So 51 and put my notice in at work! Scary

sawyer

Worked in industry for 35 years mostly on table saws doing furniture and kitchens. Work just getting madder and madder with ridiculous expectations.In 35 years I've cut myself 3 times. All 3 in the last 2 years:( Nearly lost a finger on my fretting hand last year. Had to bandage myself up and drive myself to hospital because we didn't and still don't have a first aided. So put my notice in. No Job to go to but feel I've done the right thing before I loss a finger or totally destroy my poor shoulders and feet that just ache:( Bit scary but hopefully find something easier going maybe part time. I'm lucky I had enougth savings to ride out a quiet period with no income. So anyone else done similar with success story or am I mad and destined to fail?

Jonathangus

No first aider at work?  Is that even legal?

Anyway, sounds like you've done the right thing.  Best of luck!

VimFuego

there's always a call for chippies, doing things like fitting kitchens etc. If I could go back in a time and learn a trade, I reckon some description of carpentry'd be it.

mgaw

you are mad obviously....for working with sharp dangerous tools whilst being a guitarist....sounds ridiculous in ther and no first aider!!! cant believe that's legal

EricTheWeary

Best of.

The drummer in my band had been a carpenter mostly on building sites and set himself up making wooden replacement kitchen cupboard doors and selling them through eBay. Was having to turn business away in the end he was so busy. 

sawyer

Thanks chaps. I'm sure I'm doing the right thing but bit scared ha. I believe it is illegal to not have a first aider. I've bandaged myself solo on a few occasions. 

Snags

Sounds like a very sensible time to exit stage left. Best of everything with getting a safer and more balanced gig!

stephen.wood125

It is illegal, and certainly if there is more than 5 employees, or if it's a Ltd. company.

I'm confident you will do just fine, you can't risk that kind of exposure, and a skilled wood worker will always be in demand. I wish you the very best of luck!

prowla

Well I was expecting to get to the end of my current contract on Friday, but they just had a word today and asked me to stay on for another 3 months.

sawyer

Wow loads of replies in just an hour and a half! Very much appreciated. Feel deep down I have to do it now. Partner and friend's all agree but you worry people just tell you what you want to hear. My girls over the moon I've  chucked it in. She's a good egg:)

CarpeDiem

It sounds like you've made the right decision to leave. You haven't said what your work plans are for the future, but if you don't yet have a clear view, it would be worth deciding what you to do and get something in place whilst working out your notice period. This should give you a better idea of your future working pattern and income. Wishing the best for the future.

jdgm

With your skills, you should be able to get a job very quickly. Best of luck. Sounds like it was time to move on.

monquixote

Get out before you lose a hand.

revsorg

We set up our own company in 2003 and are still going.  Times change but one thing I've concluded is that there is always a need for people doing quality work with integrity.

RandallFlagg

Go for it, as someone posted elsewhere, this isn't a rehearsal, each day is the only time we get to have that day, once it's gone, it's gone by.

Funkfingers

stephen.wood125 said:

It is illegal and, certainly, if there is more than 5 employees or if it's a Ltd. company.

Even workplaces with fewer than five employees are supposed to have an “appointed person” responsible for the upkeep of first aid kits. 

A woodworking shop could reasonably be described as a high risk environment. 

sawyer said:

Work just getting madder and madder with ridiculous expectations.

In what sense? Customer expectations of ever-improving quality or management expectations of greater productivity (for no extra reward)?

sawyer said:

put my notice in.

Are you working your notice period or have you already walked away?

It is possible that your employer may be prompted into asking what it would take to get you to reverse your decision. e.g. Improved safety provisions. Monetary incentives for increased productivity.

It is also possible that your employer is a complete and utter feminine reproductive opening and does not care whether workers sustain injuries.

•

Another thing that your employer should have is a book for reporting work-related injuries. 

If, for example, a specific piece of machinery has caused minor injuries before, eventually, causing a major one, the H.S.E. can (and will) ask to see it.

If, after a major injury, an employer is found to have either no injury record book or a suspiciously blank one, the H.S.E. has powers to ream them good and proper. Maybe even close them down.

barry2tone

sawyer said:

Partner and friends all agree ........... My girls over the moon I've  chucked it in. She's a good egg:)

The important thermometers all give similar readings.  Go for it!      

sawyer

Funkfingers said:

stephen.wood125 said:

It is illegal and, certainly, if there is more than 5 employees or if it's a Ltd. company.

