# Am I stuck in industrial for the rest of my life? Advice from experienced members,plz



## DatJellyfish (Aug 4, 2012)

So I'm a three month apprentice, really like the work I've been doing so far. And I've had some hard days, 16 hour days, days where I dug a ditch in the blazing Texas heat the entire day. Never breathed a word of complaint. Been working with service truck drivers as of late, but I'm getting moved to a chemical plant. I worked at this chemical plant today, they're working 6 10's at the moment. We're going to be at this project for 2 months, then I'm off to keep doing whatever the company sends me to.

In the 10 hours today, I was exposed to exorbitant amounts of sun in this Texas heat, I applied 3 coatings of sun screen today and still came out sunburned. I've got all kinds of acid flying in my face, breathing in god knows what. 

And I still wouldn't complain. Industrial is part of this work field, I understand that...most electricians here work a plant every couple months, every couple years, something. And they're back to their merry life of commercial work. Now, here's where my concern comes into play ~ the company paid for me to get a TWIC card so that I could work out at this plant. And I stop and think to myself, now that they've ordered me a TWIC card, they're going to take advantage of that...and I don't know if that means I'm going to be most likely stuck in plants from now on or what. I really like commercial. And I'm not going to complain about industrial, but if I end up working 7 12's at plants for the rest of my life, absorbing ridiculous amounts of sun, chemicals, acid, everything...I don't know. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated. 

Also, I'd definitely be willing to change locals to a place that doesn't have plants, or somewhere north where the sun isn't so overbearing, but I don't know how realistic that is? I'd even apply to an apprenticeship program somewhere else and start my wages all over again and ****, but then I'd have to fly out there for the interview and all that, right? How could I make any of that work? Thanks, fellas!


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Why do you have acid and so forth spraying into your face? WTF?

I know it's Texas but still, PPE needs to be provided even there.


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## Mulder (Sep 11, 2010)

I started out in the trade doing only industrial and big commercial(schools,hospitals) for 7 years. Personally I prefer industrial because of the scope of the work, everthing from 4 inch rigid runs for high voltage switchgear to building control cabinets. PLC and instrumentation work is something that can also be learned in large commercial and industrial. Stick it out for awhile, give it a chance. You can always try something different later.


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## 347sparky (May 14, 2012)

Stick with it. You have your TWIC card which will make you more employable when work gets slow and they need a couple guys at the chemical plant. I had the same thoughts as an apprentice while working at a tire plant. Had a 3 month stretch then later a 9 month job. I would walk in the plant and about get nauseous from the rubber smell, blow black stuff out of my nose all day, get home to take a shower and keep washing my hair until the soap suds turned white again. My hands would hurt from washing them 3 times a day at the plant with Boraxo powdered soap, only soap available. Of coarse half of that time was in the summer and it was hot in the plant and miserable to work on a lift.
The thing that kept me going was I knew I would not be there forever and it would end sometime. I look back on it now and think it really wasn't too bad, I've had some worse jobs since then.


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## jredwood301 (Feb 8, 2009)

Good luck changing locals as an apprentice or even a jiw. You wouldnt make in the north eirther. The sun is hot in the summer and then it can be bitterly cold in the winters. You would have to go out west if you want a more temperate climate. Good luck with your future and just be glad you are working.


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Don't come up here, there are lots of chemical plants and pulp and paper mills


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

sparky970 said:


> Don't come up here, there are lots of chemical plants and pulp and paper mills


After walking through the bowels of a 60 year old pulp mill, I'd almost argue that those types of plants are the same thing


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## union347sparky (Feb 29, 2012)

It sucks I know. I felt the same way about commercial jobs you do as industrial. I spent two + years at one large job. Months roughing in stud walls and tending to the brickys really wears thin. I got tired of the 140 electricians and always blending in with the crowd. As an apprentice always getting the menial tasks to do, Like empty the trash from the job trailers, or cut and thread 100 12"X 2" rigid pipes. I thought all jobs were like that. Over crowded and fighting each other for things to do. Really doubted that I wanted to be an electrician. I stuck with it, got away from that job and got introduced to better things. Now I get a good mix of industrial and commercial work. So the lesson is nothing lasts forever and the longer you are in the more variety you will see.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

