The Taste Test

During a recent visit to one of our sister facilities, I was performing a routine site walkthrough with the local EHS representatives. The intent of the visit was to get familiar with the layout and identify any low-hanging fruit in terms of OSHA compliance.

During our journey, we found a few chemicals at at workstation that were not being stored properly—aka a flammable cabinet. Honestly, it wasn't shocking; improper chemical storage is one of the low hanging fruit and most common OSHA violation you will find in any industrial setting.

We discovered a bottle with no GHS label. Again, a classic violation, but what happened next was anything but "standard procedure."

I turned to my colleague to ask for her professional opinion on what the substance might be. Without a word, she opened the container, dipped her finger directly into the milky green solution, and stuck it in her mouth.

After the 'longest second ever', she nodded. "Yep, this tastes like alcohol".

That was the first time I’ve ever said "What the f**k?!" out loud in a professional setting.

When I found my professional voice and asked what she was doing, she shrugged it off. "I do this all the time," she said. "Flammables have a distinct taste, and I do not want to bother the manager. He does not like me for some reason."

I was floored. I was flabbergasted. To this day, I still have NO words for this encounter.

The Lesson Learned

Familiarity breeds a dangerous kind of contempt.

When we do a job for a long time, we can become so comfortable with hazards that we stop seeing them as threats. My colleague had survived her "taste tests" so far, which gave her a false sense of security. Because nothing bad had happened yet, she believed her method was effective and safe.