I studied a little and wrote about Fool Proofing many years ago. I posted about it back in 2004. Something happened after 22 years that made me not only to practically implement that but also write about here, not hopping that anyone does anything about these fools!
This story starts with ABSA, The Alberta Boilers Safety Association, a provincial organization which watches over the manufacturing, assembling and installation of pressure vessels to make sure they are safe by complying to the applicable standards. ABSA deploys Authorized Inspectors to the facilities and sites which deal with pressure vessels to perform inspections and reviews regularly and charges them a good chuck of dough! I had to deal with four Authorized Inspectors since I have started this new position and one is funnier than the other:
1) Caucasian fella who always was very friendly. Always smiling and chatty. I've written about my encounter with him regarding my trip to Japan. He got axed for lack of work ethics and being sloppy! He later contacted the team leader of ours who was kicked out later(!) and said that he wanted to start an Inspection Company. Never heard of him since.
2) An Indian Punjabi guy. This guy was a bit of nutcase. A narcissist like most of the Indians are and a sort of person who thought he knew everything and never was ashamed of abusing his power. Common within eastern culture, in general and Indian sub-continent culture, in particular! He got into heated argument with two of female employees of the company and got banned! This moron, was sent back to the company months after the incident because ABSA didn't have anyone else and this time he approached me and asked me to fix something on one of the products. When I asked him which one it was he said he did not remember exactly what serial number it was and got busy with one of his own people who works for the company! What a fool!
3) Another Caucasian fella who seemed to be more mature, understanding and knowledgeable at first. But not completely as it appears later! This guy says things that either forgets or don't care about them, later! If there're issues within the products that he finds, he never officially sends a message. He always hands a small piece of paper, usually a Sticky Note or says it, although I think they note it down as they have a sort of log-book which they update it after every visit.
One of my interactions with this numbnuts was the concept of recycling which I never even bothered to mention it to him, like any other things that he had an issue with and fixed it myself! The company has provided both a trash bin and a recycling bin in every room, including the room the so-called Authorized Inspectors use. I realized that this idiot throws the papers that he does not want into the trash bin while there's a blue bin (recycle bin) just next to it. The concept of recycling is ignored by millions and millions in Canada and all over the world. They just simply don't care but there's a bin, why don't you use it? What I did was just switched the spots that these two bins had been placed and got the recycle bin closer to the desk if the so-called A. I. I didn't work! Then I removed the trash bin and placed it at the other end of the room because I knew this guy was so lazy that he would not walk to the other side to throw something in the bin. I then just placed the blue bin so close to him that he wouldn't even have to move. All he has to do now is to extent his arm and get rid of the piece! That's how you fool proof a task!
(Photo: The blue bin for recycling in the office)
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