When the OGs Fail

This is the place to tell us about the stupid things fellow employees can do.
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Big Wallaby
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When the OGs Fail

Post by Big Wallaby » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:00 pm

Last night into this morning, I was a part of a set build, setting up the risers so that the press would have a great view of Meg Crofton and the stage as Fantasyland is officially opened. It's a wonderful press stage. I put myself in position to be the first person to see some views with human eyes in possibly years, as where I was there was no reason a person would have been up on a lift or anything, and I was on risers, my eyes almost 20 feet into the air at times. The retired Cast Member in me loved every moment, though I am sore today. For those who perchance to see the risers tomorrow, for your interest each 4x8' deck is 140 lbs and is moved into place by hand. For those who will not see this riser set but in the past or future see a large stage (such as the one in front of BAH for Star Wars Weekends, as we set up and tear down that stage as well, and almost all other stages that the parks use), that is what I am talking about. Each staircase that is attached to the stage is a beast and takes at least four people to lift. We get by with two per deck.

The decks are transported by a semi truck that carries them all over the country. The decks are in crates of probably 16-20 (I have never actually counted), and the crates are heavy as well on their own. All the supports and other equipment that we use come in similar cases, and each is very, very heavy.

Last night, as we were waiting for the MK to clear (with the park hours extended, despite the work that needed to happen), we took some of the supports and other non-deck equipment out of the truck and began pre-assembling different parts to make the build go much faster. Obviously, pulling the cases in and out of the truck requires the use of a fork lift, and I wound up standing on the ground on the right side of the truck where everyone else, including the forklift operator of the boom-operated forklift, was on the left. Nice big blind area, but it was a spot where no one should have been anyway.

Or so I would have thought. A Cast Member came up the side of the truck and thought nothing of the fact that we had a forklift lifting and maneuvering stuff the size of a car in the air. I had to stop her and ask her to go around some other way.

I don't find the fault with her. She has had so many OGs jammed down her throat that she doesn't have an attitude of safety; she has an attitude of following rules designed to keep her safe.

The problem is, rules do not promote safety. A safety attitude does. My high school US History/Econ instructor put it best: "If I tell you not to pee in that corner, that corner or that corner, but I forgot to tell you not to pee in this corner, what are you going to feel free to do?"

Had this girl been crushed by one of these carts perhaps falling out of the truck (as they certainly can do) or being mis-maneuvered (the guy was pretty new... I was wondering if I could do a better job just picking up the equipment and pulling levers to figure out how it worked on my own) I would not have blamed her. I also have no intention of going to the company and saying anything; they'll react by making some set of OG rules about the forklifts that are on property, instead of making sure everyone knows, "Hey. If you see a forklift being operated... Stay 50' away. We use a lot of heavy equipment backstage. So be safe and use your head around it."

Of course, this attitude that everything needs to be rule-based instead of mindset-based is the reason why Cast Members are babysat in all departments.

That is also why I have struck out on my own. Where I work now, safety is just as important and much more challenging than any attraction. I have two careers where I have peoples lives in my hands. Sure, I make sure I get a defensive driving course every so often, just as a refresher. But I also have a mindset of safety. When following the law would be dangerous to the people in my car, I will break the law every time. I know for a fact that that mindset got me a talking-to a couple times where I kept guests safe using my head instead of allowing them to get hurt and following the letter of the OGs.

I guess that is one more reason I am no longer cut out to be a Cast Member.

Those of you still in roles, please don't hear me demeaning you in any way, shape or form. I have an intense respect for you. I just don't know how you manage to stick with it, especially if you are FT.


My opinions are mine and mine only. If my opinions are the opinion of others who happen to share whatever my crazy views may be, then fine, but it's not because I represent them in having my opinions. Got it?

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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by Darksin » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:42 am

Common Sense isn't all that common anymore.

I remember I got in trouble for following OG's once when another employee complained that I "put them in danger" never mind they gave an all-clear to dispatch a train at Rock'n'Roller-Coaster then said they "Saw something" and ran back to get it out rather then just walking the 10 feet to pick up it at load.


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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by Ms. Matterhorn » Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:13 am

IDK what OG stands for.


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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by WEDFan » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:03 pm

Ms. Matterhorn wrote:IDK what OG stands for.
Not a CM, but my assumption was Operational Guides (or possibly Guideliens) based on other jobs I've had.



drcorey
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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by drcorey » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:29 pm

Big Wallaby wrote:Last night into this morning, I was a part of a set build, setting up the risers so that the press would have a great view of Meg Crofton and the stage as Fantasyland is officially opened. It's a wonderful press stage. I put myself in position to be the first person to see some views with human eyes in possibly years, as where I was there was no reason a person would have been up on a lift or anything, and I was on risers, my eyes almost 20 feet into the air at times. The retired Cast Member in me loved every moment, though I am sore today. For those who perchance to see the risers tomorrow, for your interest each 4x8' deck is 140 lbs and is moved into place by hand. For those who will not see this riser set but in the past or future see a large stage (such as the one in front of BAH for Star Wars Weekends, as we set up and tear down that stage as well, and almost all other stages that the parks use), that is what I am talking about. Each staircase that is attached to the stage is a beast and takes at least four people to lift. We get by with two per deck.

