Most embarrassing work accident?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think I had mine today.

I was out in the parking lot of our store and I slipped and fell into a puddle of old motor oil (which I didn't see because the sun was so bright and I wasn't looking down at my feet). I walked back in and cleaned myself off but my clothes were still covered in all that stuff. I smelled like a fucking Auto Parts store. Although I did get to leave early, but I would have preferred another method of doing that!

This is the first time I've ever been *mad* that my work shirt was ruined...

And now I'm considering lobbying Washington to consider the death penalty for people who drive around in cheap junk piles that leak oil like that.

So what was y'all's most embarrassing accident you ever had at your place of work?

 

[Mallory]

About 20 years ago, thinking I was working with a test database, I deleted a company's entire live accounting, payroll, inventory and distribution data. Oops!

Fortunately, it was first thing in the morning and since they did nightly backups I was able to get them back up and running, but it took a couple of hours and they were not pleased. I ended up having to write off a bunch of billable time to appease them.

 

[doubleohfive]

I think I had mine today.

Sorry to read that.

...fucking Auto Parts ...

Sounds painful.

And now I'm considering lobbying Washington to consider the death penalty for people who drive around in cheap junk piles that leak oil like that.

All the problems in this country and THAT's what you are planning on complaining about?

So what was y'all's most embarrassing accident you ever had at your place of work?

That one time I typed 'y'all' on a message board

Kidding!

I once wore salt-colored khakis to the office, which I normally loathe, but it was also right after the dean instituted a 'tuck your shirts in' policy. Naturally, this was the same day I spilled marinara sauce all over myself. FUN!

 

[captcalhoun]

one time i squat down to pick something up off the floor and caught my ass on the rough edge of the shelf the cigarette stand sat on, ripping a hole in the seam of the ass of my pants.

 

[auntiehill]

Back when I was working in a department store, a painter walked by and I didn't notice the roller he was carrying. I ended up spending the day with white paint on my butt and back. It totally ruined my clothes. I was NOT happy.

Of course, one of my favorite boo-boos was this year, when someone in HR sent out an email to HUNDREDS of people (including the corporate office), saying "Your shift for today has been canceled." But he forgot the 'f' in shift.

 

[Etched]

I once caught my jeans on a pipe bracket in the warehouse I was working in and ripped the leg off them. As it was early in the day and I didn't have a change of clothes on me I had to take a Stanley knife to the other leg and turn them into shorts - I never did live that one down.

 

[JonathonWally]

Passed out from being drunk at work. At 9am.

It was a Saturday morning and the bunch of us had worked late the night before, and had to be in early the next day. So we did the only logical thing we could think of. Went out and got trashed.

Ah, being 21 and working retail, it was awesome.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Lots. I'm accident prone.

I kept getting my name badge stuck in something at Borders. Cash register was usually the case but I even got it caught in some weird book that I had to have my manager help me with because I didn't want to tear the book and it was stuck in pretty good.

 

[The Great Meech]

The time I was cleaning up in a hilly, treed piece of the amusment park I work at, off to the side of the path. I, naturally, tripped and scraped my knees. My manager eventually had to help me find a band-aid. It was sad.

 

[Krieg1981]

I was working at jiffy lube back in '01. We used to use a very toxic varnish removing engine cleaner that ran for ten minutes. I was unfamiliar with the oil filter on that vehicle(a ridiculous paper filter inside the oil pan), and it required you take a metal plate off, then use Channel Locks to grab the paper filter's tab. I got real close, yanked the filter out, and was immediately coated from the top of my head to the middle of my shirt with flaming hot, toxic engine cleaner. It burned the shit out of my face, eyes and throat, but I just lit a cigarette and laughed. A rookie mistake which got lots of laughs when I came up from the pit! PS, don't go to jiffy lube, they will stick it in your butt! Trust me, I worked for them for 6 years.

 

[Kirby]

I worked at a pizza delivery place in college, and the drivers that worked the closing shift had to clean up, sweep, and mop the floor. On one of my first days I was told to get the mop ready and I mixed up an awfully powerful blend of soap and amonia (I had never done this before). Long story short we had to evacuate and air out the store for an hour.

