The Young Workers Zone : Teaching Tools : Chemical Hazards

I love ranking things. As soon as I decided to rewatch this show, I knew I wanted to do an episodes ranking. What I didn't know is that I'd end up with a post so long that I'd have to trim it down to meet Reddit's 40,000 character limit.
I've tried to find something noteworthy in each episode that hasn't been discussed a lot, and then write something interesting about it. If you've already explored lots of Breaking Bad analysis, a lot of what I've written will probably be familiar to you. But I hope you still find some themes, symbols, visual details, etc. that you hadn't noticed before.
I do have some unpopular opinions about the show, particularly in my lower-ranked episodes. Please keep in mind that this ranking is largely based on my personal level of enjoyment with each episode, and you are more than welcome to voice your disagreements in the comments. If you tire of reading my criticisms, skip ahead to around #45, at which point I have almost nothing but positive things to say about the show.
Okay, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy reading this!
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62: "Box Cutter" (S4:E1)
I like to think that I can handle some pretty gruesome stuff – I can even make it through Skyler singing happy birthday to Ted without fast-forwarding. But the box cutter scene is just too much for me. It feels like needlessly extreme violence, and turns Gus into a Tuco-like figure when I’d thought the point of his character was that Walt and Jessie had moved on from working with psychopathic murderers.
Nothing new is revealed about any of the other characters in this episode, and outside of the one big event, the rest of the episode is pretty boring.
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61: "Thirty-Eight Snub" (S4:E2)
One of the few episodes where the show feels like it's stalling. Jesse doesn't get much to do other than show how depressed he is. Hank's mineral obsession is probably the least interesting plot in the entire show. And we get one scene after another of Walt's pathetic attempts at hunting down Gus.
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60: "End Times" (S4:E12)
I have a couple issues with this one. First, Walt's insanely good gaslighting of Jesse regarding Brock's poisoning. It feels out of character for Walt to be that good when he's consistently shown to be a bad liar. Secondly, the anticlimactic ending, which is just Gus getting suspicious of his car and walking away. Few other episodes end with something as simple as "welp, that failed."
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59: "Rabid Dog" (S5:E12)
Skyler going full homicidal and planting the idea of Walt killing Jesse feels like a plot necessity that isn't supported by Skyler's character. Then there's some real on-the-nose dialogue: Marie bluntly asking "is this bad for Walt?", and Jesse's "Mr. White is the devil" speech, which both feel jarringly clunky in a show that usually has such elegant dialogue. Finally, another anticlimactic ending, though this one is partially saved by the final shot of Walt calling up Todd to put out the hit on Jesse.
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58: "Down" (S2:E4)
Nothing really wrong with this episode. The painful misfortunes of Jesse just doesn't measure up to the greatness of other episodes.
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57: "Ozymandias" (S5:E14)
I get why this episode is held in such high regard: it is unquestionably the most intense hour of television I've ever watched. But the question I ask is whether incredibly high stakes and incredibly shocking moments automatically equate to incredibly high quality. I personally don't they do.
I find several things in this episode (particularly the knife fight and the baby kidnapping) to be a bit excessive. These events weren't necessary to advance the plot, and seem to exist only to inflict the maximum amount of emotional devastation. The writers seem so intent on doing this that they don't pause to ask whether this is actually the right move. So what we end up with is an episode that is so utterly depressing that it feels incongruous with the rest of the series.
Again, you're more than welcome to tell me how wrong I am in the comments.
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56: "Confessions" (S5:E11)
Walt's fake confession is great, but the last 10 minutes of this episode are rough. First we're supposed to believe that Jesse suddenly figures out Walt's Brock plan just by noticing that Huell lifted weed off him – I don't buy it. Then we end the episode with Jesse preparing to set Walt's house on fire, but there's no real tension here because the last flash-forward has already revealed the White residence intact.
I know they had to unequivocally turn Jesse against Walt for the final storylines to progress the way they did, but the way they did it feels contrived.
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55: "ABQ" (S2:E13)
I've never really liked the plane crash storyline – a coincidental cause-and-effect plot feels like a cheap way to exponentially increase the amount of blood on Walt's hands.
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54: "Cornered" (S4:E6)
Opens really strong with "I am the one who knocks." The rest of the episode is largely just the crazy antics of Walt and Jesse: Walt buying a soda with Bogdan's first dollar, Jesse fooling a methhead with his shovel stunt, and Walt bribing the laundry ladies to clean the lab. It's fun stuff, but coming after the rather slow "Shotgun", I wish it pushed the plot forward a little more.
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53: "Bug" (S4:E9)
A setup episode for the big events in the final episodes of season 4. Skyler's "play the bimbo for the IRS" plan is very clever, and Gus walking straight through a field of sniper gunfire is a great character moment for him. Nothing wrong with this episode, but also nothing extraordinary.
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52: "Seven Thirty-Seven" (S2:E1)
Nothing wrong with this episode either, aside from the fact that due to the unplanned, abrupt ending to season 1, it doesn't feel a lot like a season premiere. Tuco displays more psychopathic insanity by expressing shock that the henchman he beat to death "can't take an ass-beating". Walt and Jesse decide it's time to cut ties with him and prepare the ricin plan. And Skyler decides to tell Hank all about her "spoiled, kleptomaniac, bitch sister" as he goes for the most awkward hug attempt of all-time.
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51: "I.F.T." (S3:E3)
I Fucked Ted is not one of the show's better storylines – it's just Skyler taking a cop-out solution to her issues with Walt. Maybe that was the point of it, but it still feels a little cheap.
The tense meeting between Gus and the cartel keeps this episode out of my Bottom 10.
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50: "Abiquiu" (S3:E11)
A somewhat lackluster episode compared to the amazing episodes it's surrounded by, but it still has some strong scenes – most notably the Jesse-Andrea moment when she asks him for meth. "What kind of mother are you?" asks the guy who intentionally sells to people trying to get clean. It's interesting how getting to know Andrea intimately totally changes Jesse's moral boundaries.
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49: "Shotgun" (S4:E5)
The actual "shotgun" plot isn't the most interesting – it's really just a necessary move to get Jesse back in action. What is really interesting is the dinner scene at the end of the episode, when Walt has a few too many glasses of wine and reveals that Gale was not the Heisenberg that Hank is after. It seems that Walt's indignation toward anyone who won't give him credit for his work is so enormous that it trumps his instincts to not get caught by the DEA.
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48: "Bit by a Dead Bee" (S2:E3)
Walt's speech to the psychiatrist about why he left home is a great summary of his general motivations. And Hector suddenly taking a dump on the DEA floor, followed by Gomez's "oh man...", is hilarious. Outside of those 2 scenes, there's not a whole lot here.
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47: "Breakage" (S2:E5)
An episode that's primarily setup for greater things to come. Highlights include Hank's exploding beer bottles as a metaphor for his bottled up PTSD, and Walt's breakage speech to Jessie: "You think Tuco had breakage? He broke bones!" Sounds like Walt doesn't detest the homicidal maniacs in the drug world as much as he thinks he does.
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46: "Fifty-One" (S5:E4)
Let's talk about Skyler. First of all, anyone who thinks that any of her actions are even in the same universe of awful as Walt's doesn't understand the show. Secondly, Anna Gunn does a great job playing her character.
