Your worst accident or near miss

[Bingy man]

An apt post at an apt time. I have never really had a workshop related accident due to being a nerd regarding, HSE and disconnecting machines from power prior to blade changes etc. I had once a router bit shatter, I have a post on this forum somewhere. Otherwise only nicks and splinters.

However, I am recovering from a broken spine at this moment. This is related to helping a relative remove 8’x4’ asbestos sheets from a shed roof. I refused to climb the structure and unscrew the sheets. A 60 year old wooden structure with no scaffolding. I took the first-sheet as it was lowered to me, which crumbled as predicted. As I turned around the second sheet slammed me in the back from sliding down the the roof.

I will never work with shortcut idiots again in my life. Especially if they are family.

Hope you make a full recovery-8x4 asbestos sheets are extremely heavy, even more if wet . take care .

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

I suppose I had a woodworking related injury but it manifested itself much later. I was building two storage sheds in my garden.
Like a numpty I had 6 sheets of 8 x 4, 18mm ply, precariously leaning against a wall and to cut a long story short they fell and pinned the back of my leg behind my knee joint against some raised bed planters. At the time it was f'n painful but I thought no more of it.
Cut to a year later when I took my wife to New York as a Xmas treat and after a few days collapsed with the most dreadful pain in my calf. Rushed to hospital thinking it was a DVT, but it was an popliteal aneurysm in that same leg. Two ops, one lasted 7 hours (by-pass surgery) and a bill of over $200K! Thank God for decent travel insurance (LV). Surgeon told me it was most likely the result of an historical injury.... the penny dropped

 

[Bingy man]

I suppose I had a woodworking related injury but it manifested itself much later. I was building two storage sheds in my garden.
Like a numpty I had 6 sheets of 8 x 4, 18mm ply, precariously leaning against a wall and to cut a long story short they fell and pinned the back of my leg behind my knee joint against some raised bed planters. At the time it was f'n painful but I thought no more of it.
Cut to a year later when I took my wife to New York as a Xmas treat and after a few days collapsed with the most dreadful pain in my calf. Rushed to hospital thinking it was a DVT, but it was an popliteal aneurysm in that same leg. Two ops, one lasted 7 hours (by-pass surgery) and a bill of over $200K! Thank God for decent travel insurance (LV). Surgeon told me it was most likely the result of an historical injury.... the penny dropped

That’s a proper war wound you have there

 

[Doug B]

A few years ago I as taking down a very large silver birch, the branch I was cutting was quite a way up & about a foot in diameter, we’d roped the branch & the cut was proceeding nicely when in a split second the branch came away.
The end of the branch swung into the tree taking the chainsaw with it & deposited it in my midriff trapping me against the truck with the still spinning chain between me & the end of the branch.
A good coat was ruined in the process & I also came to the conclusion I was too old to be climbing trees particularly with a chainsaw.

 

[Bingy man]

A few years ago I as taking down a very large silver birch, the branch I was cutting was quite a way up & about a foot in diameter, we’d roped the branch & the cut was proceeding nicely when in a split second the branch came away.
The end of the branch swung into the tree taking the chainsaw with it & deposited it in my midriff trapping me against the truck with the still spinning chain between me & the end of the branch.
A good coat was ruined in the process & I also came to the conclusion I was too old to be climbing trees particularly with a chainsaw.

Better a good coat is ruined than serious injury to you- mind you when I nearly cut my foot off I was wearing brand new Nike trainers -they had only been on my feet for a few hours ..

 

[imageel]

I guess I ought to have posted this on this thread....

 

[Bingy man]

I guess I ought to have posted this on this thread....

Your post reminded me of an similar incident while I was replacing some rotten floorboards prior to a laminate floor. I was showing the customer the rotten boards and explaining why I needed to replace them . She then casually flicked her cigarette end onto the floor- i said jokingly that could cause a fire and she laughed it off saying the insurance would pay for her new floor. anyway work continued and every now and again I thought I could smell smoke -quick check revealed nothing, couple of hours later and same again- checks showed nothing wrong so carried on and went for lunch . Back on the job and again the odd whiff of smoke, so checked all my tools and nothing evident- I’m using a circular saw to cut through what is left of the boards so a slight smell of burning is not uncommon as I used an old blade due to nails , grit etc in the t/grooves but my 3 rd sense was niggling away-then I remember the earlier cigarette - up came the boards previously replaced and there it was -the floor was suspended and 1/2 ton of rubbish below was glowing and smouldering away like a furnace-no flames just a mass of debris glowing, within 60 seconds ( fresh oxygen I suppose) up it went flames 2-3 ft high-and then came the adrenaline and shock and panic all at the same time, cust upstairs with her 6 months old baby ,, grabbed a nearby hose I’d used earlier to wash down and with the phone in one hand dialing 999 and shouting the cust to get her baby and herself out started spraying water like a madman, half the floor was ablaze and I was out of my depth - just as I was getting it under control flames would pop up in another area - finally the f brigade turned up and got it under control, I knew the customer and her child was safe outside but although it was her fault I felt responsible. I found out later that sawdust had been put under the floor to insulate and protect against damp but it was bone dry and one cigarette butt that must have found it’s way under the floor while the boards and slowly built up enough heat that when I eventually removed the boards in went the fresh oxygen and up it went , I often think what if ??