I've worked a variety of manufacturing jobs; from medical manufacturing of catheters the size of fishing lines with three inner diamters, running 5 story oven stack extrusion lines, laser etching tooth insert threading, and suface coating PTFE into sheet material for military radar and industrial applications, to grunt work factory assembly lines making the rubber gun butts for Ruger.
They all carried serious risks of bodily injury, and some far more so than others - but this is what's crazy to consider: the difference in wages we are talking is no more than $3 per hour. Meaning, that grunt work where you could lose your hand to a steel injection mold was $9, the teflon coating job where someone working third shift on the machine I ran was struck in the skull with the peg-end of a steel 72+ inch roller pin holding a full 300 yard roll of coated fabric, nearly (millimeters from), resulting in her having a steel plate surgically placed - that position paid a whopping $12 in 2014.
I've worked as a line cook, over 5 years, and as a driver, 6 years. None of these paid well, and all are inherent of risks. It's always seemed silly to me when you zoom out of this picture and see it like this; the more your job pays the less it exposes you to physical harm.
>It's always seemed silly to me when you zoom out of this picture and see it like this; the more your job pays the less it exposes you to physical harm.
I've worked physical labor too, though never in a factory. More like lugging baggage and cleaning toilets. Still, people got hurt doing it, especially over a lifetime of labor.
It comes down to rarity of skill. Not to be to crass about it, but when your primary value is that you're willing to put yourself in physical harm, the market for your offering has a lot more supply than demand.
For example, I spend a lot of time in hotels when I was young. Just finding people who were reliable and trustworthy and legal enough to drive the airport van without wrecking it were like 1 in 10 of the people who were potentially eligible to do it. If you were able to do rudimentary math and not steal from the till, you were one of the "lucky" few who got to work at the front desk. If you showed up regularly, well, the world was your oyster.
> Still, people got hurt doing it, especially over a lifetime of labor.
The number of programmers I know with back issues like herniated discs is larger than those without. It's a different risk, no doubt, but it's real nevertheless.
Most if not all programmers certainly would have the time to do stretching, gymnastic, sport - develop and maintain the right muscles and take brakes when needed. Most are just too lazy.
A guy breaking his back on a construction site does not have this choice - if the job requires him to lift heavier things than he safely can carry - then his only real choice is to quit.
Of for fucks sake, this comment is so backwards, it reminds me of an ex of mine who refused to brush his teeth because doing so caused his gums to bleed.
But you usually won't get Sciatica if you exercise.
And I luckily had not had so many company office jobs, but in those I had, I absolutely could stand up and walk around and do some stretching if I needed it. And even in the worst coding monkey enslavement camps, you can probably have toilet breaks.
You seem to have this weird thing where a work related injury which makes it difficult to exercise is clearly only solved by - exercising. Which they can’t effectively do while injured.
Sure, if everyone did yoga before getting injured maybe they’d never get injured.
But if they’re injured, what exactly do you think their options are here?
You seem to be projecting a unrelated problem your ex had onto everyone. This isn’t bloody gums.
And notably, you could 90% tell the computer workers at the climbing gym by the anterior pelvic tilt - and yoga only did so much.
"You seem to be projecting a unrelated problem your ex had onto everyone. This isn’t bloody gums."
I have never said anything about my ex. And you seem not interested in the original argument - exercise before your body is messed up due to physical inactivity is usually possible.
If it is too late, it is too late.
sans_souse · · focus · HN ↗
They all carried serious risks of bodily injury, and some far more so than others - but this is what's crazy to consider: the difference in wages we are talking is no more than $3 per hour. Meaning, that grunt work where you could lose your hand to a steel injection mold was $9, the teflon coating job where someone working third shift on the machine I ran was struck in the skull with the peg-end of a steel 72+ inch roller pin holding a full 300 yard roll of coated fabric, nearly (millimeters from), resulting in her having a steel plate surgically placed - that position paid a whopping $12 in 2014.
I've worked as a line cook, over 5 years, and as a driver, 6 years. None of these paid well, and all are inherent of risks. It's always seemed silly to me when you zoom out of this picture and see it like this; the more your job pays the less it exposes you to physical harm.
timr · · focus · HN ↗
I've worked physical labor too, though never in a factory. More like lugging baggage and cleaning toilets. Still, people got hurt doing it, especially over a lifetime of labor.
It comes down to rarity of skill. Not to be to crass about it, but when your primary value is that you're willing to put yourself in physical harm, the market for your offering has a lot more supply than demand.
For example, I spend a lot of time in hotels when I was young. Just finding people who were reliable and trustworthy and legal enough to drive the airport van without wrecking it were like 1 in 10 of the people who were potentially eligible to do it. If you were able to do rudimentary math and not steal from the till, you were one of the "lucky" few who got to work at the front desk. If you showed up regularly, well, the world was your oyster.
hanibrel · · focus · HN ↗
The number of programmers I know with back issues like herniated discs is larger than those without. It's a different risk, no doubt, but it's real nevertheless.
lukan · · focus · HN ↗
Most if not all programmers certainly would have the time to do stretching, gymnastic, sport - develop and maintain the right muscles and take brakes when needed. Most are just too lazy.
A guy breaking his back on a construction site does not have this choice - if the job requires him to lift heavier things than he safely can carry - then his only real choice is to quit.
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
Most programming folks I know sit so long, it screws up their back and ability to exercise. Rinse, repeat.
It’s a common issue for drivers too.
astura · · focus · HN ↗
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
ubercow13 · · focus · HN ↗
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
Part of why I left the industry.
Same with truck drivers.
If your job is cool with it, good for you.
ubercow13 · · focus · HN ↗
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
Sciatica screws up your ability to exercise.
lukan · · focus · HN ↗
And I luckily had not had so many company office jobs, but in those I had, I absolutely could stand up and walk around and do some stretching if I needed it. And even in the worst coding monkey enslavement camps, you can probably have toilet breaks.
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
Sure, if everyone did yoga before getting injured maybe they’d never get injured.
But if they’re injured, what exactly do you think their options are here?
You seem to be projecting a unrelated problem your ex had onto everyone. This isn’t bloody gums.
And notably, you could 90% tell the computer workers at the climbing gym by the anterior pelvic tilt - and yoga only did so much.
lukan · · focus · HN ↗
I have never said anything about my ex. And you seem not interested in the original argument - exercise before your body is messed up due to physical inactivity is usually possible. If it is too late, it is too late.
lazide · · focus · HN ↗
my point is, once someone is messed up, especially in the current job market, it’s too late to tell them that eh?