USA health & safety?

[Epotech]

What's the H&S like in US? Do they have any? been watching the latest Stern production video on their FB page.
Here's some observations:

Playfield rails fitted and then the employee removes the playfield and drops it onto it's end propped up against the line.

During assembly all manner of crap is dumped on the playfield. Pliers, assemblies etc

Soldering is taking place on the assembly line with no extraction

Assemblies are put together using hand tools e.g. screwdrivers. hello RSI.

No PPE, eveyone seems to wear those crappy trainers, no safety glasses. I did see the guy on the off hand grinder wearing glasses but he's then wearing shorts and trainers!

At the soldering pot/station there's no extraction, at least none between the pot and the operators face.

In packing there's an air line across the floor

Empty cardboard boxes are piled up virtually everywhere, can anyone say fire risk?

I'm really surprised at how bad it all is.

 

[kevlar]

Does look pretty relaxed there, but then again we are way over the top in this country. I work in a powerstation and you can't fart without a risk assesment, method statement and permit to work, oh and every conceivable item of PPE.

 

[Paul]

....and you can't fart without a risk assesment, method statement and permit to work, oh and every conceivable piece of PPE.

Man, if that was the case in our office, everyone would be walking around with Radiation suits on!!

 

[Wiredworm]

It's pretty incredible when you consider the claim culture that started in the USA and has now made it's way over to the UK though.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

Yup UK and EU has gone mad on H&S. People wonder why manufacturer in the UK has gone down the toilet! Stern looks interesting - visit a Chinese factory - holy ****!


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[Wayne J]

[/ATTACH]

 

[BigIan]

 

[darren_ross]

Does look pretty relaxed there, but then again we are way over the top in this country. I work in a powerstation and you can't fart without a risk assesment, method statement and permit to work, oh and every conceivable item of PPE.

I know the feeling

 

[JMP]

I know the feeling

Those documents are necessary to demonstrate what is in place to reduce risk 'as far as is reasonably practicable' as required by H&S law.

Blame a mammoth claims culture, multitude of bogus incidents, exaggerated injuries and try-ons.... and the need to filter out the genuine ones.

 

[todler]

I would have thought the H&S requirements in the US would be just as bad. I work for a company owned by Carrillion and KBR, both US companies and a lot of our over the top H&S policies are from them.

 

[PinballDaze]

Does look pretty relaxed there, but then again we are way over the top in this country. I work in a powerstation and you can't fart without a risk assesment, method statement and permit to work, oh and every conceivable item of PPE.

I farted once and had to carry out a Risk Assessment of my Y fronts....

 

[Bandit Boy]

Isn't that dangerous welding near the fuel tank?

 

[ducks]

It's pretty incredible when you consider the claim culture that started in the USA and has now made it's way over to the UK though.

Yeah, but if what one reads is correct, and I tend to think it is, Stern relies heavily on minimum wage (or lower) unskilled labourers, many of whom are on temporary contracts and most without good English or probably in some cases any English. There's very little chance of getting sued ... plus, I'm sure they all have to sign waivers.

The health and safety aspect isn't much of a surprise (one would expect it), but it does look like very little care is taken to avoid damage to the product, too, and proper, careful assembly, perhaps explaining why Stern have so many assembly errors and damaged games as well as purely defective parts.

The whole operation, from pillar to post, smacks of a hugely cost cut and fairly careless operation. Certainly some old posts by former Stern workers suggest total contempt for workers, both those on the factory floor, and designers ... I doubt the culture has changed. Given the way the ship is being run now, they seem to be treating their customers and many resellers with complete contempt too.

 

[Bandit Boy]

Watching the video it looked to be mainly staffed by people of Mexican origin, or other ethnic backgrounds within the USA so I could well believe it's a business reliant on cheap labour.
Not the kind of people that Trump wants in the USA?

 

[Jsyjamie]

We had this sent round all of the sites a few weeks ago, the mind boggles!!