Stood in a 50 gallon drum of water on a 3 story tank last Tuesday still not sure if I should have yelled at the foreman or just kept quiet

We were doing tube replacement at a chemical plant outside Baton Rouge. My job was to catch the falling tubes from the guy above me. He dropped a bundle and I stepped back into a drum full of rain water that someone left on the platform. Went in up to my chest. Soaked everything including my leathers. Foreman saw it happen and just laughed. Said "that'll dry." I wanted to tell him off but I was too busy trying to get my tools out of the water. Ended up working the rest of the shift in wet clothes. Burned my arm on a tube sheet cause my glove was still damp. Would you have said something to him or let it slide?

2 comments

2 Comments

gracecarr4d ago

Man, you gotta nip that stuff in the bud right when it happens. Next time, tell the foreman "I'm going home to change, this is a safety issue." That way you're not being a jerk, but you're looking out for yourself. Wet leathers and tools are a recipe for a bad day, and that burn proves it.

richardrodriguez3d ago

Man, I gotta push back here. Going home over a little soggy leather is how you get a rep as the guy who can't handle a basic workday. The foreman isn't gonna thank you for leaving early and leaving the crew short handed, and the other guys will definitely remember it. That burn is just part of the job, it builds character and shows you're tough enough to be on the crew. Staying and working through it is what separates the men from the boys on a real job site.