I Am Pretty Sure This Deserves A Darwin Award

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,266
12,783
136
and not to mention a WTF at the Labour Board's Judgement.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...ield-washer-fluid-from-a-stolen-vodka-bottle/

Following a 2012 episode in which a worker died after stealing a bottle of windshield washer fluid and drinking it over the course of two days — including on the job — the company that runs Ontario’s Beer Stores was fined $218,000 for what regulators deemed was a workplace safety violation...

...On April 8, 2012, the man was washing trucks at the Beer Store’s Brampton, Ont., distribution centre when he and another employee discovered a 1.5 litre plastic vodka bottle filled with a light-blue liquid that investigators later determined was Ultra Clear-brand windshield washer fluid.

Found behind the seat of a truck, the still-labeled bottle was there due to a since-discontinued practice of Beer Store truck drivers taking empty liquor bottles and filling them with windshield washer fluid dispensed from a large vat.

The two men each took several swigs of the washer fluid before wrapping up their shift.

“The one who passed away took the remainder of the bottle home and over the next two days drank the remainder of the liquid,” said Matt Blajer, a spokesman with the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

The worker lated died in hospital of methanol poisoning while his coworker underwent dialysis treatment to clear his system after being warned by York Regional Police.

I mean, seriously, drinking windshield washer fluid and not noticing its not vodka?

Darwin award is deserved.
 

SKORPI0

Lifer
Jan 18, 2000
18,471
2,411
136
He already died due to his stupidity, I think he already got the award posthumously.
Note - he was also a Canadian. ^_^
 

benzylic

Golden Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,547
1
0
Yeah that guys is definitely an idiot. It probably tasted sweet from the ethylene glycol and thats why he continued to drink it.
 

HamburgerBoy

Lifer
Apr 12, 2004
27,111
318
126
He already died due to his stupidity, I think he already got the award posthumously.
Note - he was also a Canadian. ^_^

Isn't the award almost always a posthumous one (aside from the rare individuals that shoot their balls off)?
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
0
The employer should've known better. The laws are dumb, but well-known. I've been in shops where the state safety people will give you shit over having ATF in a coolant jug (the most common one gallon plastic jugs on hand, usually) or some such. Even if it has 'ATF' written across it with a marker or paint pen.

Actually, I remember them hassling us over washer fluid, too...they wanted it in clear plastic washer fluid jugs (it came from a bulk barrel). OH NOES, WASHER FLUID IN AN ANTIFREEZE JUG?! YOU MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY GET METHANOL POISONING WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET GLYCOL POISONING!

...but yeah, that dude was one dumb fucking shit. I wonder if he was like 'hooo-boy, this is some good shee-it...I've had Everclear before, and even it didn't make me blind!'
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,361
32,928
136
The employer should've known better. The laws are dumb, but well-known. I've been in shops where the state safety people will give you shit over having ATF in a coolant jug (the most common one gallon plastic jugs on hand, usually) or some such. Even if it has 'ATF' written across it with a marker or paint pen.

Actually, I remember them hassling us over washer fluid, too...they wanted it in clear plastic washer fluid jugs (it came from a bulk barrel). OH NOES, WASHER FLUID IN AN ANTIFREEZE JUG?! YOU MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY GET METHANOL POISONING WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET GLYCOL POISONING!

...but yeah, that dude was one dumb fucking shit. I wonder if he was like 'hooo-boy, this is some good shee-it...I've had Everclear before, and even it didn't make me blind!'
Yep, containers have to be correctly labeled or OSHA will punch the employer in the face. It seems stupid until it matters.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
If the washer fluid was a light blue color, it could easily be mistaken if kept in a bottle that has similarly colored vodka such as.

hpnotiq-1400-1050.jpg
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Unlabeled containers with stuff in it were always our biggest violation. It got so bad that management had a stand made with 20 rolls pre-printed stickers of the most popular fluids we used. They put it next to the crib so when you got a squirt bottle out of the crib you could put a sticker on before you filled it. People still didn't use them sometimes, so then they made it so you had to tell the crib attendant what you were going to put in the bottle and he had to put a sticker on before he was allowed to issued a bottle.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
All I'm getting out of this is that windshield washer fluid must have some kind of inebriating effect before it kills you.
 
Feb 25, 2011
16,991
1,620
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Yep, containers have to be correctly labeled or OSHA will punch the employer in the face. It seems stupid until it matters.
This.

Although I'd assume that the whole "he was a moron" thing is why they were only fined $218k and not a bajillion dollars.
 

Daedalus685

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2009
1,386
1
0
Yup, a used bottle of booze I found in a truck filled with an unknown funny smelling blue liquid is the first thing i steel when I want to get drunk while I work at the BEER STORE...

Definitely a clear violation of WHMIS though, so the company deserves the fine.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,252
403
126
I have trouble feeling sympathy for someone so stump-dumb fucking STUPID.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
My uncle was in the dday landings. After the beach was secure it was. Stcked full of supplies. He told me he saw a group of british soldiers drinking fom bottles they found in cases on the beach. The bottles were formaldehyde. They all died.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
The government rewarding stupidity. Nothing new about that. I used to clean cars and I'm very familiar with that particular brand of washer fluid. There's no way anyone with a brain cell could ever mistake it for vodka. It's deep murky blue in colour and has a sweet chemical smell. Nothing at all like ethanol. More like toilet bowl cleaner.

Even so, why would anybody drink anything found behind the seat of a truck. I've found lots of foul nastiness in cars and it never crossed my mind to taste it. Even if it was food still sealed in its wrapper, it got thrown out. The level of stupidity some people have never ceases to amaze me. I only pray they didn't reproduce. :rolleyes:

Reading that this happened in Brampton doesn't surprise me. That city seems to attract all manner of riff raff.