Garden Of Eden
ArboristSite Operative
Nice! My sentiments exactly.
Have a good, safe, sane, sober one pdqdl.
Oh, and almost no one will tell you they regret remembering what they did they day before too!
God bless
Do you work with a bunch of drunks?
- Thread starter pdqdl
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Nice! My sentiments exactly.
Have a good, safe, sane, sober one pdqdl.
Oh, and almost no one will tell you they regret remembering what they did they day before too!
God bless
I'm guessing your problem is that you are simply too smart for tree service owning pdqdl... it could be a tough road.
IcePick
ArboristSite Operative
What I meant to say was (after I've sobered up this morning) Is if you need to carry around that little gadget in your pocket and make a grown man use it, you're doing something wrong with your business practices.
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I think you may be referring to someone I know but I just cant come up with a name... Oh #### its me. Its a good thing I dont drink because I am pretty sure I wouldnt be a cop anymore. Someone would prolly own my house now for the cost of hospital bills.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
biggest problem you're gonna have (after injury and/or property damage) with them (stoners) is short term memory loss. Watch out for em to drop the wrong tree when you're not there or remove the wrong lead and you end up in a huge law suit.
Keep an eye on em and you'll know who they are as their chests grow boobs after perpetual use (long term mammary gain lol....just thought of that haha). Heard doctors say that.
My CA GM is 4 years sober AA. I am 21 years sober non AA. All I have ever needed is one GM and that cuts down on the percentages of getting intoxicated help. Had a guy run a saw into his thigh and another run an 044 into his face while high found out afterwards. Both times I temp had 2 gm's and they are more apt to get loaded in a group.
I have been the guy that got loaded on the job many years ago.
outofmytree
Addicted to ArboristSite
I am zero tolerance with my crew out of personal choice. The fact that it is an OHS requirement is just extra ammo. I take safety very seriously and have spent thousands of dollars making my guys as safe as they can be in this hazardous industry. If any of them are stupid enough to turn up drunk or stoned they catch a cab home. If I ever caught anyone drinking or lighting up (never have) they would need an ambulance home. No way is anyone going to put me, my boys, my clients or the general public in danger.
Rant over.
Rant over.
EdenT
ArboristSite Operative
Hello, my name is EdenT and I am a drug addict..........OH CRAP! wrong forum!........bye
EdenT
ArboristSite Operative
But more seriously. I will not tolerate workmates being under the influence of anything. I had a groundie once come to work stoned (pot). He was pulling a tag line on a 10' stick I was felling. I couldn't figure out why it had sat on my saw until I saw slack in the tag line. Hauled ass onto the rope and pulled it over OK. Grilled groundie who tells me he was pulling as hard as he could. That's when I realized the f'er was stoned. Should have told the boss but didn't. Spent most the rest of the day lecturing said groundie and told him if he ever turned up stoned again I would ensure it was his last day.
I smoke a bit of pot myself, drink rarely and never touch anything else. My rules are that I don't drink on any evening before work, and never smoke until the days work is done. Keeps me safe and keeps me sane (well at least I think I am, and so do I).
I smoke a bit of pot myself, drink rarely and never touch anything else. My rules are that I don't drink on any evening before work, and never smoke until the days work is done. Keeps me safe and keeps me sane (well at least I think I am, and so do I).
I never smoke while working, takes the fun out of it and makes it a general drag (no pun intended).
I drink too much as well, never at work though. That being said I work with a couple of excellent, long time sober treeguys (that are close friends of mine) on a regular basis, and nobody ever has any complaints about my operation.
Some people are just morons, regardless of what they do or dont do after work ...you'll have that.
I drink too much as well, never at work though. That being said I work with a couple of excellent, long time sober treeguys (that are close friends of mine) on a regular basis, and nobody ever has any complaints about my operation.
Some people are just morons, regardless of what they do or dont do after work ...you'll have that.
When I posted this thread, I knew it would ignite a bunch of comments on both sides of the "substance abuse" aisle. What I didn't expect was that nobody would comment on the neat little breathalyzer, how it works, or whether they thought it was a good idea.
