Smoking in the structural shop

[Broccoli1]

I smoke.
I'd be pissed at that guy for ruining it for me.
I wouldn't have a problem with anyone who asked for no smoking in the shop.

As vw guy mentioned, I would go to all the other guys who smoke and tell them about Mr. Asshat being a d#ck and that a complete smoking ban is coming down the line if he doesn't shape up.

[old-iron-habit]

It would be a no brainer for me. I would have brutally stopped him the first day after warning him. I would insure the law is enforced. I would not hesitate to call the smoking police. When I go into a building and the law says there is no smoking within 20 ft of a door, I will tell the smokers to move on to there required distance. Second hand smoke really does kill people and any smoker that does not have any respect for me or the general populace will get no sympathy from me. I will not hesitate to tell a person whom walks into my office smelling like a cigarette to go change his clothes or go elsewhere. Sound like I am an a**hole about smoking? I am. If a person want to kill them self by smoking, have at it but keep it to yourselves.

[whtbaron]

I guess the big fan is more diplomatic, but I still like the fire extinguisher in the face idea... My parents were smokers but I was never big on it. Quit when I was like 16 and smokes were still .75 a pack...never missed it. When I had pigs I had a change of clothes I took off when I came in out of the barn. Back when smoking was still going on in the bars, I'd come home late and hang up those clothes. In the morning the bar clothes would smell worse than the barn clothes.

[Willie B]

There is a scissor lift at the pellet mill. Whenever I use it I begin with a sweep out, and compressed air blow out. I try to make the point it's a man lift, not an ash tray. Management, all non smokers, don't seem to believe the cost of having all their employees preoccupied with smoking. They have had several fires of unknown origin. They've spent many thousands on the fire suppression system.

Problems that might be minor if an employee were attentive, and present, turn catastrophic in the 10 seconds it takes to get from the open door to the stop button. All winter, indoor temperatures are very cold, the doors are always open for the smokers to stand in the doorway. By my calculation, 350,000 opportunities for ignition each year. Smoking indoors is forbidden. When management people are there, it is sort of obeyed. All the unexplained fires have happened when management people aren't present.

[Fnord5]

I guess the big fan is more diplomatic, but I still like the fire extinguisher in the face idea... My parents were smokers but I was never big on it. Quit when I was like 16 and smokes were still .75 a pack...never missed it. When I had pigs I had a change of clothes I took off when I came in out of the barn. Back when smoking was still going on in the bars, I'd come home late and hang up those clothes. In the morning the bar clothes would smell worse than the barn clothes.

I'd suggest straight water, or a CO2 extinguisher.

[johnrbauer]

Where will it stop coming to blows! Not good
John

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[whtbaron]

I'd suggest straight water, or a CO2 extinguisher.

Hmmmm....maybe one of those super soaker style squirt guns...

[welditforyou]

Well, after 2 days off I was back in the shop today. I ask the shop superintendent what the word on the smoking issue was. His response was "we will address it at the safety meeting Monday and ask people to be respectful". I wonder how well that's going to work. It's all a waste of time.

[whtbaron]

Super soaker.... load it up and they'll run...

[7A749]

Super soaker.... load it up and they'll run...

Full of bleach

[Lis2323]

Well, after 2 days off I was back in the shop today. I ask the shop superintendent what the word on the smoking issue was. His response was "we will address it at the safety meeting Monday and ask people to be respectful". I wonder how well that's going to work. It's all a waste of time.

What diplomatic BS! Sounds like something I'd say.....

[whtbaron]

Full of bleach

LOL.... well if you're going to do that, we might as well have stuck with blowing the fire extinguisher in his face!

[John T]

Well, after 2 days off I was back in the shop today. I ask the shop superintendent what the word on the smoking issue was. His response was "we will address it at the safety meeting Monday and ask people to be respectful". I wonder how well that's going to work. It's all a waste of time.

And when that does not work, What next?

I assume the next option would be to contact the state and report a violation of the workplace non smoking ban.

or the super soaker.

[HT2-4956]

The shop I work at has a strict no smoking policy. If you smoke you can only do it out side the building in one of 3 designated areas and you can only do it at break or lunch. You can chew in the shop but you best not spit it on the floor (especially around me). The guys that work out in the yard can smoke at will but they can't do it in any company vehicles or work trailers or shacks. I've been working there around 9 months now and haven't heard of any one getting their panties waded up over any issues connected with this policy. This policy / rules have been made clear to every one from the get go. It's all spelled out clearly in the employment contract you sign when you hire in.

[rabidchimp]

get him at recess

hahahhahahahh!!!

[rabidchimp]

This guy is a supreme dic#head. If I come into a new work place, and people smoke in the shop, whatever. They were there before me. If someone is a dick about it, and blows it in my face to piss me off (or anything else), I'll ask them not do whatever it is. If they repeat, I'm in their face with a physical threat. I'm not a big dude, 6ft, 190 lbs or so. Some pieces of $hit just need someone to step the fu$k up to them before they stop.
-Aaron

[HT2-4956]

Another policy we have that doesn't get enforced all that strictly has to do with food and drink on the shop floor. As written there's suppose to be no food whatsoever on the shop floor and drinks only in approved (basically plastic & screw top) containers. That's been laxly adhered to because every one eats and drinks while only a small percentage smoke. I know I'm tired of policing up other peoples (mostly from second shift) half drank soda cans and Styrofoam coffee cups when I set up to work in the morning. These things are like small mines just waiting to get tipped over and spilt all over the machines, drawings and what you're trying to work on. And to prove I can be just as big a self righteous a$$ hat as any non-smoker (or inconsiderate smoker for that matter) if any of my coworkers set down any of their beverages in non-approved containers any where in the immediate vicinity of where I'm trying to work I pretty much just pick it up and pitch it in the nearest trash can.

