
Originally Posted by
MSparks909
Working with Alcoa is pretty cool
I worked for an Alcoa owned company before I became a mechanic. The conditions were pretty terrible, I got chemical pneumonia around 7 or 8 times because the machines weren't properly sealed and an exhaust system was non-existent. We were told the coolants used were perfectly safe even though the company purchased cortisone cream by the pallet for the horrible rashes that burned and itched like nothing else. A friend was actually scalped by a machine because the doors didn't close properly even though they had been told about the problem numerous times but again "rigged it" and called it good. People were hurt all the time because the machines were rigged to "just run a little longer". Nothing terrified you more than when a spindle failed and the part started beating the doors open. 100 to 200 lb parts spinning at 10,000 RPMs flying through the air is enough to make you lose bladder control.
It was by far the most dangerous job I ever worked. I worked what they called "rework" for a short time trying to remove chatter marks, raw forging marks that had been missed by our mach that was off because rigging it to run was more important than the employees life, and many other problems with the aluminum forgings. These weren't small parts, they were for Tractor Trailer, Bus, and Heavy Machinery. If this stuff failed it had the potential to kill more than just the person using it. They batch tested everything, not a good idea for something used on highways and roads. I ran most every machine there and was certified for fork-lifts, front loaders, industrial sweepers, and even made it to supervisory position. I ended up having to quit, my Doc had warned me the next chemical pneumonia could be my last.
So no, Alcoa is not "pretty cool" in my experience. This was years ago. In my experience though big companies don't change, they just find a way around the rules. I stay away from anything they make or own if possible, including Reynolds Aluminum foil.
Appeasement is never the answer in the face of naked aggression.
Bookmarks