So far, my guys have all liked it. Even the ones that are prone to coming in under the influence, because then they get out of work 'cause they are unfit, rather than just hungover and tired. They don't need to call in sick, they will come in and just tell me that they probably shouldn't work this morning. We test, they go home without a lot of hard feelings.
It still counts as an unexcused absence, but it's much better than not coming in or making up some bogus excuse.
So far, my guys have all liked it. Even the ones that are prone to coming in under the influence, because then they get out of work 'cause they are unfit, rather than just hungover and tired. They don't need to call in sick, they will come in and just tell me that they probably shouldn't work this morning. We test, they go home without a lot of hard feelings.
It still counts as an unexcused absence, but it's much better than not coming in or making up some bogus excuse.
jh504
ArboristSite Lurker
Sounds like a cool little tool. I work for EMS so I definitely work with a bunch of drunks. Thankfully we dont have the problem with folks clocking in under the influence though. Do that in our line of work and you loose your certification, job, and maybe go to jail.
I personally have been sober for 6 years. Im a much better person without it.
I personally have been sober for 6 years. Im a much better person without it.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think it would be pretty cool to use at a house party to decide whether or not someone could drive (or discourage one from doing so).
As far as use on the job. I don't need a breathalyzer. I was a screw off myself long enough to know when someone is f-ed up. Plus I have worked with my guys long enough and work closely enough to them to know if there is a problem with one of them.
As far as use on the job. I don't need a breathalyzer. I was a screw off myself long enough to know when someone is f-ed up. Plus I have worked with my guys long enough and work closely enough to them to know if there is a problem with one of them.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ooops. I thought of another good reason to have one:
It is also part of every employers federally mandated obligation to do random and "reasonably suspected" drug and alcohol testing.
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/drug/engtesting.htm
This little tester meets Federal guidlines, and is one heck of a lot cheaper than sending an employee off to a lab.
I paid $20 for a drug screen with alcohol test earlier this year on an employee before I bought my little tester. I was really after just the BAC, but I got him on other stuff, too.
You guys that hire very many people and don't do any testing would be surprised how much goes on that you don't know about.
It is also part of every employers federally mandated obligation to do random and "reasonably suspected" drug and alcohol testing.
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/drug/engtesting.htm
This little tester meets Federal guidlines, and is one heck of a lot cheaper than sending an employee off to a lab.
I paid $20 for a drug screen with alcohol test earlier this year on an employee before I bought my little tester. I was really after just the BAC, but I got him on other stuff, too.
You guys that hire very many people and don't do any testing would be surprised how much goes on that you don't know about.
Saw Bones
ArboristSite Operative
We require a prehire physical with a drug test, and do random drug testing every now and then. You have to be careful not to single any one out. Or you can surprise test the whole crew from time to time. (we do that too)
In the event of an incident every one on the site has to take a drug test as well. A zero tollerance policy is the best bet before some one gets hurt or killed, or does some expensive damage.
Saw Bones
ArboristSite Operative
This comment is not aimed at any one person, but to all out there that are using pot, alcohol, or abusing any other substance legal or illegal.
I never smoked cigaretts, and I quit using pot about 30 years ago. The only regret I have is that I didn't quit sooner, (or maybe I regret ever starting) I wasted about 10 or 15 years of my life stoned, Lost a pretty good wife, and missed out on a lot with my kids because I was stoned. You can make all the excuses you want to but in the long run the sooner you change your life, the sooner things start going better for you. Thats a fact, I've been there.
EdenT
ArboristSite Operative
Sawbones, I completely agree with you. Smoking, Drinking or any kind of substance abuse is a guaranteed way to waste time, money and make less of life than you otherwise would. I do smoke cigarettes as well. I would like to give it all up and have tried to do so many times. I guess for some of us it is just harder.
