Stupid injuries

[baldkev]

I know a guy who has run his fingers through a spindle moulder.... and seperately a planer whilst doing curved work. We used to call him fingers, now its fingers and thumbs. A couple of his fingers are badly mangled and point sideaays, so when he points towards something telling you to get it, we would all go off at 90° like the tip of his index finger used to drive him nuts

I also know a gardener who had no grass collection box and had the dead mans handle tied up.... he got a blockage of wet grass and tried to clear it with his fingers. He's got a couple less now.

 

[gcusick]

A lot of very experienced and qualified people still get injured because they become to casual, because they have done a job so many times before they go into a robotic mode and no longer fully comprehend the hazzards and even cut corners.

Spot on. When a task is new to us, we do it with cognitive involvement . When we are well practised, we rely on muscle memory etc, and can carry out even fairly complex tasks - think of driving a car - with little cognitive involvement. There is ample evidence, from a wide range of varied fields, that this leads to omissions (missed steps in a process) and errors. It’s really not being casual or complacent, just an aspect of human performance. The key defence is to recognise the hazards and to engage the brain.

 

[sawdust1]

Here's a good one, and i have several 6 inch scars all down my right arm as a reminder.
Years ago a stray cat was seen near to our place and over the years it got friendlier and eventually would come in through the cat flap and made friends with our cat. If someone moved in the house it would disappear out side. Eventually it trusted me and i could stroke it as by now it was being fed as well.
So one day we got some flea treatment and the plan was when it came in for its food the wife would creep around
and hold a broom against the cat flap whilst i hold the cat down and apply the treatment.
The wife suggested i wrap the cat in a towel, no! by now it was friendly towards me !
Well all went to plan until this timid cat turned into a lion and a wrestling match ensued, i shouted to the wife to let it
out and it was away, leaving me with a right arm now dripping blood everywhere, and the wife now laying into me as
she had to clean up the mess .
I also had a couple of deep bites to the left hand, and wearing a tee shirt gave little protection.

 

[throbscottle]

Dressing change time. Photo opportunity...

 

[throbscottle]

Maybe because I started making stuff early… I was given some real woodworking tools when I was seven and allowed/helped to use them. I’m now 68 and still have all my digits, despite having and using lots of dangerous stuff. I’ve never really hit myself in the workshop.
But in the kitchen some years ago proved I have my full share of stupidity. We’ve got a tiled kitchen floor, and if you drop something on the floor, it can break what you drop, or worse break what would be an irreplaceable tile. Instinctively I always put my foot out to try and break the fall of something going down. Might hurt a bit but saves the day. One morning, mu turn to go down in dressing gown to make drinks and back to bed. I had a big heavy mug for myself that had about a pint of tea in it. I picked up that mug in my left hand, my wife’s daintier one in the right hand and stepped back from the worktop. then the mug started it’s downward fall. out went my left foot to break its fall. Most of the mugs handle was still in my hand and had separated from the mug. The glazing on the mug was razor edge. The amount of blood was truly shocking. My wife drove me very quickly to A&E my leg in a washing up bowl and me trying to stem it as best I could. Who knew there is a significant artery just between/behind the gap between big toe and next toe. I was told another 1mm and I’d have struggled to stem it for long enough.
But the really stoopied stupid thing, is my instincts have changed if my eye catches something falling!

When I was little my mum had a big plaster on her finger one day, which appeared in my absence. She told me she'd dropped a kitchen knife, and caught it. The knife was very sharp and the cut was deep. She told me I must never try to catch a falling knife, and I've always remembered that. In fact, I jump out of the way to protect my feet too!

But glaze is so nasty. I think it's actually worse than broken glass because it can make fine jagged blade-like edges.

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

I also have number of nicks and scars on my left hand from when I worked on the tools. A little cut didn’t mean much at the time but as you get older and wiser they start to mean a bit more.

When I was serving my apprenticeship my tutor used to say “ never put your fingers where you wouldn’t put you old chap” to paraphrase. As a lad it just seemed just like banter but is good advice.

 

[ecokestove]

Don't wear loose woollen gloves when using a mitre saw. I knew this, but still did it.

I had gone to my garage/workshop to tidy up. It was February, and cold, so I wore some gloves. When I had finished I thought, 'Why don't I just finish cutting those pegs.'

Thump! What was that. Eurgh. And that was the end of half of my left index finger, which incidentally ended up inside the clear plastic blade guard.

 

[Spectric]

Well all went to plan until this timid cat turned into a lion and a wrestling match ensued, i shouted to the wife to let it
out and it was away, leaving me with a right arm now dripping blood everywhere, and the wife now laying into me as
she had to clean up the mess .

You learnt a lot about cats the hardway, they are the boss and only do or allow what they want compared to dogs that are just dumb slaves that like to please there owners. At least if you ever go on a safari you will remember what little pussies can do and not try and approach anything bigger!

 

[MikeK]

For anyone tempted to post images of stupid injuries, please use discretion when selecting an image to illustrate your mistake. For example, images that depict freshly severed limbs or appendages, or gaping untreated wounds, are not acceptable and will be removed.

 

[Spectric]

@MikeK , you missed out a word "avoidable"

 

[ecokestove]

For anyone tempted to post images of stupid injuries, please use discretion when selecting an image to illustrate your mistake. For example, images that depict freshly severed limbs or appendages, or gaping untreated wounds, are not acceptable and will be removed.

OK, sorry about that.

 

[sawdust1]

Spoil sport !