Now with that out of the way, I can say that I find Skyler to be the least interesting main character in the series. She gets a couple great moments when she's working for Walt, but mostly she just acts as a lifestyle obstacle and rarely drives the kinds of moral conundrums that characters like Jesse and Hank do. So even her strongest episode – an episode that's all about the emotional suffering she endures as a hostage of Walt's drug empire – I can't say that it's one of the show's better episodes (which is to say that it's still pretty great. Just not as great as 45 other episodes.)
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45: "Open House" (S4:E3)
Marie's recurring kleptomania tends to get a lot of flak as a pointless subplot. While I mostly agree, I like how this episode extends it into her creating entirely fictional lives for herself. She's sort of a lesser Walt in some ways: her obsessive tendencies, poor coping mechanisms, and desire to lead a double life. It's interesting to see a character who could've easily been forgotten about get developed like this.
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44: "Mas" (S3:E5)
"Facing death, it changes a person. It has to, don't you think?" Marie asks Skyler. More specifically, it changes the men in this show. Walt and Hank are drastically different people, yet they similarly refuse to let their wives in on their internal struggles, thinking that exposing their insecurities would be unmanly.
Just when it seems Walt may have a change of heart, Gus gives him the "a man provides" speech. "He does it even when he's not appreciated, or respected, or even loved. He simply bears. He does it because he's a man." This toxic attitude about masculinity is what destroys the lives of Walt, of other men like him, and of all their families.
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43: "Caballo Sin Nombre" (S3:E2)
Walt's most pathetic episode. First he gets himself pepper sprayed by a cop, then he wastes a perfectly good pizza on roof decoration. He ends the day by getting drunk and falling asleep in a pile of popcorn, and wakes himself the next morning by slamming his head into a countertop.
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42: "Phoenix" (S2:E12)
Walt running into Jane's dad and getting a relevant moral lesson is an obvious plot contrivance that I'm not a big fan of. Other than that, I love how true-to-life this episode feels. The rising tension between Jane and her dad as she hides her relapse from him is palpable. And the explosion of mayhem when he finally catches her, but then can't bring himself to give her the punishment she needs, is one of the most powerful moments of the season.
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41: Negro y Azul (S2:E7)
"Blowfishin' this up!" has to be one of the funniest scenes in the entire series. It's such a great representation of what a bizarre yet effective teacher Walt is.
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40: "Hermanos" (S4:E8)
We finally see the human side of Gus in this episode, first with the shot of him looking terrified after his interrogation with the DEA, and then in the long flashback that ends with the murder of his partner. A horrified, enraged Gus is forced to stare into the eyes of his partner's corpse, as blood drips from his head and into the pool. It's a difficult scene to watch, but it's easily worth it for the payoff 2 episodes later.
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39: "Mandala" (S2:E11)
Jesse, not wanting Jane to risk relapsing, insists that she leaves before he smokes his meth. She's about to do so, but right when she reaches the door, she decides to turn around and join him. In their next scene, they're already shooting up heroin. This fast, hard, and unplanned relapse feels shocking, but also realistic. The fact that her (Walt-assisted) overdose death is in the very next episode further accentuates the effectively fast pacing of this storyline.
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38: "Say My Name" (S5:E7)
We feel awful for Mike when Walt kills him out of pure spitefulness. But the worst thing imaginable had already happened to him: he was forced to either surrender to the police, or escape by abandoning his granddaughter. According to Lydia, having a child think you abandoned them is even worse than having them find your dead body. But Mike nonetheless chooses the escape.
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37: "Live Free or Die" (S5:E1)
"YEAH BITCH! MAGNETS!" I know some people find this episode to be a little cheesy for a show like Breaking Bad, but I love the return to the fun misadventures of Walt and Jesse. It's a nice bit of levity after the incredibly intense Season 4.
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36: "Pilot" (S1:E1)
With so much stuff to setup, pilot episodes are difficult to write. This one does a solid job, and it already provides some fantastic Walt moments (humiliating the kid bullying Jr, using explosive chemistry to escape from Emilio and Krazy-8). But because this episode is filled to the brim with plot exposition, the tone and pacing isn't as consistent as it is in the rest of the show.
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35: "Granite State" (S5:E15)
My favorite thing about this episode is the snow. It's the polar opposite climate of the sand-filled Albuquerque desert, yet it's portrayed with the same sense of vastness, desolation, and blinding brightness. There's a palpable sense of the frigid temperatures, and of Walt's emotional disintegration as his sickly figure rests inside the tiny cabin. Totally different from the usual Breaking Bad environments, but the cinematography is just as stunning.
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34: "Gliding Over All" (S5:E8)
First the beautifully harrowing prison shanking montage. Then the equally impressive "crystal blue persuasion" montage, which opens with a perfect match cut that dons the meth-making suit on Hank's innocuous-looking brother-in-law, and closes with the pest tents popping up all over town as Walt's empire reaches its peak. The show hereby solidifies its status as a masterpiece of visual storytelling.
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33: "Better Call Saul" (S2:E8)
Hank, having just narrowly escaped death by exploding tortoise, has fearfully retreated into his bedroom. On the other hand, Walt has now accepted that he will die soon and shed the fear that shackled him in the past. That leads to him being the one to give Hank a great motivational speech.
Only 15 episodes into the show, the writers already managed to create a total switch in their characters. And when Hank does get out of bed and get back to chasing Heisenberg, it's of course Walt that foils his plan. Such good writing.
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32: "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type-Deal" (S1:E7)
Out of all the places Walt and Jesse end up cooking meth, the one I always forget about is Jesse's basement. There they are, mixing their chemicals and their toxic fumes, while oblivious house shoppers explore the rest of the property. The realtor nervously sprays a perfume to cover up the smell, and then there's an immediate cut to a similar-looking vapor pouring out of one of Walt's flasks. Similarly great "chemicals are everywhere" match cuts appear in other episodes as well.
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31: "Green Light" (S3:E4)
Kudos to Gus for knowing that making a deal with Jesse would get Walt cooking again. But little does he know that most of the psychological groundwork for this plan's success had already been laid decades ago by Walt's departure from Gray Matter. "This is my product," Walt insists when Jesse shows up with a sample of his latest batch. "This is my formula. This is MINE!" Even with a 50% cut off of Jesse's earnings, selling out his brilliant chemistry is something Walt will never do again.
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30: "Buried" (S5:E10)
Here we see Marie realizing all the lies Skyler has told her to cover for Walt. There's something uniquely heartbreaking about seeing a sibling relationship crumble like this. It's a reversal of the early tiara plot, when Skyler was scolding Marie for her minor crime and begging for her old sister to come back. Now Skyler has fallen so far that Marie doesn't seem to believe her old sister exists anymore. She leaves the scene not with a beg, but with a vicious slap to the face.
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29: "Problem Dog" (S4:E7)
Jesse confronting the therapy leader on his self-acceptance bullshit is my favorite Jesse moment. It's a perfect representation of Jesse's character, which is that somehow, the guy in therapy who's there to sell other people meth is the only one with a proper moral outlook. Moreover, it underscores what I think is the show's core philosophy: Bad deeds always have bad consequences, and the pretense of self-acceptance is only a cover for immorality.
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28: "Hazard Pay" (S5:E3)
What I love about this episode is that, even in the show's incredibly dark final season, they still make so much time for comedy. Jesse stealing a tortilla off the conveyor belt. Badger's horrific guitar accompaniment of Skinny Pete's piano solo. And the poor houseowner's reaction when he sees the giant Vamanos Pest boxes being wheeled inside: "Holy crap! How much poison are you using?" Wrong question sir – the real question is how much poison they'll be making.
