Another safety concern!
May 13th, 2016
For your reading pleasure, my most recent safety concern at work:
Description of the Safety Concern:
Last year, I was told by the site EHS leader that, despite this being the year 2015, this building does not have a functional fire alarm system because it simply wasn't in the budget to install one. And, I guess, it hasn't been for a very, very long time.
This is why, in lieu of an actual, working fire alarm system, the management is to make use of a building-wide intercom system to notify people inside the facility whenever there is an emergency of some sort or another. However, though this now the year 2016, the company has apparently been unable to keep the intercom system functional. Why this is the case, despite [REDACTED] ostensibly being a company that produces leading edge equipment for industry, I cannot fathom.
So! When the problems with the intercom began to become pervasive, the management decided their best bet as a backup for said intercom system was to place megaphones in a few, scattered locations throughout the building, so someone can man them in the event of an emergency or other calamity, and notify the people within the building.
Well, as it turns out, the intercom system is not functioning in the [REDACTED] cell at all, and the megaphone that was the back up for the intercom upstairs has mysteriously vanished, which means in the event of an emergency, we here in the back corner are pretty much out of luck.
Being that our area is now a complete death trap, my question is what the management intends, if anything whatsoever, to do about this. Years of experience have taught me that nothing is going to change in this regard, so the question is whether or not we should simply notify OSHA to see if they can bring about a solution. As money seems to be the main impediment to getting a fire alarm installed, perhaps the completely obscene amount of OSHA fines they'd charge the company under these circumstances would make doing the right thing preferable, and make finally getting a fire alarm installed the more cost-effective option. Or something!
Recommendations for Follow-up:
I don't know, install a working fire alarm system? Hire someone who actually knows what they're doing to fix the intercom system, instead of whoever has been futzing with it for the last couple of years? Make sure if there's going to be a megaphone alarm system, there's actually a megaphone? And that the person responsible didn't call in sick that day?
Actions taken to date: I've complained about this for years, to no avail.