker too. It's been said many times that ex-smokers are the worst. I wear that like a badge.


Jim

No not a smoker, also not a snitch, deal with the problem don't fukk it up for others, my point is just that, I guess if it don't go your way you don't understand or can't see the point, I can't see going and telling a boss figure can work in your favor over the long haul with the other workers I know that wouldn't fly around jobs I've been on, but I'm sure our situations are different

[MinnesotaDave]

You guys whine so much I would think your tears would put out the cigarettes. Is it just the union smokers or the non union ones.

Pretty typical response - people list actual, personal health problems for themselves and children and you call them whiners.

This is the type of thinking that makes me have no regard for "smokers rights."

[7A749]

ANYONE comes in my shop smoking, they get the short, sharp shift.....F*ck off with that crap.

I keep getting told, I'm the worse ex smoker ever......DAMN RIGHT....and PROUD OF IT!!!!!! 24 years now, I hate the smell of the things and, can smell a smoker from half a mile off.

Recently had my wife's sister stay with us for over 8 weeks.....a smoker.....I wouldn't let her smoke within a bulls roar of the house..... ....Hated the smell of her when she came in......Needless to say, there's no love lost.....

Been 22 years for me Mick. I don't have too much of an issue with it, but nobody smokes in my car, house or shop.

I don't miss it nor ever want to do it again either. A day at a time.

But like many other things in my life, it's just for today.

[zapster]

Mom and Dad were 4 packs a DAY each...

Mom quit 20 yrs ago..
Dad quit when he died.


Guess that's why I am lucky enough to never have even tried it.
Out of the 5 of us kids nobody else did either.

Got our dose every damn day as a kids and I can't fuchin stand it.


...zap!

[Insaneride]

...delete...

[MinnesotaDave]

Got our dose every damn day as a kids and I can't fuchin stand it.

...zap!

Same here.

In fact, at my last check-up for my lungs, that exact point was made for my COPD by the doctor and nurse.

[welditforyou]

No not a smoker, also not a snitch, deal with the problem don't fukk it up for others, my point is just that, I guess if it don't go your way you don't understand or can't see the point, I can't see going and telling a boss figure can work in your favor over the long haul with the other workers I know that wouldn't fly around jobs I've been on, but I'm sure our situations are different

Snitch . . . are you $h!tt!ng me? If you would have read ALL the post you would have read that the issue started 2 months ago.
On Monday when the guy came into my area to check a beam he stopped and lit up. The smoke from that first puff went up my nose. Which is why I said something to him. Now the next morning he came to check another beam puffing on a cigarette so I told him
"YOUR GOING TO RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE I didn't tell him just once, I said it 3 or 4 times. ENOUGH.

I like the part about "wouldn't fly around jobs you've been on" . . . or what, what'cha gonna do, hurt me. Believe it or not, I actually said that to this guy Tuesday morning after he came to check the beam with the cig hangin outa his mouth. I don't think he's too stupid to get it. He just one of those personalities that is going to push until someone pushes back. He's got no one to blame but himself.

As for the union steward, I use him on side work. We get along well. He just lacks vigor, backbone or whatever adjective you want to call it. His response when I took the issue to him 2 months ago was "don't do it man, you don't want to be that guy". So Tuesday morning I excluded him from the event, however the smoker went to him and complained about me. This guy is every bit of 6' 2" and at least 275. Unfortunately, he's also a low information voter so he doesn't see things as clearly as he should.


Jim

[welditforyou]

As of this posting there are just under 1000 views, so people are reading the thread. In todays world smoking in the workplace is becoming less acceptable every day. It's not that I care whether or not you smoke. I shouldn't have to breath your smoke. From the majority of the post in this thread it seems that my position is favored about my area not being for smokers. I enjoyed reading your opinions and agree with so much of what you had to say. I tried to take the high road with this but that didn't work. It was time
to make a stand, so I did. I don't want to be "that guy"but in my opinion I was given no choice. He forced my hand. It didn't have to go this far.

However, my wife comes home today after her procedure and all looks very good. With that I go back to work tomorrow to face who knows what. One thing for sure, there will be something!


Jim