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27: "Crawl Space" (S4:E11)
This is lower than where most people would rank this episode, so I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of the way the ending is constructed. Walt's verbal spat with Jesse feels repetitive of the big fight they had in Bug. The final scene is jaw-dropping acting from Cranston, but I've never liked the way it's intercut with Marie's phone call – I would've saved that for the next episode.
These are of course relatively minor complaints in an otherwise great episode.
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26: "Blood Money" (S5:E9)
The look in Hank's face when he says "I don't even know who I'm talking to" says it all. It's the realization that the man who stands six inches in front of him has completely destroyed his perception of his family, his career, and really his entire worldview. The big monster he's been chasing has been his seemingly pathetic, emasculated brother-in-law. Even having spent the past week putting together all the evidence, and having just punched him in the head, he still can't quite believe it, until Walt's voice suddenly drops and utters the most terrifying words of the entire series: "tread lightly."
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25: "Buyout" (S5:E6)
We're shown very clearly in Season 1 the importance of Walt's bitterness toward Gretchen and Elliot. But it's still shocking to find out that a year later, after everything that's happened, Walt takes a moment out of every Friday to check on Gray Matter's stock price, and scold himself for taking a $5K buyout on what is now worth over $700M.
The $5M he's being offered now would be more than enough to provide for him and his family indefinitely. But to Walt, $5M is essentially the same as $5K – it's selling out his potential. Walt's not in the meth business, or the money business; he's in the empire business.
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24: "One Minute" (S3:E7)
When we were first getting to know macho, arrogant Hank in season 1, there was no anticipation that he would get as much great character development as he does. We see the culmination of that in this episode when he lets his emotions get the best of him in his beating of Jesse, ruining his career and his desire to be a cop. But just when he accepts that he's done with the world of the DEA, that world isn't done with him, and we end the episode with the most brutally intense action sequence yet.
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23: "Madrigal" (S5:E2)
The ultimate Mike episode. He's absolutely unflinching under Hank's intense interrogation. He's two steps ahead of Lydia's plan to kill off his guys, sneaking up on the one in cahoots with her using one of Kaylee's toys as a distraction. But we finally see his achilles heel when he can't bring himself to kill Lydia after seeing that she too has a wonderful daughter. That's the beginning of the end for Mike, as he instead decides to use her for methylamine and partner back up with Walt. Great downfall story.
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22: "Face Off" (S4:E13)
Gus getting half his face blown off isn't actually the end of Walt's troubles in this episode. The last step is reassuring Jesse of his innocence when the doctors discover that Brock was actually poisoned by Lily of the Valley. With this completed, Walt can finally breathe a deep sigh of relief. He and Jesse are back on the same team.
But what kind of team will it be? The answer is obviously foreshadowed in the final shot – the confirmation that the reuniting is rooted in an evil lie. But it's also foreshadowed in the previous shot, which is a close-up of the Pollos Hermanos logo in front of a mischievously smiling Walt. Walt and Jesse are the new meth hermanos, and it's going to end just as badly for them as it did for Gus and his partner.
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21: "Dead Freight" (S5:E5)
I love trains. As a kid, my dad and I used to walk to the local commuter rail tracks and hide in the bushes as the train flew by. (One time we also shot a video of me pretending to get run over.)
This episode feels like the Breaking Bad version of my fond train memories. I love how unabashedly fun it is (at least until the final scene). It's unlike any of the other crimes in Breaking Bad, but it's worked perfectly into the story and setting.
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20: "Half Measures" (S3:E12)
Mike gives Walt the "no half measures" speech and he takes it to a heart in a very unexpected way. But what really takes this episode to another level is how all its events mirror the story that Mike tells. Gus intimidatingly demands that the dealers stop using kids, just as Mike threatened the wifebeater to end his abuse, and once again the half-measure doesn't work. So Walt's "full measure" is exactly what Mike wishes his had been: a driving detour that ends in the murder of the bad guys. Perfectly written episode.
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19: "I See You" (S3:E8)
I often see this episode ranked low, and coming right after the action-packed "One Minute," it's easy to see why. But as with many of the big moments in Breaking Bad, I think the aftermath of Hank's big showdown is actually the most interesting part. Here we see Walt begin to understand the level of impact his actions have had. We see how smoothly Gus controls every facet of his operation, from his food sponsorship of the DEA, to Mike's swift killing of the legless cartel cousin, to his gleeful phone call with Juan Bolsa as he's machine-gunned down by the Mexican government.
We also see Jesse fill up his lab suit with air and dance around like an adorable lunatic. What's not to love about this episode?
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18: "To'hajiilee" (S5:E13)
Hank's final phone call with Marie perfectly mirrors his call with her before the cousins attacked him. In both instances, as soon as he's seemingly reached a point of resolution in his career as a cop, the murderous violence of the criminal world suddenly arrives. It seems as if the show is saying that there can never be resolution for a guy like Hank – the bad guys are always one step ahead. The only resolution he ever really gets comes in the next episode when he accepts his imminent death. What a fantastic character arc.
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17: "Over" (S2:E10)
"I guess... I'm done," Walt reluctantly says at the beginning of this episode. He's then reminded of all the reasons why he shouldn't be done. Skyler announcing to everyone that Gretchen and Elliot are the ones to thank for Walt's survival. Cool Uncle Hank telling Jr more tall tales, reminding Walt how little control and respect he has in his family life. Then a brief re-appearance of Heisenberg when Hank tries to stop Walt from having his son drink till he pukes. ("I don't know who that was, but it wasn't me," Walt later tells Skyler.) Finally, Walt putting his scientific knowledge to use on house maintenance, which might be the only thing less rewarding than using it to teach dead-eyed high school students the periodic table.
A run-in with an amateurish meth cook at the hardware store is all it takes. The White paint is left behind as Heisenberg emerges from the store. "Stay out of my territory!"
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16: "And the Bag's in the River" (S1:E3)
Krazy-8 is locked in the basement, ready to kill Walt and his entire family is he's freed, and Walt has to decide whether or not to kill him first. What should be a simple decision turns into a profound moral exercise for Walt. He looks for any reason he can find as to why he shouldn't do it, listing out things like "won't be able to live with yourself" and "sanctity of life". He even heads downstairs to have a personal conversation with Domingo, and finds out that they have more in common than he would've guessed. But just when he's deluded himself into thinking that this situation can be redeemed, he cleverly uncovers the truth, and proceeds to tearfully commit one of the most gruesome murders in the entire show. It's a perfectly told story that provides crucial character development for Walt and also raises deep questions about the permanence of human evil.
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15: "Cancer Man" (S1:E4)
Fantastic character work for Jesse in this episode. I made this post last year about how well his backstory is established. The gist of it is that the show takes remarkable care to develop him as a complex character by exploring his past and current relationship with his family, as well as his past relationship with schoolteacher Walt, all without resorting to flashbacks or explicit dialogue about past events.
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14: "Gray Matter" (S1:E5)
A family argument about whether Walt should get cancer treatment somehow becomes one the funniest scenes of the first season. It's also one of the most philosophical, with a frank discussion about not just cancer treatment, but also what is and isn't worth living for. Every character is written so perfectly, from Hank's ill-conceived sports analogies, to Jr's blunt accusations and Skyler's desperate desire for control. Then comes Walt's speech about his lack of life choices, how he wants to be remembered, and his purpose for existence, which is my favorite monologue of the entire show.