This, too, shall pass. :thumbsup:

You'll look back on this experience, many years from now, as a speck in the hourglass of your career.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

DatJellyfish said:


> So I'm a three month apprentice, really like the work I've been doing so far. And I've had some hard days, 16 hour days, days where I dug a ditch in the blazing Texas heat the entire day. Never breathed a word of complaint. Been working with service truck drivers as of late, but I'm getting moved to a chemical plant. I worked at this chemical plant today, they're working 6 10's at the moment. We're going to be at this project for 2 months, then I'm off to keep doing whatever the company sends me to.
> 
> In the 10 hours today, I was exposed to exorbitant amounts of sun in this Texas heat, I applied 3 coatings of sun screen today and still came out sunburned. I've got all kinds of acid flying in my face, breathing in god knows what.
> 
> ...



Why would they not take advantage of something they paid for, you are a greenhorn, be thankful you have work, or apply at 7-11.


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## jimmy21 (Mar 31, 2012)

Texas only sucks in the summer..... I would think


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Be careful what you wish for. Your alternative is to get stuck doing residential.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Vintage Sounds said:


> Be careful what you wish for. Your alternative is to get stuck doing residential.


And there are those that love residential. There are many aspects to our trade and having a good bit of experience in all the different aspects makes for a better electrician, how do you know what you like if you have not tried them all?


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## union347sparky (Feb 29, 2012)

MDShunk said:


> This, too, shall pass. :thumbsup:
> 
> You'll look back on this experience, many years from now, as a speck in the hourglass of your career.


Spent some time watching Days of Our Lives between jobs huh? Lol.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

I started doing industrial work in Freeport Tx in 1983 in chemical plants . Eventually went to work for a contractor that had a supplied electricians to work around the plant offices. Cool in the summer and warm in the winter not a bad gig. 
Worst thing was relamping. Still hate doing it. If I would I have stayed I would probably be a forman with that company now. 
Just hang in there.

LC


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

You'll find that every aspect of the trade has it's downsides, and right now I would wager your job is tough not necessarily because of the field, but because you're new and as a result get stuck doing the less rewarding work that newfish often have to do.

The grass is not necessarily greener. I've done residential and commercial; I fought for years to get into industrial and really enjoy it. If you think you won't get sunburned in commercial you've never spent a summer running pipe on the steel decks of a parking garage.

Tough it out for a while to try and get a better feel before you move on.

-John


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

brian john said:


> how do you know what you like if you have not tried them all?


That's the same argument I use with my wife but it still doesn't work :blink:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

erics37 said:


> That's the same argument I use with my wife but it still doesn't work :blink:


Men = logical

Women = illogical

I have tried the same argument to no avail.


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

DatJellyfish said:


> In the 10 hours today, I was exposed to exorbitant amounts of sun in this Texas heat, I applied 3 coatings of sun screen today and still came out sunburned. I've got all kinds of acid flying in my face, breathing in god knows what.


You won't like highrise then. I've been working outside steady for the last year and a half. Rain, snow, sun, wind, doesn't matter. One of the worst places foir electricians to work is on a construction slab. Back breaking, messy, stressful, loud.


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## DatJellyfish (Aug 4, 2012)

erics37 said:


> Why do you have acid and so forth spraying into your face? WTF?
> 
> I know it's Texas but still, PPE needs to be provided even there.


As for the particular plant I'm at right now, we're required to wear earplugs, safety glasses, workboots, and long sleeved shirts...I'm working at a plant that creates sulfuric acid, so the mist is in the air AT ALL TIMES. You can smell it, you can taste it, it's heavy. Sulfuric acid mist is known to give you dermatitis, a condition that gives you dry, irritated, burning, but most despairingly RED skin. 

