Sometimes, well-meaning but reckless actions can result in comedy of errors—or worse, costly damage—and this story is a prime example. But here's where it gets controversial: should employees be held responsible for such foolishness, or is this just a cautionary tale about the importance of proper training? Welcome back to On Call, The Register's beloved Friday feature where we share your most entertaining tech support stories—especially those involving bizarre behavior or heroic last-minute fixes.
This week, we're spotlighting a reader we'll call "Wilson," who managed a welding shop affiliated with an engineering consultancy back in the early 1980s. Wilson paints a vivid picture of a time when AutoCAD was beginning to edge out traditional drafting boards, transforming how engineers created their designs.
Wilson recounts how the shop had recently hired a new structural engineer—someone who, in Wilson's words, was easily identified as a bit of an 'idiot with a degree.' The story takes place when this engineer decided that the computers running AutoCAD needed a thorough cleaning. His 'solution'? Using the welding shop’s compressed air hoses—an obvious recipe for disaster—to blow out the dust.
He set up the computers on a steel work platform, with high-current welding operations happening just on the other side of the same table. Without considering the consequences, he grabbed an air hose and proceeded to blast the machines. Wilson notes that the compressed air used in welding shops isn’t your typical grocery store pump—it contains a dangerous mixture of 80% air, 15% water, and 5% oil, all at about 90 PSI.
As you might predict, this misguided cleaning spree resulted in catastrophic damage. The engineer's blasts sent memory chips and tiny motherboard components flying, effectively destroying all the computers he targeted. The help desk, meanwhile, read from a script that was completely irrelevant, prompting the tech team to troubleshoot, diagnose, and ultimately fix their own problems. Wilson humorously adds that this engineer later argued about issues with the equipment—though he was clearly mistaken.
Undeterred by the damage, the engineer decided not to stop at just one PC. Oh no. He proceeded to 'clean' all the remaining units—using the same dangerous method, this time attempting to remove stubborn steel grinding dust from components on the shop's fabrication table with a rag soaked in acetone. Unsurprisingly, none of these computers survived the ordeal, and many critical engineering files were lost forever.
The fallout was severe. The senior engineer was livid and, after a few months, the company terminated the employee—particularly after discovering he had deleted AutoCAD from his hard drive to free up space for a game. The last Wilson heard, this individual had moved on to work for a large U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer.
Have you seen inexperienced or reckless workers wreck tech equipment in unbelievable ways? We want to hear your stories! Drop us a line—gently—that shares your tales of tech destruction, so we can feature them in a future edition of On Call.