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13: "Bullet Points" (S4:E4)
The opening shot (a Pollos truck being bombarded with bullets) and the closing shot (Mike driving Jesse down an endless desert road) are some of my favorite shots in the entire series. But what really makes this episode worthy of such a high ranking is the perfectly written scene of Walt and Skyler planning their elaborate gambling tale. I'm not a big fan of a lot of the Walt/Skyler scenes, but this one is hilarious and provides great insights into their present mindsets. Then there's the sarcastic "you got me scene" with Hank, which is the closest Walt ever gets to spilling the beans.
Great dialogue, great suspense, and amazing cinematography – this is just an all-around excellent episode.
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12: "Fly" (S3:E10)
Not much I need to say about this one, since I'm sure everyone reading this is already aware of the great symbolism and character development here. This episode also has some of Cranston's best acting, especially toward the end as Walt really starts unraveling.
I do think the first half has a bit too much slapstick, and for that reason, this doesn't quite make my Top 10.
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11: "Full Measure" (S3:E13)
Putting aside the main story (Walt saving himself at the expense of Gale), Mike steals the show here. First, him getting Walt out of his car by saying "I assure you I could kill you from here." Then his trip to Chow's compound, where he effortlessly disposes of the bad guys with the most hilariously effective tools: Kaylee's balloons to destroy the security system, a shoe as a makeshift grenade, and the position of Chow's hands as an alignment guide for a through-the-wall headshot. It's all of this badassery that makes Walt ultimately outwitting him an even more shocking and great conclusion to the season.
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10: "Peekaboo" (S2:E6)
It was important for the show to dedicate an episode to showing the real effects of meth addiction. It did an excellent job of this with a story of Jesse confronting the junkies who robbed Skinny Pete, and ultimately saving their young son form the horrors of that household.
The other plot – Gretchen confronting Walt on lying about taking her money – is equally great. "This isn't you," she says, to which Walt chillingly replies, "What would you know about me, Gretchen?" She realizes in horror that Walt is correct: she does not recognize the angry, resentful man sits in front of her. The cute guy she dated decades ago is now filled with anger and resentment toward her about something she hadn't even though about. The entire scene is stunning character work for Walt, perfectly written and perfectly acted for both characters.
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9: "No Mas" (S3:E1)
"You either run from things, or you face them, Mr. White."
Mr. White is running as fast as he can. His speech to the student body (in what he describes in the script as a "goddamn emo-porn assembly") is not just about looking on the bright side of a tragedy – it's about rationalizing it away altogether. "We will move on... because that is what human beings do. We survive, and we overcome."
Jesse is presented with the same logic from the therapy leader, who says that healing is all about self-acceptance. But the only thing Jesse is ready to accept is that he's "the bad guy". Here we see a great contrast in Walt and Jesse, and what ultimately makes Jesse the only decent person of the two: Jesse is honest with himself about who he is and what he's done. Meanwhile, Walt, who has already committed countless crimes and will go on to commit more crimes than any other character in the show, declines Gus's offer because he's "not a criminal".
This episode is an incredibly rich, philosophical portrayal of the different ways to respond to tragedies and moral failures. It also introduces us to the cartel twins, with gorgeous and terrifying scenes of their journey toward the border. Everything here perfectly sets up the rest of Season 3 and creates one of the most well-rounded episodes of the entire show.
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8: "Kafkaesque" (S3:E9)
One of the things I love most about Breaking Bad is the immersive world that it creates. Every location, every character, and every new storyline feels connected not just to the main story, but also to the show's carefully crafted disintegration of classic Western life.
This episode is one of the best examples of this. It opens with a nostalgic montage of the once-authentic Los Pollos Hermanos transforming into a meth factory. It then goes after the healthcare system, showing how the wife of a gravely wounded hero needs to choose between staying in-network or paying bills into the six figures. Meanwhile, even the criminal drug world has become bureaucratic and unfair, leading Jesse and his gang to try to sell to recovering addicts, which corrupts the very institution that's designed to help them.
Hank's recovery is soon to be paid for by Walt's illicit "gambling" money, and he's only alive thanks to the selfish actions of a ruthless drug lord. Every institution of wholesomeness has been swallowed up by greed and corruption, and the only way out is to join in.
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7: "Sunset" (S3:E6)
Out of all the big suspenseful moments, one that I don't see discussed as often is Hank literally stepping within inches of Walt and Jesse as they're inside the RV. Everything about how they get out of this one, from the fake car accident call, to "this is my private domicile and I will not be harassed... BITCH!", is brilliant. So is what is probably my favorite scene in the laundry lab: Walt bonding with Gale over his coffee contraption and their mutual love of chemistry. And I'd be remiss to not also mention the stunning closing shot: Gus telling the cousins to go after Hank – "May his death satisfy you" – underneath a gorgeous Arizonian sunset.
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6: "The Cat's in the Bag" (S1:E2)
Season 1 doesn't get enough praise. It's not as action-packed or as instantly memorable as a lot of the later seasons, but I find that it has the most consistently great writing out of all the seasons. The plots are much simpler, and that allows the writers to absolutely nail the dialogue, humor, and character development.
The second episode is a perfect example of all of this, as the task of disposing a corpse perfectly establishes the arrogant teacher / clumsy student relationship of Walt and Jesse. Any chance of that relationship soon being successful quickly comes crashing down in the form of a disintegrated Emilio plunging through the bathroom floor.
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5: "Felina" (S5:E16)
On my first watch, I sort of agreed with the complaints that Walt got too good of an ending. It seemed that he got everything he wanted: he killed off everyone who was against him, ensured that over $10 million dollars will be sent to his son, and died peacefully inside a meth lab. Is the show really saying that this diabolical mass-murderer won? That in the end, it was all worth it?
No, definitely not. Walt doesn't even come close to winning at what he ostensibly set out to do, which was to earn the respect of his family by providing for them monetarily. When Jr turns 18 and that money comes in from Gray Matter, nobody's going to be giving Walt any credit. And with the admission of "I did it for me," even Walt no longer pretends that his family should be thankful for him.
The only thing Walt ultimately achieves is self-awareness. He accepts, as Jesse did a long time ago, that he is the bad guy. That the opportunity to deny this or ask for forgiveness is long over, and the only thing left to do is right as many wrongs as possible. And that's exactly what he does, in glorious fashion.
The little nods he and Jesse exchange as they part ways say it all. For the first time, they are both at peace with what's about to happen. Jesse will finally escape from the physical and emotional torture Walt inflicted upon him, and Walt will undergo his well-deserved death.
Walt spends his final moments inspecting the equipment Jesse cooked with, noticing that everything is spotless, that the gauges are set just right. Jesse truly applied himself, and Walt dies knowing that the one thing he did with unmitigated success was become a great chemistry teacher.
What a perfect ending.
​
4: "Salud" (S4:E10)
The mass poisoning of the cartel and thrilling escape from their compound is my favorite sequence in the entire series. It's packed with so many brilliant shots: the slo-mo cigar drop, Gus's wordless stare-down with Don Eladio, Jesse suddenly going full action hero and shooting down the final bad guy. Most thrilling scene I've ever seen in a TV show.
In contrast with the craziness happening down in Mexico, Walt has the most heartfelt discussion he's ever had with his son when he talks about what he remembers of his own father. But in asking Jr not to remember him in a similar way, he misses the point of his own story: "maybe that wouldn't be so bad." It's better to remember someone for their true faults than their illusory achievements. Sure enough, by the end of the series, Jr will only remember Walt as the evil drug dealer who got Uncle Hank killed.