I'll go ahead and explain a couple things now - I'm extremely fair skinned, naturally. One thing that's always kind of bothered me to the extent I take protective measures, is that while the rest of my body is either milky white or like my arms, a very, very light shade of brown from all the sun, my FACE gets burned. No matter what. It's also extremely thin skin, so if I ever get hot or blood rushes to face, it's extremely visible. You know what issue I have with that? The idea of undressing with my girlfriend, one look up and down me and you've got this rainbow colored motherf*cker lol. I mean it's GOTTA be jolting if you saw someone with extremely pale stomach/chest, VERY light brown legs, a LITTLE darker brown arms, and then a beet red face. And that's EXACTLY what I'm trying to avoid. 

I brought a 'fishermans' hat yesterday, one that covers extensively all around over your head and face, and pulls down to cover your neck completely. I tried to wear it under my hard hat, but they told me I wasn't allowed :/ Go figure. 

So yea, that's my biggest issue/concern with industrial right there, with working in the glaring sun for the rest of my life. I've got a beautiful Asian girlfriend (yellow fever, f*ck yea) with this perfect olive colored skin...and I'm not going to subject her to my whack @ss having all kinds of skin issues from being out in the sun all day every day. Going to the dermatologist in a few days, going to see what he can recommend / do for me. 




Mulder said:


> I started out in the trade doing only industrial and big commercial(schools,hospitals) for 7 years. Personally I prefer industrial because of the scope of the work, everthing from 4 inch rigid runs for high voltage switchgear to building control cabinets. PLC and instrumentation work is something that can also be learned in large commercial and industrial. Stick it out for awhile, give it a chance. You can always try something different later.


I started out working in a hospital, and I'm not goona lie ~ I freaking loved it. Only lost the job because I was hurt outside of work, and when I came back they had finished up the streak of projects they needed me for, and general foreman said he just couldn't take on another hand at that point - in fact, they really needed to get rid of some people. 

I hear a lot of people saying they like Industrial better, and a lot of you cite the scope of the work as a reason ~ I'm curious as to why that is. I'm not going to believe many people who tell me because they get to 'work harder,' so hard that they get home and are too tired to even deal with their wife and kids....so there's gotta be some reason, such as it being more interesting or something. I could definitely believe that, and being all over the lifts and monkeying around on all the structures in the plant would definitely make it more interesting for me. Now THAT is something I could appreciate about industrial work. 



347sparky said:


> Stick with it. You have your TWIC card which will make you more employable when work gets slow and they need a couple guys at the chemical plant. I had the same thoughts as an apprentice while working at a tire plant. Had a 3 month stretch then later a 9 month job. I would walk in the plant and about get nauseous from the rubber smell, blow black stuff out of my nose all day, get home to take a shower and keep washing my hair until the soap suds turned white again. My hands would hurt from washing them 3 times a day at the plant with Boraxo powdered soap, only soap available. Of coarse half of that time was in the summer and it was hot in the plant and miserable to work on a lift.
> The thing that kept me going was I knew I would not be there forever and it would end sometime. *I look back on it now and think it really wasn't too bad, I've had some worse jobs since then*.


Everything you said was kind of encouraging until that point lol. The thing is, why I'm even making this thread, I DO want to be able to look forward and know that it will end sometime. Not to think it's overwhelmingly likely that as soon as this plant job ends, they're just going to throw me right back out to some other plant for a year or two, then so on and so on. 




jredwood301 said:


> Good luck changing locals as an apprentice or even a jiw. You wouldnt make in the north eirther. The sun is hot in the summer and then it can be bitterly cold in the winters. You would have to go out west if you want a more temperate climate. Good luck with your future and just be glad you are working.


