Unpopular opinion: We laughed off ear plugs on the job, and my ears haven't forgotten.

When I first got into boilermaking, nobody bothered with ear protection around the loud gear. Old timers would shrug and say the racket from the pressure tests and metal work was just part of life. I followed along, thinking it made me seem tougher on the crew. Now, years later, there's this steady buzz in my right ear that shows up when things get quiet. The sites today are different, with strict rules and everyone wearing their muffs without a second thought. It's good to see the change, and I always tell the new folks to guard their hearing from day one. Honestly, I miss the silence I took for granted, and that buzz is a daily reminder. We learned the hard way, but at least the trade is moving in a better direction for health.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_andrew8d ago

That tough guy act comes with a real cost. So many of us from the old shops are paying the price now.

parker_brown598d ago

You know, that tough guy act often hid how unsafe things really were. Managers would skip safety steps like ear protection to seem tough. Now a lot of guys have lasting injuries from those choices. The real price is paid in chronic pain, not just pride.

pathenderson6d ago

But from what I saw, a lot of guys chose to skip the gear themselves to fit in. I get what @parker_brown59 is saying, but pinning it all on managers lets the crew culture off the hook. The real problem was nobody wanting to look weak in front of their buddies.