​
3: "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" (S1:E6)
"Explosions are the result of chemical reactions happening almost instantaneously. The faster they undergo change, the more violent the explosion." Sure enough, a violent explosion occurs only seconds after Walt teaches his class about them, as his chemo-induced vomit erupts into the toilet.
Walt is now officially a sick man. But rather than try to fight this reality, he embraces it. He uses the chemo as inspiration to fully shave his head. He uses the shaved head to create a new persona named Heisenberg. And by the end of the episode, we're not seeing violent vomit explosions – we're seeing an evil drug lord on the receiving end of the violent explosion Walt taught to his students. "Fulminated mercury – a little tweak of chemistry." Cue what may be the most fun and the most stunningly choreographed action set-piece of the entire series.
​
2: "Grilled" (S2:E2)
This episode doesn't have much of anything that I've praised about the show so far – deeply developed villains, strong philosophical underpinnings, complex character arcs, etc. So how could it be the second best episode? The answer is one word:
DING!
The sequence of Tuco deducing that he's being tricked, via Hector ringing his bell, is the most suspenseful scene I've ever seen in my life. It's immediately followed up by an insane action extravaganza: Jesse's big struggle with Tuco, ending in him shooting him in the stomach and satisfyingly kicking him into a hole. And just when he and Walt are about to escape, the Mexican cousins arrive, and they're forced to flee.
Except it's not the cousins; it's Hank! "Jesse Pinkman, hard man to find," he mutters, only for the bloodied Tuco to slowly reveal himself, disturbingly crack his neck, and begin an exhilarating gun battle.
This episode is pure, thrilling action done so incredibly well that I can rank it above all the more substantive episodes. Well, all of them except for one...
​
1: "Four Days Out" (S2:E9)
After countless hours spent cranking a generator in the blistering desert sun, Walt and Jesse stumble back into the RV, desperate for their grueling work to be rewarded in the form of survival. Jesse sticks the key in the ignition, gives it a turn, and the engine roars to life. Seconds later, Walt begins violently coughing, and the engine follows suit as it sputters to its death.
The death of that engine quite literally represents the impending death of Walt. As he lies on his cot and comes to terms with this, we glimpse a rare moment of self-honesty. With Jesse repeating the "you did this for your family" mantra, it's Walt who says "all I ever managed to do was worry and disappoint them." Cancer and dehydration may be eating away at his body, but his mind is finally free of the delusion that this isn't his fault.
But then he does what he always does: he uses his brilliant chemistry skills to cheat death. His makeshift battery gets the RV fired back up, and as Walt again lets out that dreaded cough, the engine stays running this time. Walt may still be sick, but his meth mobile has roared back to life.
It turns out Walt isn't even as sick as he thought: his cancer is actually in remission, and his end is now nowhere in sight. Walt not only cheated death – he cheated his way out of the excuse of being a desperate, terminally ill father using his final months to provide for his family. As he stares into his seemingly innocent reflection in a paper towel dispenser, he's faced with his greatest fear: the fact that the man he's looking at is about to return to the pathetically mediocre life he had before he got cancer. That's all it takes for the punches to start flying, and a few seconds later, his mirrored image is instead of a bloody, twisted face. This is the life that the now cancer-free Walt will choose to live.
Four Days Out is one scene after another of unparalleled visual storytelling, breathtaking cinematography, perfect characterization, and unrelenting tension. For me, it's the quintessential episode of Breaking Bad.
​
—
​
Thank you to anyone who's taken the time to read this entire post! Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Hey guys,
Me again with another post in regards to importing from China. I've previously posted with similar subjects here and here.
I wanted to give you a rundown on the essential requirements & regulations when importing electronics from China to the US & Europe.
I have recently been asked a few times to write about regulations for electronics and why I chose electronics. I choose electronics for myself because I’ve been in this category for nearly 17 years so I feel confident importing/exporting them.
Many “gurus’ will tell you to shy away from electronics because of the regulations, high returns and what to do with defective items. While I do agree that a beginner should stay away from electronics I do encourage you to import electronics at one point because the margins are higher than your standard household product.
Especially if you have it OEM manufactured products (your own design/software/application). However manufacturing an electronic OEM item requires profound technical knowledge (or at least a knowledgable factory and engineers) and financial pre-investment in most cases.
Most suppliers won’t offer free services to help develop the product unless you commit with a certain order quantity, have yearly agreements or previous (mostly large) business with the factory.
Why is it so difficult to find manufacturers who comply with regulations already? Most suppliers that develop a new product do not invest in the certifications in the beginning because they don’t know yet if the product actually sells so why invest in certifications that can run into thousands of dollars?
Try to work and find suppliers who mainly work with larger European and US customers or retailers that did the work for you already. Because when retailers look for electronics they will absolutely make sure that they comply with the law. You will want to buy from factories that are either compliant already or are willing to work together with you to get the product compliant.
Dismiss suppliers who aren’t interested in making the product compliant if the response is something like: “all the other buyers also don’t need it”. Ideally you can convince the supplier to invest his money into certifications and making the product compliant for different markets and regulations because it also benefits him. The more clients he can sell his products to (because they are certified) the better for him too.
Lets take a look at general regulations first.
EUROPE
Europe is generally stricter than the US and has a couple more regulations that are to be met if you wish to import legally to Europe.
CE
The CE marking is a mandatory conformity marking if you want to import into Europe. It basically confirms that your product is manufactured according to certain European standards. It covers most standards and this is the absolute minimum you need to have when importing to Europe, no matter which product actually. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking Required by law: YES
GS
GS or “Gepruefte Sicherheit” is a quality seal issued by a third party laboratory and mostly recommended if sold as a retailer or to retailers. It is voluntary and NOT required by law but it has been an established trust and quality seal commonly known by consumers, especially in Germany. The requirements to get a GS certificate is higher than the one for CE. GS is not available or doesn’t make sense on several products such as battery operated items. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gepr%C3%BCfte_Sicherheit Required by law: NO, voluntary and used as a seal of quality for consumers.
R&TTE
This directive covers any radio-transmitting device and is usually already covered within a GS or CE certification. http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/electrical-engineering/rtte-directive/index_en.htm Required by law: YES, any of the following products need to comply: WiFi, Bluetooth products and Radio-Emitting devices (Smartphones, tablets, smart devices)
LVD
The Low Voltage Directive does not supply any specific technical standards that must be met, instead relying on IEC technical standards to guide designers to produce safe products. Products that conform to the general principles of the Low Voltage Directive and the relevant particular safety standards are marked with the CE marking to indicate compliance and acceptance throughout the EU. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Voltage_Directive Required by law: YES applicable to products or electrical equipment with a voltage at input or output terminals between 50 and 1000 volts for alternating current (AC) or between 75 and 1500 volts for direct current(DC)
EMC
EMC or “Electro Magnetic Compatibility” regulates that the products may not interfere with other electronics products. Meaning that components of a product need to be manufactured according to several CE or GS standards to comply. If your product has a GS certificate EMC will usually be tested. Some CE certification and test reports include EMC testing. Make sure to check this in the report. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_compatibility Required by law: YES but different nations can require compliance with different standards. In European law, manufacturers of electronic devices are advised to run EMC tests in order to comply with compulsory CE-labeling. EU directive 2004/108/EC (previously 89/336/EEC) on EMC defines the rules for the distribution of electric devices within the European Union.
