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Workplace Injuries
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Stories about Carl Sr.

Workplace Injuries

They say you're entitled to do 3 stupid things in your life.  My first one was kicking a pile of dirt in a trench back into the trenching machines teeth.  Nearly lost my leg on that one.  Since then I have have lost lots a blood but I prefer to call these "accidents" since I would have long ago used up stupid thing 2 and 3.
 


Trainee Takes Injury in Stride!

The saw is just for the dramatic
effect. She really she bumped
into a sharp corner on the boat
trailer.
 

I managed to find poison ivy
while clearing the lot. Does
poison ivy count?

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



No more feeling in this finger tip!
Don't try to clear the scarf while
the lathe is running.  That's likely
in the safety instructions I threw
in the trash.

 

I routinely scoff at the idiots that put the "Wear Eye Protection" stickers an everything from screw drivers to hammers.  In blatant rebellion I immediately pull off the stickers and toss them in the trash along with the safety guard and any paper work containing the words "Proper Use". 

Well, I picked up my angle grinder which had an abrasive cut off wheel installed just to remove a small burr. Not bothering with gloves and forgetting I had just changed the worn of 5 inch disk with a new 7 inch disk, I flipped on the switch and quickly removed a necessary piece of skin and portion of tended from one of my knuckles. So you wimps, sissies, and lawyers can go ahead and laugh it up. 

On the up side this was a really a fascinating opportunity to get a first hand look as some of the fantastic engineering that goes into making our bodies move.  Movie  Warning content may not be appropriate for younger viewers, wimps, sissies or lawyers.


Welding sun burn.  No, that
does not count unless you work
in Information Technology or
Accounting.

Kay got too close to a wire cup brush on a 6,000 rpm Dewalt grinder. It ate her orange tank top, put a skid mark up her belly and the chewed on her wrist. Up close you can actually see the wire marks left in the skin that still remains. The best part is that this is the second time! 

I still love the plasma cutter, but I'll be wearing my welding helmet or at least sun glasses from now on.  For making a couple of cuts in plate or sheet  where the arc is not visible there is no problem with just wearing a clear shield, but while scrapping our school bus the arc is too often visible, and Arc Eye is the result.

"Arc eye, also known as welder's flash, bake eyes, corneal flash burns, or flash burns, is a painful ocular condition sometimes experienced by welders who have failed to use adequate eye protection."   "The intense ultraviolet light absorbed by the eye causes a superficial and painful keratitis. Symptoms tend to occur a number of hours after exposure and typically resolve spontaneously within 36 hours. The sensation has been described as having sand poured into the eyes."  -- wikipedia.org

A number 5 tinted shield is recommended but I have found it easy enough to just use one of our auto-tinting welding helmets.


My brother Pat dropped in to celebrate July 4th.  He picked up the welder and put together some
beams to support our shade over the build site.  He demonstrated how quickly you can pick up on
wire welding, and then he demonstrated what happens if a chunk of hot slag gets inside your shoe.
He's going have a scar from that one.

The Reason We Get Tetanus Shots
I don't mind shots but I hate the stupid things the medical industry does to pump money out of my pocket, so I complained to my doctor when he wanted to give me a tetanus shot before I had my appendix removed. I objected on the grounds that the surgical instruments probably were not rusty and contaminated with manure. My comments fell on deaf ears and he dove the needle home.  Well tonight I got back at him, because I took advantage of that shot by breaking a drill bit and running the remaining piece through my finger.  So take that medical establishment. Ha!

Kay's turn to shed some blood for the cause. Check out that box knife blade. That's almost as sharp as a spoon.
My turn with the box knife! I showed Kay how to really do something stupid.
So I think I left the hammer on the top of the ladder, but it may have been a pipe that I was using as a brace.   ...I don't remember.

I now recommend that you buy angle grinders with dead man switches.