How I Learned that Camlocks Do Matter

I was hired at a local company to perform general maintenance and ensure that everything was running properly. The company had been having some trouble with their electrical system. They would occasionally lose power or the lights would fade out and force their machinery to recalibrate each time. I was baffled at first, but then I realized that their camlocks were outdated.

I knew very little about camlocks, but even I could tell that they were in poor condition. After conducting a little research, I discovered that the colors of the camlocks were supposed to be either green or white, but were brown and yellow instead. After speaking to the company owner, I was told that something so simple could never be causing the problem. I was told to continue assessing the problem or they would hire someone else.

After a few weeks later, the power supply was becoming even more problematic. As a result, the owner became even more inpatient and placed me on another assignment. Soon after, the panel box started to spark every time the power was turned on and off.

The new employee that was tasked to complete my assignment in a matter of seconds saw the same exact problem that I had previous reported and soon after spoke with his manager. He said the camlocks were wrong for the application and due to his previous experience as an electrician, his recommendation was actually considered.

The camlocks were replaced and everything began to run properly. As a bonus, I got a pay raise, was put back onto maintenance, and I now have an assistant who knows more about electrical infrastructures than I do. Even though they didn’t take my advice at first, it was my advice that saved the day and I was remembered for it.