ROHS Directive
RoHS or the “Restriction of Hazardous Substances” regulates the allowed content of 6 substances within the product. These are: Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium, PBB & PBDE. It is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC which sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative to solve the problem of huge amounts of toxic e-waste. Most suppliers have at least a report for the incoming raw-materials that they later use for the final product. So while they do not have a RoHS certificate for the entire product they may have the material tested which is generally accepted by authorities. Required by law: YES, however raw material report as opposed to full report is widely accepted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive
REACH Directive
Most suppliers have never heard of REACH altough it has been around since 2007. It is essentially the upgrade to RoHS but regulates more chemicals and substances. It has different phases that regulate the chemicals used in manufacturing and once in full force all importers need to comply (within the European Union). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registration,_Evaluation,_Authorisation_and_Restriction_of_Chemicals Required by law: YES
WEEE Directive
The Waste Electrical and Electronics Equipment Directive is mandatory to be fullfilled by the manufacturer. The marking needs to be on the sales packaging or product. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_Directive Required by law: YES but different nations can require compliance with different standards.
Sub – Regulations & Directives
Each of the above have several sub-regulations that have to be met. But generally if you buy a certian product from a supplier and it is say for example CE or FCC certified it should have automatically been certified by the sub-regulation.
UNITED STATES
The US generally has “loose” regulations compared to the authorities in Europe. Having said that I do recommend that you comply to all regulations as you don’t want to import a product that can cause fire or other hazards. “Loose regulations” also doesn’t mean that they are actually loose because you still are required to comply but again, Europe is stricter when it comes to enforcing and checking at customs or at retailers. A FCC certification is usually obtainable for a couple hundred $ while a GS certificate can go into the thousands. Of course there are products that are highly technical and or pose a risk or hazard and are difficult to certify by FCC for example.
FCC
The FCC basically regulates anything that is electronic including WiFi, Bluetooth, Radio transmission etc. You will want any device that you import that is electrical and remitting radio waves (in any way) certified by the FCC. There are two regulations within FCC for both Intentional & Un-Intentional radiators. Intentional radiators for example are: Bluetooth speakers, WiFi devices, radios or smartphones. Unintentional radiators are: Headphones, Earphones, power packs, PCB’s etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_Declaration_of_Conformity Required by law: YES
UL
UL is a certification company that certifies your product according to several different standards. Say if you have a FCC certification you may still need to certify by UL, especially if you are a retailer. It’s a seal of quality that consumers appreciate on certain products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UL_(safety_organization) Required by law: NO/Voluntary and used as a seal of quality for consumers.
RoHS
RoHS is also recognised in the US and widley available at suppliers. RoHS self declarations are generally accepted by authorities. Required by law: NO
Further information you should be aware of
Full certification
Having a full certification on a product is the best and safest way to go. What does that actually mean? Lets look at an example: You want to import a hair trimmeclipper. The hair clipper itself runs on a integrated rechargeable battery. The battery is charged via a universal external chargeadpater with a plug. In 90% of the cases the supplier will only have a FCC/GS/CE certificate for the chargeadapter. Why?
Because the adapter can be certified with GS/FCC/CE easily and can be used on hundreds of different products that need a universal charger. So it makes sense for the manufacturer to certify the charger because he can sell it with different products and only needs to certify the adapter once. He can also sell his charger to other suppliers who are in need of universal chargers only for their products. While the hair trimmer is a separate unit in itself and may not sell well. So why would the factory pay a lot of money to certify an entire product if they may not sell it.
If possible find a manufacturer who has a fully certified product. Those are likely suppliers who work with large western retailers. Having said that if say the charger has a full certification like GS/CE or FCC and the hair trimmer itself only has CE it is also acceptable to authorities. If you want to make sure that you comply or satisfy authorities you may ask the supplier to issue a Letter of Guarantee that the entire product has been manufactured according to standard or regulation “X”. But satisfying authorities should not be your eventual goal. Your eventual goal should be to import a safe and reliable product that lasts and delivers good reviews or sales.
A full certification is quite expensive and therefore not often found. Yet some markets like Germany demand full certification especially from retailers. If you are an online seller and your exposure to the authorities is minimal you could start by meeting only minimum requirements (CE, FCC for example).
Labelling & Marking
The following markings must be on the final packaging or box in which the product is sold to the customer where applicable:
WEEE, FCC, CE, GS, Made in China, Recycle symbol
I say applicable because as mentioned not every product needs to comply with above regulations. You will also want to put all labels and markings of the product on the Instruction Manual. Electronic products usually have instruction manuals so you’ll want to show in there what your product complies with.
You are actually required by law to mark all regulations met, either on the box of the product or inside the instruction manual (if there is no space on the sales packaging).
Returns and damaged products
Unfortunately returns of electrical products can be as high as 20% in some cases. That could be due to poor manufacturing, faulty components that didn’t get checked properly, the client mishandling (or misunderstanding) the product and several other reasons. It comes with the territory when selling electronics and the only thing you can do as a seller is to take care of the manufacturing side and handle returns from customers with proper manner. Don’t try to argue with customers and simply refund or exchange the product for a new one.
However you should collect all data collected from returns and defects and claim the lost profit/money from your supplier when or if you re-order. Make sure to communicate the issues to the factory and have them deduct the total amount lost from the next invoice. Send all material that you can gather from your customers to the supplier to have a strong case against the supplier. If you aren’t going to re-order (maybe because of the issues) try to get the defect/returned units replaced by him or even better a cash payment in the amount of your loss. The latter may be more difficult as suppliers will want to have you re-order before they give out any money for returns.
Self-declarations
In some cases it doesn’t make sense to certify a product because your quantities are low or the product is so cheap that the certification cost don’t justify certifying it. In that case you may ask the supplier to issue a self-declaration which is in some cases accepted by authorities. Please note that you cannot issue a self-declaration, it has to be done by the manufacturer.
You would at least need to be compliant with basic requirements like raw material being certified or tested and according to regulations. However most countries in Europe only allow CE or RohS self-declarations for several items, mainly low voltage or battery powered products. Check with your supplier what he can offer you.
Lets take a look at a few examples
Please note that the following are recommendations and there may be additional requirements for each country depending on your sales channel. I know for a fact that many importers ignore these regulations, hoping not to get caught. I am not telling you what you should or shouldn’t do but many countries have lax enforcements so importers simply ignore it. I personally like to have everything in order and proper certification to avoid any problems in the future. It’s best to check with a third-party inspection company but this should get you started when sourcing for electronics:
Bluetooth Speaker (Low Voltage product) EU: CE, REACH, ROHS, LVD, R&TTE & GS on the adpater recommended if product comes with a external charger (they usually come with USB charging cables) US: FCC, UL recommended if you are a retailer Not to forget that you need to pay BIG (Bluetooth Interest Group) a fee of 8000US$ (4000$ if you are a member) if you are planning on private labelling your product. Prior to February 2014 private labelers were able to register their private label under the manufacturers Bluetooth chip license but BIG changed that and made it not possible anymore. I know that there are many small time buyers who don’t care and risk it because its still a grey area but basically they are illegally branding Bluetooth products.