Man, your post is dripping with bitter sentiments. Worst case scenario, I can apply to an apprenticeship program somewhere else and just start from the ground up...I just don't know how application / interview would work at such a distance, or if I could manage to do everything over the phone until the interview or what. And I don't mind 'bitterly cold,' I used to live in Alaska  And wherever you're at, North, I'm pretty sure it's nothing like South Texas, 102-103 degrees with 115 heat index at times. Humidity that will drown you, where it's honestly heavy to breathe. But I'd be willing to go out West as well. Thanks for the best wishes, and I'm VERY glad I'm working. I appreciate it more than most people I've come across. I'm not exactly concerned as much about immediate working conditions as much as I am about having a life of this. I'm only 20 years old, this is my first 'career' kind of job, and I like it, I really do. Like the work. I just don't want to set myself up to hate the rest of my life, and I wouldn't even know where to go from here if I ever decided I didn't want the trade any more. 



union347sparky said:


> It sucks I know. I felt the same way about commercial jobs you do as industrial. I spent two + years at one large job. Months roughing in stud walls and tending to the brickys really wears thin. I got tired of the 140 electricians and always blending in with the crowd. As an apprentice always getting the menial tasks to do, Like empty the trash from the job trailers, or cut and thread 100 12"X 2" rigid pipes. I thought all jobs were like that. Over crowded and fighting each other for things to do. Really doubted that I wanted to be an electrician. I stuck with it, got away from that job and got introduced to better things. Now I get a good mix of industrial and commercial work. So the lesson is nothing lasts forever and the longer you are in the more variety you will see.


That's really great and encouraging, man, thank you 



brian john said:


> Why would they not take advantage of something they paid for, you are a greenhorn, be thankful you have work, or apply at 7-11.


Hate attitudes like this. Most people with this kind of attitude don't care whether they're miserable in their lives, don't care what happens to their health, don't care about anything. Just need to make cash that they can't even spend because they're always at work, so their old lady who's banging other guys because you're never home can spend a weekly paycheck in one trip to the mall. 

I AM thankful I have work. But I work so that I can have a life OUTSIDE of work. Ever heard, "I work to live, I don't live to work"? When my work life starts invading every area of my life, there's an issue. I'm not saying it's doing that at this point, I'm asking for career/life/and all kinds of advice to AVOID that from happening. Or to know that it gets better when it IS completely invading your life like that. 



jimmy21 said:


> Texas only sucks in the summer..... I would think


Probably a valid point ~ my dad has had to mechanic work outside his entire life, and he tells me there's about 3-4 months in Texas that suck @ss. Otherwise, it's not a horrible way to go. 



Vintage Sounds said:


> Be careful what you wish for. Your alternative is to get stuck doing residential.


I'm actually curious as to what doing residential is like, or how I'd get into it at this point. I'm curious as to what's so bad about it, sounds like a better working environment to be honest. Not 50 gruff, old, bitter men telling you they wanna stick it up your @ss at all times lol. My local only does commercial/industrial.



Big John said:


> You'll find that every aspect of the trade has it's downsides, and right now I would wager your job is tough not necessarily because of the field, but because you're new and as a result get stuck doing the less rewarding work that newfish often have to do.
> 
> The grass is not necessarily greener. I've done residential and commercial; I fought for years to get into industrial and really enjoy it. If you think you won't get sunburned in commercial you've never spent a summer running pipe on the steel decks of a parking garage.
> 
> ...


Oh, I definitely don't plan on moving on. Just trying to get a good feel for what this is really going to be like as a career. A lot of these guys have managed to settle down by the time they're 35/40, and they get consistent jobs working at a hospital in the air conditioning as supervisor foreman, just telling everyone else how they want it, rarely actually doing anything themselves. I can only HOPE I manage to make something like that. There are also other guys who are 65 years old, still just journeyman, still doing so much of the grunt work. You can tell they're tired, you can tell they're unhappy ~ just don't really wanna turn out like that. 



Acadian9 said:


> You won't like highrise then. I've been working outside steady for the last year and a half. Rain, snow, sun, wind, doesn't matter. One of the worst places foir electricians to work is on a construction slab. Back breaking, messy, stressful, loud.


