WHAT does the SIGN SAY?!

[Plecostomus]

On of the projects I inherited when Day Job assimilated Nance Machine Automation a few months back is this really cool machine that punches holes in cardboard tags and pinch-fits a grommet in one swipe. It does this at the rate of 100,000 tags per hour. Very cool machine.

I didn't design it, but I'm required to know about it. How to service it, how to make repair parts for it, where to source electrical parts, know who programmed it. No big deal.

Got a call from Colorful Warning Signs And Safety Tag Company where the machine lives. "It seems to have broken down." Ok no big deal. I pack up a tool-kit, grab the PLC programmer guy and two boxes of spare parts from the warehouse. Figure the worst that could be wrong is a seized spinny thing, a snapped belt or a bunged blade.


Joe and I arrive at CWS&ST Inc and they lead us to the machine... I open it up, all the spinny parts are scored. I reach in, no trace of oil at all. Try to turn the main shaft, GRIND sound.

I ask the fellow who CWS&ST has following us around "When was the last time you oiled this?" He said "Never, as far as I know. Doesn't it have pre-filled bearings?"

I point to the sign (ironically, one printed by CWS&ST) that says "Oil Moving Parts With #2 Oil Twice A Week"... the sign mounted directly next to the ON/OFF/FAST/FASTER/OMGTOOFAST switch. When he said "but we didn't see that, there was nothing in the setup manual" I opened up the manual and showed him the LUBE CHART (with drawings) inside the front cover, and duplicated for great justice in Chapter 12.


Fast forward, we rigged the machine out of the building and brought it back to Day Job for repairs... repairs they claim should be covered under warranty.

That's not my business, that's for Legal and Sales to haggle over. If it was my call I'd classifiy it as a case of "Failed To RTFM" and charge them for the repairs.


So who else here has a spectacular case of "Failed To RTFM" to share? I suspect some of you IT-oriented people have some good "end users of fail" stories to share.

 

[SeerSGB]

Stick them with the bill, clearly it's not a mechanical issue but a operator error-- as in moron operating machine.


I've got a couple of them, nothing to spectacular:

-- At the theater: One of the AMs was training to take over as head projectionist at another theater and was dicking around with a projector, left a cover screw laying loose inside, it got up in the sprockets and totally buggered up around $5000 in gearing-- plus the insurance claim on the film print he destroyed as result of the screw cutting into it, that same night he failed to oil (common problem with people and machines apparently) another one and it seized.

-- Bookstore : The cafe expresso machine has a shit load of warnings about pressure, steam burns, etc, etc. Basically: Don't fuck around, you will get burned. Cue smart ass AM that thought she knew everything about everything, that was using a "shortcut" that she "used all the time, it'll be fine". Next thing you hear: "ssssh...Aaaag...fucking piece of shit!". Surprise, surprise the pressure relief valve that was never meant to be purged unless the machine was overheating or shut down for maintenance and cool, she'd open it thinking it would cool it down quicker and she could get done with here cleaning. "There should be a warning!"...yeah, like the big red and white sticker next to it that says "WARNING! BURN HAZARD! Do Not Open While Device Is Operating Or Under Pressure!"

 

[Deckerd]

So who else here has a spectacular case of "Failed To RTFM" to share? I suspect some of you IT-oriented people have some good "end users of fail" stories to share.

I thought RTFM was an absolute last resort in all things IT. From my own observations, anyway.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I was at a local Wal-Mart once and there was a spill that was mopped up and the floor was still wet an drying. The spot had like three of four warning signs, and an employee there trying to keep people from walking on it. A group of oblivious iarhead teenage girls ignore the employee, and walk threw it. The only shame was they didn't slip and fall.