So this was a long time ago, back in 2005. But reading some of the posts here I decided to share my story.
I graduated in 2004 with an engineering degree and after job hunting for the better part of a year I was approached about a job at a pipe mill where they make steel pipe.
For the first interview which was really weird in hindsight but I did not know anything back then they flew me and a bunch of other people to Toronto and did interviews that day at the hotel airport.
Second stage they flew like 20 of us to their plant in a smaller more remote community for on-site interviews and a tour of the facility. The recruiter from the first interview told me straight out if you get a second interview you will get a job offer so don't go if you are not planning to accept. Soni figure ok I need a job I can handle living in this small town super farm from family and friends.
So second interview comes and we are touring the plant as a group. Like most industrial factories it's dirty but not terrible, everything is built with steel and there are lines painted on the floor showing where it's safe to walk. And importantly for the story all the railings are painted a nice safety yellow. Except the railings are not really that yellow they are covered with a fine black powder. One of the other candidates on the tour speaks up and asks, what is this black powder on the railings and everywhere. And our tour guide replies oh that's nothing don't worry about it.
A little later in some of the interviews they tell us that they are looking to hire basically all of us to fill entry level engineering positions in the plant. And we of course go through more pointless interviews where they dodge all my questions.
The next day I fly home and the one thing I can't stop thinking about is that black powder that they told us not to worry about.
So I sit and think and given the process in the plant my best guess is that the black powder is carbon dust created during the extrusion process. So I hope online and look up the material safety data sheet and find that depending on the levels can cause lots of nasty things like pulmonary disorder and respiratory failure.
So when they finally contact me and offer me the job I inform them of my concerns regarding the safety in the plant with the dangers of carbon dust, which they told us not to worry about.
In response they tell me I'm correct about what it is, and that they monitor levels closely and it is within acceptable levels. But at this point they would like to withdraw the job offer as it is obvious I don't trust them and trust is important in a good employee employer relationship.
Years later I talked to one of the guys who did take the job and it sounds like I was the only one who didn't, and apparently they all got a good laugh at my talking my way out of the job.
I gotta be honest at the time I was so relieved they withdrew it cause I needed a job and I don't think I could have said no to the job but even in my state of feeling desperate to get a job. But I had no doubt that I'd have been an idiot if I took the job given their complete lack of concern for safety in a heavy industrial setting.