Back in '08 at the old steel mill in Gary, a weld on a 3-inch steam line gave out right after a pressure test.

We found the root pass was cold, and the whole crew had to redo a week's work in the middle of a Chicago winter. It made me double-check every single procedure sheet from then on, even if I'd done the job a hundred times before. Anyone still have those old mill stories that changed how you work?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_stone4515d ago

My uncle worked at the Youngstown mill in '92. A crane cable snapped and dropped a 10-ton ladle. After that, he would walk the ENTIRE path himself before giving the all-clear. That kind of thing sticks with you for life.

mia_stone15d ago

Actually think @anna_stone45 has the year a bit off. The big Youngstown ladle drop was '91, not '92. My dad talks about it sometimes. That kind of mistake would totally stick with you too.

alicesingh14d ago

Remember the '94 valve failure at the South Works? They followed the sheet exactly, but the sheet was WRONG. Sometimes blind trust in a procedure is the problem. My crew started a rule after that: we pull the old prints and physically spot-check three random steps before any big job. The paper can lie.