The BBQ Fiasco
Today management decided to have a free "tailgate Superbowl lunch" for our department, roughly 300 people or so, at 11am. Free food is always welcome, but I anticipated a long line at the start and didn't go down until around 11:50am, and it was a good thing I did for there were some mixups and snafoos.
The people in charge went down early to set up. They'd gotten two charcoal grills from facilities but were told to supply their own charcoal and lighter fluid. They also got the okay from the food services people to use a section of the cafeteria for everyone to sit. Everything seemed in order, but the preverbal poo soon hit the fan.
First of all, the grills were too close to the building and near a cold air intake vent, and soon people on the third floor were complaining of the smell of lighter fluid. A coworker who volunteered to help theorized that facilities set the grills away from the building -- I think they must be 25 feet away -- but some one else moved the grills closer to the door before anyone arrived to cook the food. Who it was he's not sure.
Then the company fire department came and shut them down for a while. In the end they got permission to continue twenty minutes later, but the fire chief was a bit arrogant, spouting off one liners such as, "You're hanging by a thread here". Turns out they needed a permit, yet facilities who provided the grills neglected to mention it. True, ultimately it's the organizers' responsibility to look into everything and ask questions, but facilities should mention that use of charcoal grills requires a permit. One rumor floating about is that someone did get a permit, but the fireman there didn't know. This lack of communication, however, was far from unique.
Lastely the food services people, a group the company contracts with, informed some people they were not supposed to bring in outside food or drink. Curious. Hundreds of people bring their lunches to work and at least half eat int he cafeteria. There are no posted signs that the tables are only for cafeteria patrons, and it's not in new employee orientation, so how is one to know this? Ah, but it gets better, for my coworker told me the head of food services did give her approval, so once again it's a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing.
In the end things went well. There was a wait at the start, but once things got rolling things proceeded quickly and all got fed. But it goes to show how easily a monkey wrench can be thrown into the works, and I’m sure there will be a “lessons learned” email/meeting/newsletter making its rounds soon.
The people in charge went down early to set up. They'd gotten two charcoal grills from facilities but were told to supply their own charcoal and lighter fluid. They also got the okay from the food services people to use a section of the cafeteria for everyone to sit. Everything seemed in order, but the preverbal poo soon hit the fan.
First of all, the grills were too close to the building and near a cold air intake vent, and soon people on the third floor were complaining of the smell of lighter fluid. A coworker who volunteered to help theorized that facilities set the grills away from the building -- I think they must be 25 feet away -- but some one else moved the grills closer to the door before anyone arrived to cook the food. Who it was he's not sure.
Then the company fire department came and shut them down for a while. In the end they got permission to continue twenty minutes later, but the fire chief was a bit arrogant, spouting off one liners such as, "You're hanging by a thread here". Turns out they needed a permit, yet facilities who provided the grills neglected to mention it. True, ultimately it's the organizers' responsibility to look into everything and ask questions, but facilities should mention that use of charcoal grills requires a permit. One rumor floating about is that someone did get a permit, but the fireman there didn't know. This lack of communication, however, was far from unique.
Lastely the food services people, a group the company contracts with, informed some people they were not supposed to bring in outside food or drink. Curious. Hundreds of people bring their lunches to work and at least half eat int he cafeteria. There are no posted signs that the tables are only for cafeteria patrons, and it's not in new employee orientation, so how is one to know this? Ah, but it gets better, for my coworker told me the head of food services did give her approval, so once again it's a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing.
In the end things went well. There was a wait at the start, but once things got rolling things proceeded quickly and all got fed. But it goes to show how easily a monkey wrench can be thrown into the works, and I’m sure there will be a “lessons learned” email/meeting/newsletter making its rounds soon.