Even workplaces with fewer than five employees are supposed to have an “appointed person” responsible for the upkeep of first aid kits. 

A woodworking shop could reasonably be described as a high risk environment. 

sawyer said:

Work just getting madder and madder with ridiculous expectations.

In what sense? Customer expectations of ever-improving quality or management expectations of greater productivity (for no extra reward)?

sawyer said:

put my notice in.

Are you working your notice period or have you already walked away?

It is possible that your employer may be prompted into asking what it would take to get you to reverse your decision. e.g. Improved safety provisions. Monetary incentives for increased productivity.

It is also possible that your employer is a complete and utter feminine reproductive opening and does not care whether workers sustain injuries.

•

Another thing that your employer should have is a book for reporting work-related injuries. 

If, for example, a specific piece of machinery has caused minor injuries before, eventually, causing a major one, the H.S.E. can (and will) ask to see it.

If, after a major injury, an employer is found to have either no injury record book or a suspiciously blank one, the H.S.E. has powers to ream them good and proper. Maybe even close them down.

Yes ive already walked. Went into office on Tuesday morning to tell production grinding to a halt due to pretty much every job coming back wrong. Told then I was sick to death and felt like putting my notice in. They said if that's the way you feel do it. So I did:) just constant unnecessary chaos all the time. Place is a tip,undermanned and little regard for procedure or safty. There's a fire door in my building blocked over with shelving units (because they worry someone might break in!)and another on way out of building has a cobination lock on it! Health and safty been round but just don't see it. Customers are villanised for being fussy or #unt5 if they complain but all they want is what they've paid shed loads of money for and us out their house. There is a book and my 'big'injury is in there thankfully because I took it to a manager and insisted it be listed. As you say though there's not many entries in it. We have no fork lift and me and another guy spend too long unloading 2800×2000 boards weighing 12 stone each and then moving them from one place to another to get to the colour we need because they not racked up. They just leaned against a wall in 4 piles. Tonnes and tonnes of material.Knacked:( Just amazingly badly organized and chaotic for no reason. Been here 13 years and its just recently got way worse. I think the bottom line is they trying to compete with huge company's on a shoestring. I'm convinced now I'm doing the right thing. Certainly can't possibly spend the next 16 years till retirement in such an environment. Thanks for all the replies! I didn't  think my dilemma would raise any interest. Appreciated everyone

BigBearKris

Just constant unnecessary chaos all the time. Place is a tip,undermanned and little regard for procedure or safty. There's a fire door in my building blocked over with shelving units (because they worry someone might break in!)and another on way out of building has a cobination lock on it! Health and safty been round but just don't see it. Customers are villanised for being fussy or #unt5 if they complain but all they want is what they've paid shed loads of money for and us out their house. There is a book and my 'big'injury is in there thankfully because I took it to a manager and insisted it be listed. As you say though there's not many entries in it. We have no fork lift and me and another guy spend too long unloading 2800×2000 boards weighing 12 stone each and then moving them from one place to another to get to the colour we need because they not racked up. They just leaned against a wall in 4 piles. Tonnes and tonnes of material.Knacked:( Just amazingly badly organized and chaotic for no reason. Been here 13 years and its just recently got way worse. I think the bottom line is they trying to compete with huge company's on a shoestring. I'm convinced now I'm doing the right thing. Certainly can't possibly spend the next 16 years till retirement in such an environment. Thanks for all the replies! I didn't  think my dilemma would raise any interest. Appreciated everyone

This is shocking. 

I work in care environment and last month Care Quality Commision reduced our great score to "average" due to some chipping paint on one of the radiators. 

In work environment where you operate with sharp tools, blades - and not even a trainer 1st aider? Also - emergency fire exits blocked? I'm pretty sure one phone call to fire dept would likely shut this thing down. Sounds like that visiting H&S person in  a friend of a friend...

Well done for making a difficult but important decision - best of luck!

sawyer

Cheers man:)

MattBanshee

I would speak to a qualified person about your rights with regard to unfair dismissal, if there have been recent incidents relating to H&S non-compliance. You might be able to get a settlement to tide you over.