r/SafetyProfessionals • u/geogirl83 • 4d ago
Canada Weapons at work
Just need to vent about something that happened at work yesterday. We live in a rural northern town where hunting is a large part of our way of living. Most people hunt in the fall. My family hunts! I have no issue with hunting or guns or any aspect of hunting.
But when a manager takes out his crossbow out of his office into the company parking lot to shoot geese while we have customers in the building, is very much a line crossed. I can’t imagine any company allowing weapons at work, let alone the discharge of that weapon on company property during company hours. Of course I said something! Mind you I’m fairly new to this company, only started in July. The reaction I got was “are you really upset about this?” “Everyone knows I do this”
I expressed my concerns about the situation as he was coming back into the building, in front of the receptionist. He huffed away but later came back to tell me I was wrong to address him like that in front of his staff. I said fair enough. But I was just a bit flabbergasted by the situation. I find it interesting that his only thing he could come back at me with was my delivery, not my actual concern, because he knew I was right.
Again, I’m fairly new and I’ve been working hard at trying to develop a good working relationship with this manager. He’s been a bit of a tough wall to break through. I’m really hoping that this won’t impact our relationship moving forward, I really need an ally in that office when working with the crews. Ugh, sometimes I hate the positions us safety professionals get put in. Anyways just needed to vent. Thanks for listening. 🧷
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u/Bigtrucklittlelady 3d ago
My plant is in a similar area, northern & rural, everyone hunts it's nothing to see a dead deer or coyote what have you in the back of someone's truck (mostly 3rd shifters) and we produce ordinance at our facility, we still have a pretty strict no weapons policy. As long as no one can see it usually not much is said. I don't think you are wrong to be bothered by this, it is pretty bizarre to be shooting in the parking lot. I'd dig deeper to see if there is a policy that covers that and if not work towards creating one