New foreman hovering during boiler repairs is throwing me off

We got a new foreman after the old one retired, and now he's always looking over my shoulder during boiler repairs. I feel like I can't do my job right with him watching every weld. How do you deal with a boss who doesn't give you space?

4 comments

4 Comments

seth_singh201mo ago

Back in my first year as an apprentice, a foreman's watchful eye caught a bad valve alignment I missed. That taught me the hovering isn't about you, it's about the job. Maybe give the new guy a chance, josephadams, because sometimes that second look saves more than just time.

henrydixon1mo ago

When I was at the refinery in 2018, I used to hate when bosses hovered during repairs. I thought it meant they didn't trust me (which bothered me a lot). But then my foreman spotted a tiny crack in a steam line I was fixing. If he hadn't been watching, we might have had a bad blowout. That changed my mind about having someone look over my shoulder. Now I try to see it as an extra set of eyes, not a lack of trust.

the_matthew1mo ago

That tiny crack in the steam line leading to a possible blowout is wild to me. I always figured those big accidents came from obvious mistakes, not something that small. Your story really shows how easy it is to miss a detail when you're focused on the main repair. It must have been a huge wake-up call to realize the hovering was about safety, not your skills. I get why josephadams feels annoyed, but in places like refineries, that extra look seems worth the hassle. It's scary how one overlooked thing can change everything.

josephadams1mo ago

Ugh, I know exactly that feeling. My last boss used to stand there and watch every single move I made, drove me nuts.