Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

Poul and the factory manager hurried towards the break room where the overhead crane operator was being held. As they walked, Poul couldn't shake off the feeling of disappointment that someone could be so careless with safety protocols.

Finally, they arrived at the break room, where the operator was waiting nervously. Poul observed the operator, a young man in his early twenties, with a scruffy beard and tired eyes.

"Can you explain to me why the cable on the crane snapped?" Poul asked, trying to keep his tone calm and collected.

The operator looked down at his shoes and muttered, "I'm sorry, sir. I forgot to check the cable before operating the crane. It won't happen again, I swear."

Poul sighed deeply, feeling a sense of frustration building up inside him.

"You forgot to check? That is what you are saying. But why does this pre-operation checklist say otherwise? You checked it, marking it as inspected and in good condition," Poul said, holding up the checklist in front of the operator.

The operator looked up, realizing that he had been caught in a lie. He shuffled his feet nervously and avoided eye contact.

Poul took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Negligence like this can cause serious harm or even death. You have a responsibility to your colleagues and to yourself to take safety protocols seriously," he said sternly.

The operator nodded, his expression contrite. "I understand, sir. I won't let it happen again. I promise and I'm sorry…please don't fire me. I have a family to support."

"That man that got crushed by the wooden crate your crane is lifting up is fighting for his life in the operating room. What if the injury was too severe and he could have died there? What would happen to the family he was supporting? Do you think your apology can return a person's life? And due to your negligence, we had to stop the production of air brakes which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. That's a lot of money being lost here."

Poul's words hung heavy in the air, and the operator hung his head in shame. The gravity of the situation had finally sunk in.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought the cable could take it for another day, that's why I marked it as in good condition. But I realize now that it was a foolish and dangerous decision. I should have followed the safety protocols and checked the cable thoroughly before operating the crane."

"Now I don't know if I should feel sorry for you after hearing that. That's pure negligence and I don't allow it to my company. But I'm not going to fire you, I'm going to suspend you and dock your pay for three months. Your pay for those months would be given to the worker that got injured instead."

"But sir..!" The crane operator tried to protest but he backed down.

"What is it? Say it."

"I have four children and a wife that is relying on me, docking my pay means I won't be able to buy food for them, the monthly payment for the lodging, and other basic necessities," the operator explained, desperation evident in his voice.

Poul's expression softened slightly as he considered the man's situation. He knew how important it was for his employees to support their families, but he also couldn't let the operator's negligence go unpunished. After a few moments of silence, Poul spoke up.

"I understand your predicament, but your actions have consequences. I hope this serves as a lesson to you and to the rest of the team that safety protocols are not to be taken lightly. However, I am willing to offer you a solution," Poul said, his tone measured.

The operator looked up at him, hope in his eyes.

"I will provide you with a loan that will cover your basic needs for the next three months, but it will have to be repaid with interest. In addition, you will have to undergo additional safety training before you can return to work," Poul continued.

The operator's eyes widened in surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down," he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

Poul nodded, satisfied with the outcome. "I hope you learn from this experience and make sure that safety is your top priority from now on. I want all of my employees to return home safe and sound to their families every day," he said firmly.

The operator nodded earnestly, and Poul turned to leave the factory floor. As he walked, he contemplated. If he was any other industrialist in the late nineteenth century, the crane operator would have been fired, no question asked. But he is not heartless like the others, he cares for his employees, if they make a mistake, it is the owner's responsibility to teach and guide them to do better. He knew that investing in his employees' well-being and training was not only the right thing to do, but it was also good for business in the long run.

As Poul stepped out of the factory, he was greeted by the sight of the company's sprawling industrial empire. It's been almost seven years since they started this business. And it has been growing exponentially since its inception. All of it was the culmination of his and his partner's hard work, dedication, and innovation. But with the growth came the responsibility of ensuring that their employees were safe and well taken care of.

Now that he visited the assembly line and talked to the operator responsible, he decided to see the clinic where the injured worker is being operated.

There's still time for him to visit the worker before the client arrives at the office. So he went there.

Inside, Poul saw Jonathan who was patiently waiting outside the operating room.

"How long has it been?" Poul asked, startling Jonathan who was fixated on the closed door.

Jonathan turned to face Poul. "You scared me there, Poul. Well, the operation started forty-five minutes ago, so that's the time you are looking for."

"I just met the operator responsible for this accident, and I have to say, I had to be lenient towards him."

"You didn't fire him?" Jonathan asked.

"Well considering that he has mouths to feed and a family to take care of, I decided to give him a chance to redeem himself. I offered him a loan to cover his basic needs for the next three months."

"You are too kind for this world, Poul. You know if the workers see you act like that, they might take advantage of you."

Poul scoffed. "Jonathan, we have been in the industry for seven years and we have been successful. I can read people by just looking them in the eye. That operator was sure to be negligent but his apology and concern were genuine. The people who deserve mercy shall be given it, and those who take advantage of kindness will be dealt with accordingly."

The industrialist duo stood there for another fifteen minutes until one of the staff participating in the surgery exited. Poul and Jonathan recognized the person immediately, it was Sara.

"So what happened, Sara? Is he going to be alright?" Poul asked.

Sara somberly shook her head. "He has lost a lot of blood and we had to cauterize every bleeding artery we could find. It was touch and go for a while, but we managed to stabilize him. His femur was also squashed beyond saving so the only option available is to amputate it."

Poul and Jonathan both felt a pang of sorrow for the injured worker. Losing a limb was a life-altering event, meaning he wouldn't be able to work and provide for his family.

"Is there another option that he could take?" Poul asked.

"If his femur was not badly damaged, we can graft some bones from his hip and rebuild the damaged era, but as I have said earlier, it was beyond saving. Not to mention that it is a complicated procedure that I won't be able to perform, even in the modern period."

"Is that so?" Poul hummed. "Okay, thank you, Sara, for informing us. We'll do everything we can to help the worker. Do inform us of the development of his condition."

"Of course," Sara nodded and continued. "Are you going to report back to the office? You two have an important meeting later right?"

"Yeah, we are going back," Jonathan said.

"Okay then, good luck," Sara said before returning to the operating room.