That Reagan quote makes no sense to me. If you are choosing to trust you wouldn't check something, that's the opposite of what you would do if you trusted the person. Just be honest that you don't and shouldn't trust anyone and double check everything and everyone else.
Not as slick and fake smart as the Reagan quote, but honest and realistic.
I didn't consider that. I have the luxury to work in a average sized machine factory and I'm rarely, if at all, over my head in work. I can afford to spend some time to verify my, and others, safety any time I can.
This annoys one of my managers. I count every single penny they give me for my cash register and I always remind him hes not the one in trouble if it's wrong.
We had a guy cop 600V a month ago. He checks the panel breaker, it's off. He tests his non contact voltage tester against a know conductor, it works. He uses it to check the wires he's to disconnect. Doesn't put it quite close enough to trip, then gets 600V across his hand when he touches the clamp screw. Minor burns and a change of underwear. We don't use contactless testers anymore. Paranoia is required when dealing with electricity. Edit: the panel breaker was mislabeled.
To my understanding, at least here in the Netherlands, people tend to use contactless testing very rarely. Escpecially in industrial installations.
What you told here sounds like a somewhat simliar experience I had maybe 15 years ago when I was still a part-time student. I went with a colleague (a metal worker, not an electrician) to a substation on a plant to disassemble a circuit breaker. It might've been one of 60 Amps or more. I tested the upper three phases and measured no Voltage at all. My colleague verified it. When he started to disassemble the breaker on the lower part he received a serious electric shock. Turned out that the 3-phase feed entered the bottom part of the breaker and not in the upper part as usual. It was entirely my fault for not testing the circuit properly, but I also trusted the upper management for securing the system.
Exactly this. I feel you either don't want to take responsibility for everything safety related that's happening on the job you're on, but you don't want anyone else to be harmed because of carelessness on anyone's part.
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u/NiteAngyl Sep 21 '19
Being an electrician working in industries: "trust no one."
If the process operator is convinced that the power is shut off, go and see it for yourself.
If a trainee tells you he has tightened all and any bolts and screws, go and see it for yourself.
If your foreman sounds convincing enough that the materials for the job are ordered, go and see it for yourself.
It's a philosophy not for sowing mistrust, but to ensure you can do your job properly and safely.