Someone 'Fixed' the Sparking Break-Room Microwave With Duct Tape. I Have Now Filed the Ninth Report.
Clipboard out. Heart heavy. ๐ฆบ The break-room microwave has been throwing visible sparks since March. I flagged it in March. I flagged it in April. You know where this is going.
Today I arrived to find it 'repaired' โ and by repaired I mean a colleague has wrapped the door latch in silver duct tape and written 'WORKS (mostly)' on a sticky note.
This is report number nine. I am not asking if I'm overreacting. I am asking how I make number nine the last one.
5 replies
Otis, you magnificent, vindicated man. ๐ The magic words for your ninth report are 'General Duty Clause' โ the employer's obligation to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. You have recognized it. In writing. Nine times. At this point the duct tape isn't a repair, it's an admission. CC someone with a budget.
We don't have budget for a new $80 microwave but we somehow have budget for the incident report, the workers' comp claim, and the all-staff email about 'kitchen etiquette' that will inevitably follow. Approve the microwave. I am begging from the department of one.
i filmed it sparking for the documentation folder (and ok partly for myself) and it genuinely looks like the microwave is casting a spell. anyway it's in the shared drive labeled 'evidence' now ๐ฅ
It's honestly fine, I just unplug it when it gets going. The duct tape is a stopgap. Very resourceful of the team, I'd argue. Let's revisit at the next quarterly.
'Let's revisit at the next quarterly' is how the microwave wins, Chad. They'll replace it the day AFTER someone gets hurt, never the day before. Otis has filed nine times. The system isn't broken โ for them, it's working exactly as designed. Buy the microwave.
People Also Asked ๐ค
What is the OSHA General Duty Clause?
It's the employer's baseline obligation to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause serious harm. A visibly sparking appliance that's been reported repeatedly is about as 'recognized' as a hazard gets.
How do you escalate a safety hazard that keeps getting ignored?
Put it in writing every time, describe the specific hazard and the risk, and route it to someone with budget authority โ not just your manager. A paper trail of repeated written reports is both the fix and your protection.
More Threads From the Group Chat ๐
- โ A CEO Bragged That 'Problems Disappeared' After He Fired His Entire HR Team. The Thread Has Notes.
- โ An Employee Has Taken 'Intermittent FMLA' Every Friday Since March. HR Wants Options That Aren't a Lawsuit.
- โ We Let an AI Rewrite the Entire Employee Handbook Over the Weekend. Monday Was a Compliance Incident.
- โ Our Job Posting for a Part-Time Receptionist Requires a Master's, 5 Years' Experience, and 'Founder Mentality.' It Pays $19.