As far as the device goes I think it is a borderline infringement on civil liberties. If your employee's are willing to take the test then great. If they decline do you sack them? Also if you just give them the day off are you not breeding contempt for the whole turn up to work sober thing. If I were in your workers position I would be turning up, possibly in a substandard condition, and seeing if 'I beat the system'. If I don't I get the day off to party again (or recover). If you are going to preach zero tolerance then that means you sack workers who turn up under the influence in my book.
(Yes I know with current pot testing methods I would be sacked up to two months from my last smoke - and that's just stupid.)
I went out and purchased the AL-7000 because I hired a man with an alcohol problem. I was working with him with his complete consent, just to keep him at work. Unfortunately, I discovered that I could not keep him sober, and he continued to defeat my efforts to keep him sober.
Having discovered that I could be fooled about when he was drinking, I eliminated any chance of being fooled by acquiring a foolproof test. At this point I was already obliged as an employer to accepting his condition. I was honor bound to not fire him for being a drunk, only for being drunk on the job.
My efforts to keep him sober were so extensive, I only gave him $30 on payday, and withheld the rest of the money. I would parse it out to him at $7.00 per day for living expenses, and would make larger advances upon request. Toward the end, if he tested with any alcohol in his system at all while he was on the clock, he forfeited the entire days pay.
None of my efforts made any difference. He would still slip out and find something to drink. After several warnings, and having caught him repeatedly operating a machine under the influence, he blew more than twice the legal limit after driving down the road in a rented backhoe.
I fired him.
Now I am still parsing out all $6,000 he had saved up in small increments to him. He has gone through $2900 in 6 weeks, and is not paying for any rent, utilities, or vehicles. It will be very sad when he runs out of money, because then he will probably be a ward of the State.
BTW: he spent 18 months in prison for driving drunk. Even though he was eligible for reinstatement, I never got him his license, because I knew he would go back.
Since then, I like having the tester for other purposes. Like DOT compliance and keeping the other drunks out of the trucks.
Having discovered that I could be fooled about when he was drinking, I eliminated any chance of being fooled by acquiring a foolproof test. At this point I was already obliged as an employer to accepting his condition. I was honor bound to not fire him for being a drunk, only for being drunk on the job.
My efforts to keep him sober were so extensive, I only gave him $30 on payday, and withheld the rest of the money. I would parse it out to him at $7.00 per day for living expenses, and would make larger advances upon request. Toward the end, if he tested with any alcohol in his system at all while he was on the clock, he forfeited the entire days pay.
None of my efforts made any difference. He would still slip out and find something to drink. After several warnings, and having caught him repeatedly operating a machine under the influence, he blew more than twice the legal limit after driving down the road in a rented backhoe.
I fired him.
Now I am still parsing out all $6,000 he had saved up in small increments to him. He has gone through $2900 in 6 weeks, and is not paying for any rent, utilities, or vehicles. It will be very sad when he runs out of money, because then he will probably be a ward of the State.
BTW: he spent 18 months in prison for driving drunk. Even though he was eligible for reinstatement, I never got him his license, because I knew he would go back.
Since then, I like having the tester for other purposes. Like DOT compliance and keeping the other drunks out of the trucks.
Toddppm
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey I thought the tree climbers who smoke and proud of it forum was over at the Treehouse?
Haha, not me anymore. Lonnnnnnngggg times ago. I don't see how I wasted so much time in my life with that crap. Used to be the only goal I had was to score again. Now there's not enough time in any day to do all I want to.
I am suspicious of a couple of my guys being high on the job, been there done that and can't believe I didn't catch it.
There will be drug tests for them in their future if they want to stay. Ya hear that boys? (maybe they're reading this):censored:
Haha, not me anymore. Lonnnnnnngggg times ago. I don't see how I wasted so much time in my life with that crap. Used to be the only goal I had was to score again. Now there's not enough time in any day to do all I want to.
I am suspicious of a couple of my guys being high on the job, been there done that and can't believe I didn't catch it.
There will be drug tests for them in their future if they want to stay. Ya hear that boys? (maybe they're reading this):censored:
