Stolen Tools

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480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
My mechanics are asigned trucks, not the helpers. The mechanic is responsible for the truck and its contents.

We've getting into two different issues here. One being a tool left of the job that walks away, and who is permitted to drive a company vehicle.

If your policy is the above, then it should be a written one that only the mechanic is to get behind the wheel. And no matter who does, it doesn't change the tool left behind.
 

Mgraw

Senior Member
Location
Opelousas, Louisiana
Occupation
Electrician
We've getting into two different issues here. One being a tool left of the job that walks away, and who is permitted to drive a company vehicle.

If your policy is the above, then it should be a written one that only the mechanic is to get behind the wheel. And no matter who does, it doesn't change the tool left behind.

Not my point at all. If the OP was with the employee when the tool was left then why is it only the employee's fault?
 

tshea

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
I lost a brand new 2-D cell Mag light many yeras ago. I had the light in a soffit while I was cutting in some lights fixtures. Got all done and forgot to get the flashlight. I always wondered if the batteries leaked...
 

Split Bolt

Senior Member
I do MOSTLY old work! This is a tool that I'm not familiar with. I checked it out on the web. It seems to move back and forth, allowing you to cut things flush. (a lot better than a bowed long sawzall blade, I'll admit) Are they as good as the ads make them out to be? Do they come in rechargeable models? Maybe I should look into them!:grin:
 

e57

Senior Member
The Fein Multimasters are the best, hands down, no debate. They also have the highest price tag.
IMO the 'tool' is not all that expensive (~$200) - it the blades for it (which the still hold a death grip on the patents for) that are expensive. ($20-50 EACH!)

There were for a long time people who had started making thier own, or re-welding peices of japanese saws to old blades...

Only recently have I found some knock off blades at a reasonable cost. But they seem forced to make the newer star mounting just slightly different.... Limits use a touch... The old Fien blades and tool (Now discontinued) did not have this star shaped rejection tabs.
Example:
http://www.imperialblades.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=10MM300
http://piranhablade.com/Home.html

FYI - if you take the otherwise useless scraper blade the tool comes with, and cut a bunch of slots in it - it will cut sheetrock just great. And even better/faster if you alternately bend a little them for a kerf.
 

Martinelli

Member
Location
Novato, CA
IMO the 'tool' is not all that expensive (~$200) - it the blades for it (which the still hold a death grip on the patents for) that are expensive. ($20-50 EACH!)

There were for a long time people who had started making thier own, or re-welding peices of japanese saws to old blades...

Only recently have I found some knock off blades at a reasonable cost. But they seem forced to make the newer star mounting just slightly different.... Limits use a touch... The old Fien blades and tool (Now discontinued) did not have this star shaped rejection tabs.
Example:
http://www.imperialblades.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=10MM300
http://piranhablade.com/Home.html

FYI - if you take the otherwise useless scraper blade the tool comes with, and cut a bunch of slots in it - it will cut sheetrock just great. And even better/faster if you alternately bend a little them for a kerf.

Thank You for the link.
I use the worn out blades at slow speed to cut through plaster, then change to a sharp blade at highter speed to cut the lath, it works great most of the time but if it binds it will shake the lath and crack the plaster.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Harsh you say, if that employee has drug problems, and has a serious accident on company time you will learn the meaning of harsh.

Nobody said the guy lost the tool because of drug issues. A druggie is always a liability and if he cannot get clean he needs to go. He is an accident waiting to happen, just like a drunk.

One thing that bugs me about these incidents is business owners seem to want to reclaim the cost of buying a new tool when what was lost was a used tool, sometimes a well used tool.
 

satcom

Senior Member
Nobody said the guy lost the tool because of drug issues. A druggie is always a liability and if he cannot get clean he needs to go. He is an accident waiting to happen, just like a drunk.

One thing that bugs me about these incidents is business owners seem to want to reclaim the cost of buying a new tool when what was lost was a used tool, sometimes a well used tool.

Bob, the lack of attention on the job can be many things, personal problems, illness, drugs, or just a bad day, but when your in business you need to pick up on the signs of what may be problems, a missing tool alone may mean nothing, but if other issues come along, then the employee may be having difficulties, today you can't ignore employee problems, an an employer you should be ready to help them, not fire them, sometimes there is more to look at then just a missing tool.
Bob, we replace tools, no questions, and never in the company history did we ever expect an employee to pay for a missing tool, or test equipment.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Bob, the lack of attention on the job can be many things, personal problems, illness, drugs, or just a bad day, but when your in business you need to pick up on the signs of what may be problems, a missing tool alone may mean nothing, but if other issues come along, then the employee may be having difficulties, today you can't ignore employee problems, an an employer you should be ready to help them, not fire them, sometimes there is more to look at then just a missing tool. .
I did not say you should not help them if you can if they are having some kind of temporary difficulties, but if he is drugged up he is an ongoing hazard to those around him and a liability to his employer, and there is really only one answer to that problem if he is unable or unwilling to deal with that problem.

Bob, we replace tools, no questions, and never in the company history did we ever expect an employee to pay for a missing tool, or test equipment

I agree that is the appropriate way to handle things. It might be appropriate to dole out some level of a$$ chewing as well, but IMO it's always the employer's problem to deal with lost or stolen stuff that belongs to the employer.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Done a few dumb things myself, I've lost a few items. Hard as I try, it is easy to forget something. My best safeguard is finding 1 place on site to keep my stuff and try to get it back there when I finish with it. I envy a friend and former boss who OCD. He carries a list in his mind at all times. Never seen him leave more than a wirenut behind. Everything has a specific pinpoint place in the van, no matter how pushed he is. If anything is missing, he knows it right then. The OCD is bad in some ways but good in keeping up with stuff.
 
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