Solar powered garden lamp (Low Voltage product) This is a very simple product but highly competitive. The good news is that they are battery operated and low voltage powered. EU: CE self declaration, RoHs self-declaration US: FCC self declaration
Vacuum cleaner (High Voltage product) EU: CE, GS recommended, RoHS, REACH, EMC US: FCC, UL recommended
Wired-Headset (Non-Bluetooth, no direct Voltage) EU: CE, RoHS self declaration US: FCC self declaration
Miscellaneous
Many small importers in Europe or the US illegally import products hoping not to get caught (or not knowing there are regulations to be met). Basically playing with fire just to save a couple hundred dollars on certifications and compliant products. Also paying for a certification report doesn’t mean your supplier can comply with the regulation. Before you place an order with the factory make sure to ask him that the material and components will actually pass a FCC or CE testing for example, otherwise you waste money on a certification and the product may not even pass the requirements.
One thing that I recommend beginners with electronics is to have the certifications from the supplier verified by a third-party. If you work with a third party inspection company like Asiainspection, TUV, SGS or others they are usually open to check certificates for you. That is if you already do business with them otherwise they charge a small fee. You can simply ask your contact at the third-party inspection company to look over the documents that the supplier sent you.
Do not engage with a supplier or product that cannot comply to regulations otherwise your products might be seized by customs or even have to be withdrawn from the market if an authority finds out you do not comply with regulations.
If a supplier tells you he doesn’t have the necessary certification and “its ok his other customers also don’t need it” stay away or be prepared to invest a couple hundred US$ for a certification (FCC or CE usually goes from 400-600US$).
Yes, it is sometimes a grey area, especially in the US if you ship things by Air directly to Amazon for example that you do not get caught, but I do not recommend going this way.
If a supplier doesn’t have a certificate or is unwilling to invest in it move on to the next supplier. However if you are willing to invest yourself in the certification (make sure to ask the supplier if the product can pass first) I would recommend to do so. Furthermore if you invest into a certificate you will be the holder of the certificate and the supplier is not allowed to sell the product with certification to anyone else but you. This applies to all certifications.
Inspections
I can’t stress enough how important inspections are, especially with electronics. You will want your goods to be inspected to avoid a high rate of returns,defects or not compliant manufactured products. Pre-Shipment inspections can save you a lot of troubles and are well worth the investment. The inspectors will not only test the product but they will also make sure that all is compliant with laws and regulations.
Product Liability Insurance
I also recommend once you import electronics in larger quantities that you contact your local insurance company and have a product liability insurance on your products. This is to protect yourself from any unforseeable issues. Even you may have manufactured a product to the best of your knowledge something can go wrong or someone mishandled the product but you may not proof it. For example a few years ago I worked for this large German retailer and we had a fan heater manufactured to all possible standards and regulations.
One day a customer hired a lawyer and sent a letter to the retailer explaining his house has burnt down because of the fan heater he bought from them and he is looking for compensation and a full law suit. Since the fan heater was manufactured in China and sourced trough the buying office I worked for I was put in charge of the situation. When I heard of the problem the first step was obviously to speak to the supplier, check the certificates and look at the Inspection. All was in order, the said unit was manufactured at the highest standards and we suspected that the customer covered the fan heater with a towel and thats why the unit started burning.
However we couldn’t proof that and the client won the lawsuit. The retailer had coverage from his product liability insurance and at least the financial damage was settled. The bigger damage was obviously the public problem they had but at least the financial issue was off the table.
Summary
So what do you actually need for sure? Thats difficult to say as it depends on the product and ideally you will want the supplier to provide you all of the above. But realistically that never happens. In most cases suppliers do not even have CE certification which is actually easily obtainable. I can only recommend to have a supplier who has the minimum requirements such as FCC and CE certification.
RoHS is also easily obtainable these days and if a supplier doesn’t even have a self-declaration or certification for incoming raw materials look elsewhere. Unfortunately each product has different regulations however above general guidelines give you an idea what to look for. Also there is no website that tells you exactly what you need for which market (Business Idea??? :) ) and all is done trough research or ideally you speak with your third-party inspection company. In most cases they will charge you for giving out this information but if you work with them for a while already they might do you a favour and give you the information for free.
If you are interested in starting with electronics but not sure where to start simply message me or comment on this post and I will try to help wherever I can. The original post can be found here on my blog.
All the best and happy sourcing :)

So I used to work as a delivery driver for a furniture retailer, and it was actually a pretty okay job (if you like heavy lifting, of course). Except for my manager, BrownNoser. Now, BrownNoser (BN for short) was about 19, not all that bright, and got to his position as warehouse manager by kissing massive amounts of ass. I was a few months older than him, and had been there for a year or so. Maybe a bit less. But point is, I was one of the more senior guys on the delivery staff.
So, one fine day, my truck went out, did it's deliveries, and was back by about 1pm (We started at 8, and usually went to 4-5, for reference.) I was looking forward to going home a bit early, but BN had different plans for me. What's important to remember in what follows is that BN was a salaried worker, and I had an hourly wage.
I finish loading up my truck for the next day, and am just walking to the punch clock to punch out for the day, when I hear his nasally voice.
BN: Hey, Bedfellow, hold on a sec.
Me: What is it, BN?
BN: I need you to go out and wash your truck. It's dirty, and that doesn't reflect well on the company.
Me: youbestbejoking.png
BN: Come on, chop chop. I'm not paying you to stand around.
Me: You don't pay me shit. (I had no respect for this guy, and he and I both knew it. But, I got shit done, so the higher-ups weren't about to get rid of me.)
BN: Yeah, well, that can change if you don't do what I say. Here's what you'll need to wash it. The pressure washer is outside.
BN hands me things like company-made bottles of glass cleaner, leather polish (for the dashboard), industrial soap, you know, basic truck cleaning stuff)
Me: Whoah, whoah, hey now. I've never used this stuff before, and I've seen these WHMIS symbols before. I'm going to need to have a look at the MSDS sheets for all of these supplies.
BN: Dude, no. It's glass cleaner and soap. It's in literally every household. Just go do what I tell you.
Me: No. I have the right to refuse unsafe work and until I fully understand the hazards that these materials present, and have all the necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) I don't feel safe using these products.
BN: Stop being dumb. Just go do it.
Me: This is in direct violation of Occupational Health & Safety guidelines, and if forced to proceed, I will be lodging a formal complaint both with OH&S, as well as BigBossMan.
At this point, BN knows he is defeated. But I'm still just warming up.
BN: Fine. The sheets are this way.
He takes me to the room with the MSDS sheets, where I spend the next 15 minutes perusing the sheets, asking inane questions just to make sure he doesn't leave. Remember, I'm getting paid by the hour. He isn't.
Me: Well, these supplies have the potential to cause skin and eye irritation, and this other cleaner needs to be used in a well-ventilated area. I'm going to require PPE to protect against these hazards.
Cue half an hour of BN and I rooting around the warehouse looking for rubber gloves that came past my elbows, a thick rubber apron, rubber boots, a plastic face shield, safety goggles, and a respirator. Pretty much this stuff, but it wasn't all in one convenient location like this.
I don all the safety gear. BN is visibly agitated.
BN: You look like an idiot. I hope you know that.
Me: I look like a safe idiot. I'm alright with that.
BN: Alright, NOW will you go wash the truck?
Me: I've never used the pressure washer before. I'm going to need to be fully trained on that before I operate it.
BN: There's an on button, three power settings, and a trigger. A 4 year old could work it.
Me: I don't feel safe using it until I've been properly trained in it's operation. I could hurt myself.
