I was warned that Ghana wasn't the safest place to learn how to weld, but I figured if I can weld there I can weld anywhere. I simply went up to one of the workers and asked if he would teach me to weld and he said, "let's go." He gave me some sunglasses and I put on a long sleeve shirt. Despite my intention of welding just like the workers weld, I decided the sunglasses were probably not enough eye protection, so I insisted upon their homemade mask. I probably should have insisted on gloves as well. Welding in this fashion is not unique to the Empower Playgrounds shop in Ghana. In fact, as I drive down the road, I've often seen people on the side of the street welding in the exact same manner--no eye protection, gloves, or long sleeves.
This experience taught me that even though worker's compensation law (or at least awareness of them) and the danger of lawsuit seems to be very minimal in Ghana, safety rules for the workshop may be a good idea. However, the workers have been doing things this way for so long, and it seems the system has worked well for them. The question is: how to escape liability while not stepping on culture and habits that seem to work well for people? I really don't want anyone to go blind or suffer any third degree burns.
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