[Fnord5]

Another policy we have that doesn't get enforced all that strictly has to do with food and drink on the shop floor. As written there's suppose to be no food whatsoever on the shop floor and drinks only in approved (basically plastic & screw top) containers. That's been laxly adhered to because every one eats and drinks while only a small percentage smoke. I know I'm tired of policing up other peoples (mostly from second shift) half drank soda cans and Styrofoam coffee cups when I set up to work in the morning. These things are like small mines just waiting to get tipped over and spilt all over the machines, drawings and what you're trying to work on. And to prove I can be just as big a self righteous a$$ hat as any non-smoker (or inconsiderate smoker for that matter) if any of my coworkers set down any of their beverages in non-approved containers any where in the immediate vicinity of where I'm trying to work I pretty much just pick it up and pitch it in the nearest trash can.

I'd knock it over in their direction.
Hot coffee down the back of a leg, or all over their junk..quick lesson In thermodynamics, and manners.

[Gmmandan]

We got a surprise visit from our insurance adjuster and he saw cig butts on the ground he was very mad. We had said if he came back and we didn't have the butts cleaned up and no smoking signs he would drop us. I don't blame him we have propane tanks O/a tanks all it would take is a loose connection to be another story on the news. I have seen our guys change propane tanks on our forklift with cigs hanging out of there mouth. I had to tell a guy the other day he was standing outside our shop leaning on our 100 gallon propane tanks smoking. The more I think about it I'm surprised we don't have more incidents.....

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[John T]

All bravado aside, anyone that resorts to violence in the workplace is either young and reckless or stupid.

The only way I "discuss things" with anyone is in private.

this has worked well for roadrage situations in particular.

meet me behind the building where we are alone.

99.9% of the time they beat feet.


we won't talk about the .1%

[12345678910]

I had bronchial pneumonia repeatedly as a small child. My mother was a very heavy smoker. She admitted to smoking four packs, in truth, it was more. She has had a couple bouts of cancer, but not lung cancer. Now at 88, no longer a smoker, she has been hospitalized twice for low oxygen levels. She's on O2 full time.

I've never smoked a cigarette, and never will.

I'd not hire a smoker for a number of reasons, most significant; they are never working! When they aren't smoking, they are thinking of their next cigarette.

Also, the butts they throw everywhere are offensive to me. Any other form of litter would not be tolerated. Cigarette butts are everywhere. I'm not OCD, but this practice drives me crazy!

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

I'm with you there.

If the smoker can't stand to keep the butts in their car, or whatever, what makes them think I want them?

I' don't smoke them, I shouldn't have to pick em up.

Another thing that gets me, they put those ash cans right by the doors, so the smokers all huddle around the doorways and you have to walk through smoke cloud to go inside.

[Willie B]

I'm with you there.

If the smoker can't stand to keep the butts in their car, or whatever, what makes them think I want them?

I' don't smoke them, I shouldn't have to pick em up.

Another thing that gets me, they put those ash cans right by the doors, so the smokers all huddle around the doorways and you have to walk through smoke cloud to go inside.

They don't do it any more, I used to call it running the gauntlet. A couple of car dealers locally had long awnings over the walkway to the door. The bored salesmen would line both sides of the walk smoking their cigarettes. The walk would be covered with butts. Smoke was thick enough I could barely see the door.

I can't imagine a dealer with millions in inventory not objecting to these people in their cars. New cars are supposed to smell like new cars, not ashtrays.

[docwelder]

cigarette smoke pales in comparison to having cups of urine thrown at you but i like the fire extinguisher filled with stanky water idea. i'm going to mount one on my rolling welding cart first thing monday.

[HT2-4956]

I'd knock it over in their direction.
Hot coffee down the back of a leg, or all over their junk..quick lesson In thermodynamics, and manners.

No there's an inappropriate first response.

First off if it's sitting on my welding table or next to the joint I'm welding on I've just actually caused what it is I'm wanting to avoid.

Second, by setting that drink down by me they haven't actually caused me any physical harm (or even discomfort) so it doesn't give me the right to try and cause them any.

Third, no one's doing it as a purposeful show of disrespect. It's mostly getting done un-thinkingly by younger guys who haven't yet learned proper shop etiquette for working around others. So far, causing them a small monetary loss (a fine for bad behavior if you will) has worked well to get my point across with out seriously alienating any one.

[HT2-4956]

A good guideline I try to keep in mind when dealing with others in the kinds of situations being discussed in this thread is what's known as the "Non-initiation of Force Clause".

Basically it says that....No man (or group of men) have the right to initiate (or threaten to initiate) the use of physical force against another. Who ever does so first is in the wrong. And the reasons that make the initiation (or threat) of physical force wrong (immoral) make the retaliatory use of force a moral imperative.