If “safety first” is your motto, then the images on this list will have you cringing hard. From fire escapes that lead to brick walls to the worst exposed wiring ever, we’ve included 40 of the most ridiculous safety fails that we could find.
Some are hilarious, some are dangerous, and every single one of them defies common sense. What were these people thinking? At least we can all look back and laugh at their poor decisions now though. Which one of these individuals disregarding safety practices is your favorite?
The first time anyone ever decided to open up the emergency exit door at this office was during a fire alarm. They discovered that it led to a wall of cement blocks. It was a design mistake that could have resulted in a lot of problems had it been a real emergency.
Several of the books on this library shelf are actually required to hold the shelf up. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. If one of them accidentally gets removed, the whole structure will come crashing down.
There could be some very dire consequences if you don’t wear your safety glasses. It’s totally true. Although, the hilarious poster did take things to the extreme. It definitely seems a bit dramatic.
Instead of strapping all of the equipment onto this trailer properly, the driver decided to spray paint a simple message on the back. It’s a very clear safety warning. If you get hit by falling debris, it’s your own fault for not listening.
On cigarette boxes, they often put horrifying images of what could happen to you if you continue smoking. Why not describe things in the same detail on safety warning signs? It would definitely help discourage people from ignoring the warnings.
These two are workers for OSHA — the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. However, even with all of their supposed expertise, they still don’t know how to wear their safety helmets properly.
Have you ever heard about Osha Code #1131? It’s one of the most important rules that exist. It was first spotted on the wall of a porta-potty at a work site. Worker safety is a top priority there.
Normally, orange construction cones are supposed to be big enough so people can see them. That’s the whole point. However, this construction crew chose the smallest ones that they could find.
9. Service Check Requested
Fire extinguishers are typically good for a year or two before they need inspected again or replaced. At this workplace though, it seems like the inspector only shows up once in a blue moon. His last visit was several decades ago!
This hilarious warning sign is highly specific. However, it’s probably for the best. We can see how feats of strength and contests on a construction site could result in injury.
Not all workplace warnings involve super serious matters either. Some are more light-hearted than others. For example, this goofy bathroom sign.
This individual “walked outside to see an entire pallet of explosives had fallen off the back of the powder truck when it went by”. However, no one from the company even noticed. The truck just dropped the potential ticking time bomb off and kept on moving.
Most medical facilities have special sharps containers for dealing with needles and hazardous waste. However, it appears as though someone at this facility just dumped everything in a cardboard box and called it a day. It makes us cringe just looking at it.
We’ve all been in a situation like this before. Once you mess up, there often isn’t much that you can do to fix things. The damage is already done. Hopefully, someone else will be able to clean up the mess.
If you have an emergency at this location, you are out of luck. The phone is mysteriously “out of service”. However, the good news is that there is a sign warning us about it.
Here is a great reminder as to why people wear safety glasses — flying metal shavings can impale you. Safety glasses don’t really do much to protect foreheads though. It’s an annoying injury, but much better than getting hit in the eyes.
Here is an image from Woodstock in 1969 showing sound crew members being hoisted up to their stations using a crane. It doesn’t look the safest thing in the world. However, their risky decision helped to make one of the greatest music events in history possible.
Most of the time, teamwork is a good thing. However, there are certain situations where adding another person into the mix just results in more danger. For example, when trying to saw through cement blocks.
This is the only available entrance at the construction site. It’s a bit sketchy, to say the least. Construction workers must navigate a wooden bridge and climb over perilous metal rods to get into the building.
If you were to touch this screw with your bare hands, you would get a big shock. It accidentally hit a live wire inside of the wall. They had to get a special screwdriver and professional assistance to remove it safely.
At first glance, the Stirling Council housing repair post looks pretty normal. However, if you inspect the workers in the photo, you will see that something is not quite right. Their helmets were added on after the fact using Photoshop!
This is what it looks like when a paint crew is assigned to paint a wall on the other side of a ledge without proper equipment. It’s a strategy that might work once or twice. However, eventually, something is going to go horribly wrong.
There are some emergencies that you can prepare for and some that you can’t. A bear walking through the middle of the factory falls under the second category. There is no amount of PPE that is going to protect against that.
24. Playing With Power Tools
It seems like common sense not to use your legs as a support when using a drill. However, somehow this guy never got the memo. The odds of him ending up in the emergency room someday are very high.
25. Preventative Measures
Here we have a very clever way of preventing other people from turning the dial. Sure, it’s slightly over-engineered, but it’s also very effective. We aren’t entirely sure what the dial does, but it’s obviously crucial that no one touches it.
Flower pots can be hung up pretty much anywhere. Although, some locations are certainly better than others. Let’s just say that we don’t recommend doing what this business did.
27. Asbestos Shoveling Competition
Some safety fails only really become obvious with the passage of time. We can’t know what we don’t know, right? They say that hindsight is 20 – 20.
Old electronics shouldn’t be left to overheat. They can easily catch on fire. However, it’s nothing that a well-placed fan can’t fix. This same fan has reportedly been cooling this machine for over eight years now.
Wheelchairs can be quite dangerous if used improperly. That’s what this hand-drawn warning sign shows. It was made by a hilarious hospital patient who has a great sense of humor.
30. Leaning Tower Of Fans
Whoever stacked these boxes is taking a big risk. The gap between the two towers is dangerously wide and the tower is insanely tall. We could easily imagine a situation where all of the fans come tumbling down.
This sign gets straight to the point — unsafe actions can result in death. If you see something that is unsafe, say something. The funny cartoon animation doesn’t really match up with the seriousness of the message though.
“I am a sleeping giant. I can release enough energy to penetrate 9 feet of concrete block,” the sign reads. However, the real warning is listed underneath in the fine print: “Please do not touch me. I may have sharp edges.”
This city employee was spotted messing around with a manhole in the middle of a four-lane road. He didn’t bother to put up any orange cones or signs at all. His only safety precaution was to put on a neon vest.
Somehow, this scissor lift ended up at the bottom of a swimming pool. It’s obvious that someone wasn’t following all of the safety guidelines. There is going to be hell to pay when the boss finds out about it.
When you don’t have a real heater around, you have to get creative if you want to stay warm. Here is one interesting technique using a propane tank and a blowtorch. It’s not the safest technique, but it does work.
36. High Pressure Situation
The employee let their boss know that the pressure gauge was looking kind of high. The boss’s response was not to worry about it, as they had to keep running. Four hours later, this happened…
“The hotel I’m staying in is keeping the plastic covers on its fire alarms to keep them newer for longer,” explained the horrified guest. It’s a pretty clear safety violation, but at least all of the fire alarms still look nice and shiny!
Here we have a photo taken from a logging operation back in 1973. Logging has always been considered one of the most dangerous professions. However, some people are just asking to get hurt!
The fifth floor of this building has been held up by jacks for a long time. In fact, it’s been over twenty years now. For more than two decades, people have been looking at this mess and saying that it’s fine.
The new employee worked with the two guys in this photo for an entire month. The image sums up his experience with them quite nicely. If you are looking for a fun challenge, see how many random safety violations you can spot in this one room alone.
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If “safety first” is your motto, then the images on this list will have you cringing hard. From fire escapes that lead to brick walls to the worst exposed wiring ever, we’ve included 40 of the most ridiculous safety fails that we could find.
Some are hilarious, some are dangerous, and every single one of them defies common sense. What were these people thinking? At least we can all look back and laugh at their poor decisions now though. Which one of these individuals disregarding safety practices is your favorite?
