To ask you about the worst mistake you've made at work?

[800caloriesofwine]

Terrible, terrible day.
Please tell me the worst mistakes you've made in the workplace.
Mine were sending £6,000 of dental implants to the wrong dentist, two days before they were due to be placed in someone's mouth.
Also writing the wrong patient down as dead.

Previous job in a prison in a finance capacity. Main prison safe key dropped off my key chain while out and about out of the office, key was out of my sight for around 2 minutes as I got from one set of doors to the next and noticed I was one down. Went back, picked it up, back on the chain, noone in sight but reported it to be sure. The whole safe had to be ripped clean out of the wall and replaced. Genuine accident but huge embarrassing repercussions. No chances taken

I was giving a patient a blood transfusion post op .The patient was so ill and I was so stressed trying to get everything done .The blood to be transfused was on a pump and I forgot to open the valve . The pump kept pumping and the bag burst .There was blood all over the place , everywhere just everywhere.Its 30 years ago but it still nearly makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

@Sidge I did that, I managed to glue my glove to this teenagers eyebrow she was drunk and I said I'd go and get some scissors to trim it but when I was out she just ripped it off and half her eye brow came with it

A friend who was a senior Naval officer had to pin a medal on the chest of a female rating . He was so intent on minimal contact and total professional approach that he managed to pin his glove to her uniform, together with the medal .
You can imagine the scene .....

I cut through the fire hydrant water main at a paper factory.

The water sprayed everywhere and I was soaked.

Luckily the factory didn't set on fire at the same time because they would not have been able to put it out.

This thread has kept me so entertained.

Yes, we need more!!! Come on posters xx

I'm imagining some sort of huge sea of papier-mâché in Skiings paper factory. Like a pre school crafting session on acid.

joined a zoom staff meeting meaning not to turn on webcam - wearing nothing as is my normal in the house at the moment! Much amusement and embarrassment

Many year ago I was an event manager, our admin person booked the travel and hotels, I stressed the importance of trip advisor. She thought she knew better. I got a phone call from our senior consultants who had been booked rooms above a strip club in a red light district.

In another job, email manager, with a graduate, was told that I need to stop checking her work (by my boss) and trust that she could do it. First email that went out after I stopped checking went to the wrong list. I got bollocked as her manager.

I know someone who had organised a massive conference where delegates brought their wives (it was a while ago so very 'straight male').

Now it probably wasn't the best idea to get the juniors to do a courtesy call the delegates' wives after the event to ask how they liked the 5* hotel, cruise, fancy dining... A few affairs were exposed that day...

My first proper physio placement in an outpatients department. The patient had two broken ankles and I asked how she’d done it. She said she had jumped out of a window. I blithely asked, ‘why did you do that then?’ Assuming alcohol or fire, the answer? ‘I was having a bad day’
I was in so much shock I just carried on, her drug history was all antipsychotics and anti depressants.

After I begged my educator for forgiveness and he said I did the right thing, I needed to know the circumstances for the notes, but I still think of it when I can’t sleep at night.

@chargeorge

joined a zoom staff meeting meaning not to turn on webcam - wearing nothing as is my normal in the house at the moment! Much amusement and embarrassment

As in wearing nothing nothing? In the nud?! 😱

In my first ever job I was working in the main post hub for a very large bank where we date stamped all the post we receive and made a copy of any originals and stamp the copy.

I ended up accidentally stamping someones death certificate , suffice to say I did not last long and still put my face in my hands when I think about it to this day.

I'm also picturing a very soggy factory

I once wrote and email to my big boss updating them on a shipment, he replied "gosh I bet that hurt"
I had wrote in the email I have "shit a IBC, on a such a date"
I was so embarrassed how I wrote shit instead of shipped I will never know

Mine was I got completely HAMMERED at the staff party when I was 18 and kissed a 35 year old colleague who was known to be a complete creep.
I quit my job the next day I was so ashamed. In hindsight, I loved that job and everyone would have gotten over it but I just couldn’t handle the embarrassment.
I’ve always wondered if I was slightly taken advantage of that night. I did a couple of other slightly embarrassing things too and acted in a way I had never EVER before or since acted and it’s been the only night of my whole life that I can’t remember (and I’ve been very very drunk). Everyone was having a joke about spiking this old ladies drink at the pre drinks and I didn’t find it funny and told them not too and it really annoyed a few people who tbh didn’t love me anyway. I really believe they spiked me instead but even if they didn’t, I was 17 years younger than him, so drunk I could barely stand up or see, and he was my boss - he shouldn’t have kissed me

Had a Saturday job in a knitwear shop. Customer was buying lots of items, skirts and blouses as well as knitwear. She wanted some tights too.

She spent some time looking through the different colours, eventually put some on the cash desk and handed a pair to me saying "I love the colour, have you got these in a 16?"

Well, of course I found out she meant dernier, but 16 year old me replied "oh, they're all one size and will fit you just fine. "

Bless her for laughing sweetly and telling me she would take them before she explained.

Morning, everyone. We've really enjoyed reading these. We're going to move this thread to Classics now to keep your worst mistakes for posterity for anyone else having a bad work day in future.

@FakeBrunette even at my great age now I wouldve thought she meant size 16 didnt realise you could get 16 dernier

Work laptop was stolen from the boot of my car. I was absolutely crucified at work - it was horrendous. Police were amazing and caught the two scumbags who took it, but alas it was long gone. One of my managers treated me appallingly and only believed it had been stolen when I presented her with the letter I received re the people who took it. Worst work experience of my life. I’m like a broken record but I’m always telling colleagues to never leave their laptop in their car!

I laughed so hard at “Margaret and satan” It has hurt a muscle my back 😂😂

Iv done plenty of stupid stuff but it would be quite outing.. altho another vote here for don’t shag the boss (bosses plural in my case ... different companies )

I have a few..

About 25 years ago I booked my manager into a hotel in Berlin. A few days later it was decided that another colleague would join him.

Original hotel was fully booked so I booked a different one, also in the city centre. Except there are two city 'centres' because of the former East/West divide and they were about 30 miles from each other

And the time we had an important meeting with some government ministers and once I'd taken teas and coffees in T them I'd realised I'd stirred them with the same spoon I'd used for my chicken cup-a-soup about half hour before