On Mon, 09 Oct 2017 12:58:24 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

Per Jeff Liebermann:
Once safety interlocks and
shields are introduced, the accident rate usually increases rather
than decreases. That's because workers genuinely believe that the
safety device will protect them from harm, no matter how stupid they
act. So, they do risky things and soon learn that safety devices only
protect against a limited number of possible actions.

Our Industrial Relations 101 prof told us the following (approximate)
story:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lumbering operations are notoriously dangerous. You have hundreds of
large, whole, trees piled up and workers have to navigate the mess.

One particular hazard is the crane: guys get killed and maimed as trees
being moved around by the crane impact workers.

One such operation had a conspicuously-good safety record and The Powers
That Be wanted to find out how it was accomplished.

They brought the crane operator in for questioning.

"How do you manage to keep such a good safety record in such a dangerous
environment?"

"Well, when I hook up a tree and start moving it, I yell 'RUN YOU
SONOFABITCHES, RUN!!!!'."
------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was it.

There was no Snopes back then, so I don't know....


But why ever not? After all audible warning devices have been in used
for centuries :-)

--
Cheers,

John B.