[stories] Injuries...

[threesixright]

[scared]It was the end of the day. Just wanted to pull one more screw out of a aluminum U-profile, bolted to the ground. So while I grab some pliers, I hear my GF say: put on some gloves. Of course stubborn as I am (sounds familiar?  [unsure]) I say; just one screw takes a sec. Plier slips of and my index finger hits the sharp side of the profile. Oops! Prety big cut (10mm). Blood rushing out. Instantly I think FEK(!) I should go the first aid. Get some stitches. Of course (did I tell you I was stubborn?) didn’t do that, Saturday 1700h, I for sure was not going their.

So. Put it under fresh water. Sprayed some disinfect on it, bandage it and call it a day.  Cross my fingers that I will get no inflammation.

Weeks later, still a bump on that place and I can feel it when I bend the finger. Not the end of the world of course. But

Moral of the story? FFS just listen when someone gives you some sensible advice  [tongue]

I’m I the only moron here? Or do you guys have some similar stories to share? Would love to hear....(we might learn something) [big grin]

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[Stephen B]

You idiot!  [smile]
This reminds me of the day I planed the very edge tip off my left forefinger.  [eek]
Please don't ask how. [embarassed]

 

[sancho57]

Was doing some framing using a 21oz waffle faced framing hammer. Im ounding away and right when I went to hammer one in mid swing some guy comes up behind and says Hey Ron Do you, thats all I heard before I put a nice bloody waffle face on my thumb.....

Oh I got a lot of stories.....

here photo beats a 1000 words

 

[Alanbach]

Two quick stories.

1. I am very lucky that over 35 years of woodworking I have never had more than minor injuries. Having said that I can say that they all happened when I was tired and frustrated and “just wanted to get done”! Because of that I have developed a very good awareness of when it’s time to stop and get some rest.

2. Twenty years ago I went to a local Woodworking Club meeting. The program that day was a safety program put on by five highly respected “old timers” in the club. They each took 5 minutes to talk about a particular stationary power tool and gave a concise report on the most important safety habits and procedures. It was great and not boring. When they were done they asked all of the members to form a line so that they could show us all one last display. They brought out a beautiful display cabinet they had built and placed it across the stage on tables. It was long and narrow. Once I got up there I was able to see that the cabinet was built without a back and they had all placed their hands in the cabinet on display. They had approximately 40 fingers between the five of them and they all explained that they had presented safety tips on the tool that has caused their amputation(s). It was the most impactful woodworking presentation I have ever attended. These tools are not to be trifled with.

 

[Paul G]

Quick miter saw safety tip: don’t brace the workpiece with your arm when you’re tired.

Quick first aid tip: keep some romex on hand, makes for a great makeshift tourniquet that can be applied with one hand in the event you cut the other one off by ignoring the above safety tip.

Quick lucky dog tip: if you manage to do the above while working alone and drive yourself to the hospital, arrive when the best surgeons in town are in.

Yes, this happened, thankfully not me but I personally know the lucky dog who still has partial use of his hand. I’ve got a pict, but the mods may protest.

 

[Paul G]

I learned the usefulness of a drill press clamp the hard way, drilling the tang of a knife blank with the blade edge already ground. It got loose, snapped the bit and went flying into my friends wrist. It is one thing to hurt yourself being a DA, but hurting another with your foolishness really stays with you. Thankfully he healed up fine with no permanent damage and a very clean cut scar, but I still regret that stupid choice to this day.

 

[Paul G]

Another safety tip, if you’re cutting lumber with a circular saw, don’t support the lumber on your knee. That’s courtesy of another chap I knew a long time ago.

 

[peter halle]

Three incidents to add and hopefully educate on what not to do:

1.  Got my first two handed drill - Bosch.  Drilled truck frame for mounting trailer hitch.  No pilot holes or working up thru the sizes.  Drill can handle it was my thought.  Three holes went well.  Fourth hole and the bit grabbed and my non trigger hand was trapped.  Had to reverse the drill and self said "This isn't going to be good."  Reversed and got my hand out.  Hurt like heck but I did the happy dance because I was ok.  Until I touched the end of my one finger and then it dropped down only supported by the skin on the bottom side.  Finger is fine today, but I was at the emergency room in line behind a seasonal agricultural worker whose boss had given him a chainsaw to cut plywood and had a kickback that scoured his face and neck.

