The dangers of wearing shorts in a machine shop

Group,

It is my company policy to wear shorts anytime it gets over 80 degrees outside. Here in Southern California that happens a lot. For the second time this month I was denied access to a customers shop because my uniform includes shorts. I have short hair, wore safety glasses and steel toed shoes as well as no jewelry and wearing shorts made me a safety hazard. Other than people being distracted by my muscular calves what possible hazard could wearing shorts in a shop violate? *Note, both companies are huge management intense companies. One is union the other is an excellent target for one. For one I went out and bought some pants, today I was given a one size fits all painters over smock. I was way more unsafe in that than if I just wore shorts. The absurdity of the situation was quite amusing to everyone who saw me. No one enforcing the rule could explain why shorts are a safety hazard. I think it is an OSHA rule is the only explanation I got. Does anyone else have a no shorts rule and what is the explanation? It isn't worth losing business over so now I just keep a spare pair of long pants in my truck just in case. The first time I heard "we can't let you in with shorts." I thought they were kidding. The second time got me wondering how many people have that rule?

Reply to
Bill Roberto
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At least you didn't need a suit and tie.

John

Reply to
John

I would guess that they are concerned about the possibility of hot chips burning your legs.

Reply to
alphonso

alphonso wrote in news:Xns97F1C424292EDalphonso@130.133.1.4:

In addition to that, anything that fell and hit your legs would hit skin first. Pants would at least give you one more layer of insulation against damage. This would be especially true for any facility that has molten metal around, like ours.

Shorts are not allowed for our place either, if you are actually going to be on the floor near any equipment.

Reply to
Anthony

Bill:

You wouldn't want to run a manual lathe or mill that was flycutting. Also any sharp edged sheet metal or unseen protruding bar stock could put a nice gash on your legs. Also you wouldn't want to be in the welding area while someone is welding. We don't have any rule against wearing shorts, in fact one person wears them all the time.

Reply to
BottleBob

Well, ( moving upwards a notch or three on the "absurdity" level )...thinking here about maybe opening up a shop that's strictly for nudists......

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

Curious, they got any rules concerning visable buttcrack ?

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

The same argument can be replaced with long or short sleeved shirts. If my forearms can take it why can't my shins?

Reply to
Bill Roberto

Sure BB, common sense all the way, but if it's 110 in the shop and humid I can risk the protection a .01 piece of cloth provides my shins.

Reply to
Bill Roberto

I have a concealed buttcrack permit.

Reply to
Bill Roberto

Yeah, that's it, a "no thong" rule!

Cheers! Dave G.

Reply to
Dave Gee

I wear shorts 365 days a year. I've done all the above and more in shorts. Sure I've been burned by a stray chip or two. Big fsckin deal, that comes with the job. Stupidity is what gets people *hurt* in a machine shop. And I suppose that's why we have pointless rules like 'no shorts allowed', to protect the truly stupid from themselves.

This isn't a personal jab at you, Bob. Just a comment.

Reply to
bytecolor

Rules is rules, they don't always have to make sense. Best solution IMO is to just get a few pairs of convertible pants and zip the legs off when you need to wear shorts and zip them back on when you need long. Don't even need to take your shoes off with most of them.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Come on, people may not wish to see you without your thong.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

Reply to
kurgan

More than that though, its a culture v/s reality protocol thing.

Likely, you'd be more likely to get hurt in my own shop wearing short pants.

Heavier objects do tend to accululate upon the lower shelves--and they might even stick out a bit and likely have sharp edges protruding from beyond the shelf.

Sooo...long pants are still the basic rule...

Long sleeves are optional but I also do encourage them--normally wearing them my self regardless of any weather condition.

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

It's open carry here...and ther wimmen folk of all ages seem to love it, too

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

I think if you offered to double everyone's rate in return for them wearing shorts when it gets over 35=BAC, you'd still have everyone wearing pants.

Disc grinders spit nasty sparks (everywhere). Panels and scrap chutes on the floor, on the dies, against the wall, etc. Sharp edges on pads, trim steels, and unchamfered castings. Floors covered in chips from the machine shop (chips by the tonne off the castings). Welding done wherever there's room...

For certain work, we are covered head to toe with basically nothing showing, even when it's blistering. Overhead grinding with carbide burrs on hardened steel, for instance.

I can't imagine it would be worthwile to enforce a no-pants rule in a shop full of fully enclosed machines, however.

Regards,

Robin

Reply to
Robin S.

Bill:

Ha... I didn't realize that you were just venting. In the same vein, when challenged to go put on some pants you could do that AND put on some of those leather "chaps" that cowboys wear - accessorizing with such items as spurs and 10 gallon hat. THAT should graphically emphasize your attitude toward their "no shorts" rule. LOL

Reply to
BottleBob

Bytecolor:

Not a personal jab? That's good, far be it from me to juxtapose "byte" with "me". Just kidding. LOL

The relative safety of wearing shorts would probably depend on the risk factors of a particular shop. I've seen shops where you could probably go barefoot without mishap, and I've seen other shops where you almost need an environmental suit or body armor to survive the experience.

Reply to
BottleBob

I remember way back in trade scholl long sleeves were a no-no. they could get caught in machinery, especially lathes.

High top shoes, with long pants do keep chips out of your shoes.

That is one of my favorite things with my VMC all the chips and coolant stay inside. unlike my manual machines that throw chips far and wide.

Thank You, Randy

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Reply to
Randy

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