The decks are transported by a semi truck that carries them all over the country. The decks are in crates of probably 16-20 (I have never actually counted), and the crates are heavy as well on their own. All the supports and other equipment that we use come in similar cases, and each is very, very heavy.

Last night, as we were waiting for the MK to clear (with the park hours extended, despite the work that needed to happen), we took some of the supports and other non-deck equipment out of the truck and began pre-assembling different parts to make the build go much faster. Obviously, pulling the cases in and out of the truck requires the use of a fork lift, and I wound up standing on the ground on the right side of the truck where everyone else, including the forklift operator of the boom-operated forklift, was on the left. Nice big blind area, but it was a spot where no one should have been anyway.

Or so I would have thought. A Cast Member came up the side of the truck and thought nothing of the fact that we had a forklift lifting and maneuvering stuff the size of a car in the air. I had to stop her and ask her to go around some other way.

I don't find the fault with her. She has had so many OGs jammed down her throat that she doesn't have an attitude of safety; she has an attitude of following rules designed to keep her safe.

The problem is, rules do not promote safety. A safety attitude does. My high school US History/Econ instructor put it best: "If I tell you not to pee in that corner, that corner or that corner, but I forgot to tell you not to pee in this corner, what are you going to feel free to do?"

Had this girl been crushed by one of these carts perhaps falling out of the truck (as they certainly can do) or being mis-maneuvered (the guy was pretty new... I was wondering if I could do a better job just picking up the equipment and pulling levers to figure out how it worked on my own) I would not have blamed her. I also have no intention of going to the company and saying anything; they'll react by making some set of OG rules about the forklifts that are on property, instead of making sure everyone knows, "Hey. If you see a forklift being operated... Stay 50' away. We use a lot of heavy equipment backstage. So be safe and use your head around it."

Of course, this attitude that everything needs to be rule-based instead of mindset-based is the reason why Cast Members are babysat in all departments.

That is also why I have struck out on my own. Where I work now, safety is just as important and much more challenging than any attraction. I have two careers where I have peoples lives in my hands. Sure, I make sure I get a defensive driving course every so often, just as a refresher. But I also have a mindset of safety. When following the law would be dangerous to the people in my car, I will break the law every time. I know for a fact that that mindset got me a talking-to a couple times where I kept guests safe using my head instead of allowing them to get hurt and following the letter of the OGs.

I guess that is one more reason I am no longer cut out to be a Cast Member.

Those of you still in roles, please don't hear me demeaning you in any way, shape or form. I have an intense respect for you. I just don't know how you manage to stick with it, especially if you are FT.
I wonder why more dont get hurt in Fantasmic, lots of hot and heavy equipment going fast. stand in the wrong place at the wrong time and get crushed or fried or both. I hear Mickey almost bought it more then once. he only has a few minutes to get into position.
'hmm, is that fried mouse I smell?"


Corey

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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by Shorty82 » Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:04 pm

WEDFan wrote:Not a CM, but my assumption was Operational Guides (or possibly Guideliens) based on other jobs I've had.
Ding, ding ding! We've got a winner, give this man a kewpie doll! OG stands for Operational Guidelines, they're pretty much the instruction books for attractions and the like.


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and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by 5th Dimension » Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:59 pm

OGs are boring as hell to read. Actually getting trained for the attraction is way more interesting as you get to see all of the backstage areas. Then you sit down in a room somewhere backstage and read what you've just learned over and over and over again with slight variations, and evacuation procedures, and every other little tiny aspect of the attraction. And you are required to read almost every word.



Big Wallaby
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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by Big Wallaby » Mon Dec 24, 2012 10:57 pm

And then you keep reading. It really is the same info, over and over, with a change in words here and there. All legalese, and it makes no sense to me... and I consider myself pretty intelligent. Of course, one of the things I realize as I read is that by definition I can't understand what I am reading, as I am reading legal speak, not English. If you walk into a courtroom without a degree of at LEAST four years, assume you understand nothing.


My opinions are mine and mine only. If my opinions are the opinion of others who happen to share whatever my crazy views may be, then fine, but it's not because I represent them in having my opinions. Got it?

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Re: When the OGs Fail

Post by WEDFan » Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:44 am

Big Wallaby wrote:And then you keep reading. It really is the same info, over and over, with a change in words here and there. All legalese, and it makes no sense to me... and I consider myself pretty intelligent. Of course, one of the things I realize as I read is that by definition I can't understand what I am reading, as I am reading legal speak, not English. If you walk into a courtroom without a degree of at LEAST four years, assume you understand nothing.
I would think that in the case of OGs just assuming that anything that goes wrong is your fault would put you pretty close to a complete understanding of the legalese.



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