 

[Danoz]

I was working at the paper factory, and I was cutting ONE SHEET of kraft paper with a new razor blade on my 2nd to last day before I would head back to university-- I must not have been paying attention and I took the blade straight across my thumb-- the tip was hanging off and I had to go to the hospital. Was VERY lucky. No nerve/bone damage, only left a bit of a scar.

Still, very embarrassing considering I used a blade for slabbing rolls, all kinds of things-- and I was being lazy and decided to cut one sheet of paper down the middle instead of using the safety cutter.

 

[PluckyNinja]

I work at a store that sells booze. I was asked to stock the shelves one day a few years ago so I went about making a list of what to bring up from the warehouse. I was looking at, I believe it was the rum section, and I took a step backwards to get a good look at the entire wall. I bumped into something that I at first thought was a low shelf behind me. Without looking I just put out one hand to steady myself.... I grabbed the guys crotch who had been standing behind me. I even squeezed a little before I realized what had happened. I didn't know what to do so I just apologized and VERY quickly left the sales floor and made sure that guy was gone before I came back.

 

[Captain Intrepid]

It burned the shit out of my face, eyes and throat, but I just lit a cigarette and laughed.

I'm really glad it wasn't flammable too! That just would have added insult to injury!

 

[Captain Intrepid]

I work at a store that sells booze. I was asked to stock the shelves one day a few years ago so I went about making a list of what to bring up from the warehouse. I was looking at, I believe it was the rum section, and I took a step backwards to get a good look at the entire wall. I bumped into something that I at first thought was a low shelf behind me. Without looking I just put out one hand to steady myself.... I grabbed the guys crotch who had been standing behind me. I even squeezed a little before I realized what had happened. I didn't know what to do so I just apologized and VERY quickly left the sales floor and made sure that guy was gone before I came back.

 

[jkladis]

Passed out from being drunk at work. At 9am.

It was a Saturday morning and the bunch of us had worked late the night before, and had to be in early the next day. So we did the only logical thing we could think of. Went out and got trashed.

Ah, being 21 and working retail, it was awesome.

Similar situation at that age. My boss was opening up the store at 6 AM and noticed my car driving down the street, way past the far end of the parking lot. I was on my way home to change so I can make it in by 6:30. I think I had to visit the bathroom a few times that Sunday morning.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Of course, one of my favorite boo-boos was this year, when someone in HR sent out an email to HUNDREDS of people (including the corporate office), saying "Your shift for today has been canceled." But he forgot the 'f' in shift.

Ha, someone sent out a mass e-mail like that at my company this year...they intended to say "an all-out assault," but it came out "anal out assault."

I worked at a pizza delivery place in college, and the drivers that worked the closing shift had to clean up, sweep, and mop the floor. On one of my first days I was told to get the mop ready and I mixed up an awfully powerful blend of soap and amonia (I had never done this before). Long story short we had to evacuate and air out the store for an hour.

Damn, what did that smell like?!? Thank God you guys all got out in time! Did you get in trouble?

 

[Krieg1981]

It burned the shit out of my face, eyes and throat, but I just lit a cigarette and laughed.

I'm really glad it wasn't flammable too! That just would have added insult to injury!

That would have been par for the course that day!

 

[Tim]

So what was y'all's most embarrassing accident you ever had at your place of work?

Blood spatter.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

It wasn't exactly an accident. I had the morning shift at the cafeteria in my dorm. I had to roll all the cinnamon rolls and pastries into the oven and out on the line for a special breakfast for the coaches and staff by 6 a.m. I was waiting for them to get done, waiting and waiting and cursing because they wouldn't cook. I ended up waking up the general manager of the cafeteria and the head resident because I knew they wanted those pastries made and out there for the coaches in time. I complained for half an hour; the influenza ridden head resident came trudging in, looking none too happy, in her bathrobe and pajamas. She said it would be helpful if I turned on the fucking oven.

I'm not a morning person.