If looks could kill, I would be dead. But luckily I am protected from his acid gaze by my PPE. Seriously, I'm fucking immortal under all this shit.
We head out to the pressure washer, and I make him go over everything in excruciating detail. Again, I question everything. "If there's a kink in the hose, could the machine rupture? What if it ruptures? This is a gas-powered washer. What if gas spills? I'll need a fire extinguisher..." This takes almost 20 minutes. We also have to go find the aforementioned fire extinguisher. At this point, we're about an hour and fifteen minutes into this, and I haven't even started washing the truck.
Me: Oh hey, BN. Before you go, you'll need to show me how ot use all these chemical cleaners. I read the MSDS sheets, but I still don't know how to properly use them.
BN pretty much washes half the interior of the truck (no PPE of course) with me asking ever more questions.
Me: Alright. I think I feel ready to do this now.
BN: Finally. Asshole.
Me: I take my safety seriously, and you should too.
BN storms off, muttering under his breath.
I proceed to take 10 minutes wiping down the truck, and another 5 rinsing it clean. I go into BN's office.
Me: Alright, I'm done.
BN: That was fast.
Me: It was a pretty easy job. Here's all the PPE back. Thanks for being understanding concerning my safety.
I drop the PPE in a pile on his carpeted floor. It was covered in the mud from the exterior of the truck.
Me: I think I'm going to take off now. Have a good night, BN!
He didn't reply. He just looked like he wanted to cry.
I left a little after 3pm that day, having wasted almost 2 hours of BN's time. I found out the next day that he didn't leave til 7 that night.
I was never asked to wash the trucks again.
tl;dr: I take my safety seriously. Even more so when I'm getting paid by the hour and my cunt hair of a boss is salaried.

So I used to work as a delivery driver for a furniture retailer, and it was actually a pretty okay job (if you like heavy lifting, of course). Except for my manager, BrownNoser. Now, BrownNoser (BN for short) was about 19, not all that bright, and got to his position as warehouse manager by kissing massive amounts of ass. I was a few months older than him, and had been there for a year or so. Maybe a bit less. But point is, I was one of the more senior guys on the delivery staff.
So, one fine day, my truck went out, did it's deliveries, and was back by about 1pm (We started at 8, and usually went to 4-5, for reference.) I was looking forward to going home a bit early, but BN had different plans for me. What's important to remember in what follows is that BN was a salaried worker, and I had an hourly wage.
I finish loading up my truck for the next day, and am just walking to the punch clock to punch out for the day, when I hear his nasally voice.
BN: Hey, Bedfellow, hold on a sec.
Me: What is it, BN?
BN: I need you to go out and wash your truck. It's dirty, and that doesn't reflect well on the company.
Me: youbestbejoking.png
BN: Come on, chop chop. I'm not paying you to stand around.
Me: You don't pay me shit. (I had no respect for this guy, and he and I both knew it. But, I got shit done, so the higher-ups weren't about to get rid of me.)
BN: Yeah, well, that can change if you don't do what I say. Here's what you'll need to wash it. The pressure washer is outside.
BN hands me things like company-made bottles of glass cleaner, leather polish (for the dashboard), industrial soap, you know, basic truck cleaning stuff)
Me: Whoah, whoah, hey now. I've never used this stuff before, and I've seen these WHMIS symbols before. I'm going to need to have a look at the MSDS sheets for all of these supplies.
BN: Dude, no. It's glass cleaner and soap. It's in literally every household. Just go do what I tell you.
Me: No. I have the right to refuse unsafe work and until I fully understand the hazards that these materials present, and have all the necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) I don't feel safe using these products.
BN: Stop being dumb. Just go do it.
Me: This is in direct violation of Occupational Health & Safety guidelines, and if forced to proceed, I will be lodging a formal complaint both with OH&S, as well as BigBossMan.
At this point, BN knows he is defeated. But I'm still just warming up.
BN: Fine. The sheets are this way.
He takes me to the room with the MSDS sheets, where I spend the next 15 minutes perusing the sheets, asking inane questions just to make sure he doesn't leave. Remember, I'm getting paid by the hour. He isn't.
Me: Well, these supplies have the potential to cause skin and eye irritation, and this other cleaner needs to be used in a well-ventilated area. I'm going to require PPE to protect against these hazards.
Cue half an hour of BN and I rooting around the warehouse looking for rubber gloves that came past my elbows, a thick rubber apron, rubber boots, a plastic face shield, safety goggles, and a respirator. Pretty much this stuff plus a respirator, but it wasn't all in one convenient location like this (of course :D).
I don all the safety gear. BN is visibly agitated.
BN: You look like an idiot. I hope you know that.
Me: I look like a safe idiot. I'm alright with that.
BN: Alright, NOW will you go wash the truck?
Me: I've never used the pressure washer before. I'm going to need to be fully trained on that before I operate it.
BN: There's an on button, three power settings, and a trigger. A 4 year old could work it.
Me: I don't feel safe using it until I've been properly trained in it's operation. I could hurt myself.
If looks could kill, I would be dead. But luckily I am protected from his acid gaze by my PPE. Seriously, I'm fucking immortal under all this shit.
We head out to the pressure washer, and I make him go over everything in excruciating detail. Again, I question everything. "If there's a kink in the hose, could the machine rupture? What if it ruptures? This is a gas-powered washer. What if gas spills? I'll need a fire extinguisher..." This takes almost 20 minutes. We also have to go find the aforementioned fire extinguisher. At this point, we're about an hour and fifteen minutes into this, and I haven't even started washing the truck.
Me: Oh hey, BN. Before you go, you'll need to show me how ot use all these chemical cleaners. I read the MSDS sheets, but I still don't know how to properly use them.
BN pretty much washes half the interior of the truck (no PPE of course) with me asking ever more questions.
Me: Alright. I think I feel ready to do this now.
BN: Finally. Asshole.
Me: I take my safety seriously, and you should too.
BN storms off, muttering under his breath.
I proceed to take 10 minutes wiping down the truck, and another 5 rinsing it clean. I go into BN's office.
Me: Alright, I'm done.
BN: That was fast.
Me: It was a pretty easy job. Here's all the PPE back. Thanks for being understanding concerning my safety.
I drop the PPE in a pile on his carpeted floor. It was covered in the mud from the exterior of the truck.
Me: I think I'm going to take off now. Have a good night, BN!
He didn't reply. He just looked like he wanted to cry.
I left a little after 3pm that day, having wasted almost 2 hours of BN's time. I found out the next day that he didn't leave til 7 that night.
I was never asked to wash the trucks again.
tl;dr: I take my safety seriously. Even more so when I'm getting paid by the hour and my cunt hair of a boss is salaried.

I'm working on a packaging project for a client in the pool and hot tub servicing industry. He providing clients with small containers of bromine and chlorine as part of his service and I want to know about the proper labeling requirements.
As I understand it, HHPS symbols (Hazardous Household Product Symbols) is the appropriate set of symbols to use in this case over WHMIS symbols (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) as it's intended for at home use.
WHMIS is pretty clear regarding the symbol and frame depending on the product. Example, octagon for danger, triangle for caution. But information on HHPS I could find seems to indicate a distinction between the container and contents within it. Triangle for container, octagon for contents. Looking at existing packaging of similar products varies in how they are labeled. Some with a symbol, others just a text warning.
Anyone have experience or know of any set requirements for HHPS labeling? I'm in Canada if that makes a difference. Thanks.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-safety/household-chemical-safety.html
picture of an existing label