That does sound terrible, indeed. Not to mention I'm terrified of heights of that level lol. I'm actually pretty good going 7 or so stories up, and then it starts to get nerve wracking for me. Hands sweat, can't hold onto what I'm trying to hold onto. I hope any highrise jobs I run into are somewhat quick (couple months, tops) and I've got a stable life outside of work at the time.


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## union347sparky (Feb 29, 2012)

If I were you I would not look towards working with your hands. It doesn't sound like you're real out doorsy. I highly recommend you go to college down a path of project management. That will open doors to project manager and estimator. You would be in a good position to open your own business after that as well. I get a good mix of work but 85% of it is all outdoors. The rest seems to be inside non temp controlled buildings. I would really look at the college option if I were you. Good luck.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Call up OSHA and see what they think of the working conditions.

You can do it anonymously.


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

If there is a mist of acid floating around there would be some serious issues. I worked maintenance at a chlorine plant where we also made acid. There wasn't acid misting everywhere and rarely even a smell of chlorine, unless there was a problem. I seriously doubt it is as bad as you say. Suck it up buttercup.


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## DatJellyfish (Aug 4, 2012)

union347sparky said:


> If I were you I would not look towards working with your hands. It doesn't sound like you're real out doorsy. I highly recommend you go to college down a path of project management. That will open doors to project manager and estimator. You would be in a good position to open your own business after that as well. I get a good mix of work but 85% of it is all outdoors. The rest seems to be inside non temp controlled buildings. I would really look at the college option if I were you. Good luck.


I really like working with my hands, actually. I'm really coordinated and mechanically inclined in general. I'm just figuring out how to deal with all the elements, really, and not let everything affect my life outside of work.



Frasbee said:


> Call up OSHA and see what they think of the working conditions.
> 
> You can do it anonymously.


That might actually be a good idea...I'll see what they have to say about it, or if I'm allowed to wear some kind of hat to protect me from the sun. 



sparky970 said:


> If there is a mist of acid floating around there would be some serious issues. I worked maintenance at a chlorine plant where we also made acid. There wasn't acid misting everywhere and rarely even a smell of chlorine, unless there was a problem. I seriously doubt it is as bad as you say. Suck it up buttercup.


Perhaps I am being paranoid, but you can definitely smell the sulfur ALL through the air. All the beams and structures here, I mean ALL of them, the concrete, EVERYTHING are all corroded from the acid mist floating around. They told me that last week one of the guys I was working with took a shot straight to the face and had to stop the project and run to go clean it all off, so I KNOW it's being released at times.

As for me, I'm not TOO terribly worried about it, but you can smell it at almost all times. Sometimes more heavily than others. So there's a difference between where you worked and where I'm working. The only thing I'm worried about is if there's not a direct mist, but just enough in the air to build up and start causing issues. 

Also, I agree, you have to suck up a lot of things in this field...I don't express my concerns directly at work, that's why I'm on the forum, here. Like I said up there, working conditions don't necessarily bother me at work, it's what might affect me outside of work.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

IN every career there will be times when one thinks, do I really want to do this crap.

A POS foreman
Stuck switching and plugging for 6 months
Digging a ditch when it is butt ass cold
But if you stick it out you will learn a trade.


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## 347sparky (May 14, 2012)

brian john said:


> IN every career there will be times when one thinks, do I really want to do this crap.
> 
> A POS foreman
> Stuck switching and plugging for 6 months
> ...


Yeah, I did 6 months of fire watch on a high rise. Jw cut holes in the decking for sleeves and I was below to make sure none of the concrete or steel caught on fire. :whistling2:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

347sparky said:


> Yeah, I did 6 months of fire watch on a high rise. Jw cut holes in the decking for sleeves and I was below to make sure none of the concrete or steel caught on fire. :whistling2:


I house sat for 3 months, the house we did with the 1200 amp service the HO would get a new fixture and want it hung immediately we were sitting just waiting for her electrical whims.

I read the NEC for 3 months and took my journeymen's test for my first license.