2.  Cutting an insulated steel door down to size.  "Peter, go get the safety glasses."  "It's only one cut and the truck is all the way over there."  "Peter, get the freakin glasses."  "It's only one cut."

Cut goes fine but one shard bounces towards my face.  My blink instinct saves me.  So I thought.  Three days later my eye is extremely itchy.  The eye heals quickly.  The itchy was the part of the shard that was exposed out of my eye and was scratching the eyelid.  Permanent rust stain in my eye.

3.  Drilling a metal door for a deadbolt.  Done this hundreds of times without eye protection.  Sliver came up and hit my eye.  My wife was with me on this job.  Turned around and told the homeowner I would have to come back and finish, packed up my tools, told my wife to call eye doctor - they called hospital - 1.5" of curly steel removed from eye.

If you get anything out of this - wear eye protection!

Peter

 

[RKA]

Couple years ago I was running screws down through the subfloor in a room I was re-doing.  The impact driver will zip those screws down quick, you just have to start slow gripping the screw somewhat loosely so the threads don’t slice your fingertips.  Once it gets a few turns into the wood, move your hand out of the way and let the impact driver rip.  They make a magnetic screw and bitholder with an extending sleeve to hold the screw (and keep your fingers clear).  I had one in the basement, but never brought it up.  Anyway, I ran down over 50 screws already.  2nd to last screw I needed to run, the screw works loose, torx bit drops straight into my index finger with my weight behind it.  There is a brief moment when you think it’s not that bad, it might sting a little.  And it did.  Then I watch fluid quickly filling my finger tip, and I can feel the pressure building fast.  I dropped the impact driver, ran downstairs, grabbed a container from the cabinets, filled it with ice and submerged my hand.  So while you’re waiting it out for the next 30 minutes, after you’ve finished explaining why you’re an idiot to your wife, you ask yourself if it was really worth the 5 minute trip to the basement to get the right tool in exchange for a trip to the ER (which will consume the next 5 hours).  The answer is always no.  The trick is to ask yourself that question before you take a shortcut.

As mentioned above, when youre tired is another prescription for trouble.  I try to stop before i get to that stage when the mistakes start piling up.  Usually they just cost me rework, but when sharp tools are involved, that’s added motivation to stop.

 

[deepcreek]

I've had my fair share but will only contribute what I have learned from them.  To be honest, I still tend to bleed a little on every project.  What is it they say?  Blood, sweat and tears.

If a little voice in your head says "this is a dumb idea" or "you need to do this first to be safe", for Pete's sake listen to it!  It's saved me more than once and likes to admonish "I told you so" when I don't listen.

Never relax when it comes to the final task of the whatever you're working on.  Especially if it's been a repetitive process.  This is probably superstitious but I try not to think it and definitely won't say it out loud.

A piece of wood is not as valuable as your fingers and toes.  It can be replaced.  Body parts are far more important.  Also, pain hurts.

If something squirrelly happens during a cut, don't try to figure it out and keep going.  Just stop and hit the red button (if there is one).  Then you have the time you need to safely determine what's wrong.

Use a splitter on a table saw.  We actually keep the guard on ours.  It doesn't get in the way on most cuts and comes on & off in a couple of minutes.

Push sticks and push blocks should always be kept within easy reach.

See no evil.  Hear no evil.  Breath no evil.  (Eye protection, Ear protection, Lung protection)

Safety first!

 

[deepcreek]

I love vintage porcelain signs and have a couple displayed in our shop.

They both came out of an early 1900's windmill factory.

Safety first!

 

[sancho57]

to be Mr Obvious, as others have said, most of the injuries could have been prevented. All mine happened wen I knew better, was to lazy to stop get the proper tool, proper PPE, thinking Ah i can do it this way is only one XXX

This is a great thread BTW

 

[threesixright]

This is a great thread BTW

Thank you all for sharing. I also like to read  all the stories.

I hope that storied shared here are saving -at some point- someone’s  finger or worse. I think your never to old to learn, and the real life stories will make it (I hope) less of a “will not happen to me”.  Accidents are waiting to happen and you can’t be to carefully enough. And when you least expect it, disaster strikes.

Be well & wise [emoji41][emoji6]

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[LooseSox]

What about non work injuries? Like how I got through 6 months full contact krav maga training with nothing but a few bruises, then a week later go break my arm and two ribs playing golf?