Unpopular opinion: Apprentices solo at the glory hole is my ethical line.

The practice is common, but I always double-check their setup.

3 comments

3 Comments

Yikes, reading this makes me glad my only solo project was assembling IKEA furniture. I'd be a walking safety violation with actual tools.

terryw672mo ago

You ever walk in on a scene like that and just freeze? Totally with you on this, it's a hard line for me too. Last year, I found a first-year apprentice working alone on a deep cut without a spotter. My heart just dropped. I made him stop right there and called the foreman, no way was I letting that slide. It's not just about rules, it's about sending them home safe every night. Sometimes I wonder how we got so casual about the basics...

phoenixb342mo ago

A first year apprentice doing a deep cut solo is terrifying. You're right @terryw67, stopping that job was the only call. How do we forget that a spotter isn't just a rule, it's what keeps a kid alive?