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## TooFarFromFenway (Jul 15, 2011)

erics37 said:


> Why do you have acid and so forth spraying into your face? WTF?
> 
> I know it's Texas but still, PPE needs to be provided even there.


Holy ****, you and I don't always see eye to eye, but that was my thoughts EXACTLY!! WTF??? 

Is Texas so badass that even OSHA stays away? :jester:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

TooFarFromFenway said:


> Holy ****, you and I don't always see eye to eye, but that was my thoughts EXACTLY!! WTF???
> 
> Is Texas so badass that even OSHA stays away? :jester:


I guess so. Don't mess with Texas :laughing:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

> Hate attitudes like this. Most people with this kind of attitude don't care whether they're miserable in their lives, don't care what happens to their health, don't care about anything. Just need to make cash that they can't even spend because they're always at work, so their old lady who's banging other guys because you're never home can spend a weekly paycheck in one trip to the mall.
> .


Here is where your misunderstanding of work comes in. You are an apprentice, basically the bottom of the totem pole. You are cheap labor, you are given grunt work. When you have some time under your belt you may understanbd this VERY BASIC concept and also realize at 18 you have 40-50 years to work where you can make choices not have them made for you.

And you have no clue about me, my attitude, you came in here crying like a baby, man up, do your work.


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## rlc3854 (Dec 30, 2007)

Sorry not buying the OP's statements on the safety issues at a chemical plant. OP states he is an Inside Wireman, wouldn't most agree this is a Union term. Texas laws have changed for trades and those that work in them. To the OP are you a registered apprentice with the Texas DLR? I have never stepped foot in a plant that didn't require an orientation before you entered the plant to work. Your contractor/employer is required to provide you with all PPE required for the work area. You haven't even mentioned having an OSHA card, which again no plant is going to allow you on their site without training.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

DatJellyfish said:


> So I'm a three month apprentice, really like the work I've been doing so far. And I've had some hard days, 16 hour days, days where I dug a ditch in the blazing Texas heat the entire day. Never breathed a word of complaint. Been working with service truck drivers as of late, but I'm getting moved to a chemical plant. I worked at this chemical plant today, they're working 6 10's at the moment. We're going to be at this project for 2 months, then I'm off to keep doing whatever the company sends me to.
> 
> In the 10 hours today, I was exposed to exorbitant amounts of sun in this Texas heat, I applied 3 coatings of sun screen today and still came out sunburned. I've got all kinds of acid flying in my face, breathing in god knows what.
> 
> ...


I have to say, I have worked them all. Chemical plants...power houses...shopping centers...high rises, and all of them. I am industrial now but as I remember I never wished I was anything else. I was glad to have a job.


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

I've worked in a plating plant for a bit, so I know what you mean. I also worked around large xray machines that would have probably caused cancer after extended years. I was breathing the propane exhaust from all the small utility trucks, and rubber dust from all the conveyors. Also the noise and heat was pretty bad. I was one of the few who was wearing the hearing protection. 

I do have to say it get better after you pay your dues.

PS- Residential sucks ! :laughing:


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## hagawv (Aug 12, 2012)

Inside wireman is just a figure of speech. Ive worked chemical plants, commercial, buut mostly coalburner powerhouses. I love precipice work.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

rlc3854 said:


> Sorry not buying the OP's statements on the safety issues at a chemical plant. OP states he is an Inside Wireman, wouldn't most agree this is a Union term. Texas laws have changed for trades and those that work in them. To the OP are you a registered apprentice with the Texas DLR? I have never stepped foot in a plant that didn't require an orientation before you entered the plant to work. Your contractor/employer is required to provide you with all PPE required for the work area. You haven't even mentioned having an OSHA card, which again no plant is going to allow you on their site without training.


The few chemical plants I have worked in, had safety orientation for everyone, regular safety meetings, strict standards and a safety office that typically was very strict and took safety seriously. BUt f the plant is not safe I would discuss this with others and report the violations to the responsible parties.


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