Show me your Safety (pics, stories, whatever) (1 Viewer)

[Weber Sarge]

New style grinding/cutting shield combo unit - Sellstrom DP4 Multi- Purpose Face Shield #32151 | Shade 5 Face Shield | Polycarbonate Face Shield | Face Shield Protector | Buy Plasma cutting Accessories | Welding Supplies | Face Shields | Welders Supply Company Beloit-Big Bend-Burlington Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois

Never trust a chain - I worked on a horizontal drilling rig in 2006 using an American Direction Drill "Million 80" unit (read-huge) boring twin 4' diameter holes in solid rock . They were using a 1" high grade chain to hold the head unit onto the transport trailer to help keep it from sliding into the bore pit - by tying additional heavy equipment together like a dozer (buried) as well as a second excavator . I was the "wildcat" tending the drill rig , monitoring it and swinging drill stems on/off . Long story short - after the 14hr point (26hr day total) pulling the new pipe through the bore the chain failed . It backlashed fast enough I never saw it coming , just saw the whole rig jerk and jump into the air , woke up 25' or so away from where I was standing with the whole crew looking at me - holding their cell phones . I thought those a$$holes were taking pics - they were prepared to mass dial 911 - thought I was dead . Chain hit just below both knees , bent both joints backwards around 30* or more and tore out a lot of cartilage , tendon damage and left permanent imprint marks in the bones to match the chain links . Finished out the night's work and got the pipe pulled through - went home at 7am and to bed , really sore and feeling generally numb .

Spent nearly 4yrs off work , 14 months in therapy and 4 knee surgeries - I still work construction but pretty much only light duty work . Whole deal ruined my credit and screwed up my chances at retiring with any decent pension .

No one else will look out for you - this is your responsibility and definitely in your best interest . After all the broken fingers , drilled eyes (60 days off from a piece of lousy dirt) and scars and general joint damage I'm half crippled and wore out . Not a good way to enjoy you're "senior years" - I'll be lucky to ever be able to retire now...

Sarge

 

[toyotaspeed90]

I'm sorta all over the place when it comes to my own safety when working in the garage.

Yesterday was a good example - cutting rust out of the 40 and cutting some diamond plate aluminum.... I was using a sawzall, a 4" cutoff grinder with wheel, and was swapping the cutoff wheel for a big wire wheel.

When cutting the rusty metal... - I wore ear protection (muff-style) and a twin canister (cheap ~$40 3m unit, but works) respirator.

When wire wheeling, I wore the ear protection and a mostly cheap full face mask.

When cutting the clean metal, I wore ear and face protection (though, a piece did bounce off my clothes into my eye.... that was fun).

All of that was done wearing a cotton long sleeve shirt, shorts, and sandals.


When welding (and we'll see if that continues when I get a bigger/better welder) I find that I can't control the torch very well when wearing gloves, so I don't. However I always wear long sleeves, pants, and shoes. I always use a fiberglass blanket to cover anything of importance when welding. My helmet isn't the best, but it isn't the worst, either.

Oddly enough I've had an angle grinder with cutoff wheel slip into the fat of my left palm (just below the thumb)..... twice. Each time leaving a good 1/4-1/2" deep by about 1". Both times were hard enough that I stopped and held my hand without looking, thinking I cut into the bone (there's a loud hit sound that happens, not so much hearing the cutting of the skin). Both times when cutting bolts for rear doors of an FJ40 (oddly enough, 2 seprate sets of doors, years apart). Never have I ever had that happen, or anything like that happen otherwise. Something about those damn bolts. This is a tough one - I don't usually wear "thick" gloves for a reason, not for lack of control... but at that high speed, as greusome as it sounds, it seems better to have it cut a hole in your skin (which, no, is not fun) and bounce off is probably better than the disc catching fabric and winding it (and any bones in your hand) in a nice circular fashion.

 

[firestopper]

Cables are equally deadly.

Sarge you story reads like a bad country song, I hope you luck changes and my best to you sir.

 

[sggoat]

Harbor freight 6 ton jack stands (pair) with 3 tons (pair) as a backup if needed.

The only glasses worth bothering with are ones that seal around the edges. Normal safety glasses, the crap will still hit your face (cheek/forehead) and find it's way into your eyeball if you are looking up. It's just gravity. Some contractor swiped my pair, so honestly, I just close my eyes when I'm doing something that requires eye protection. How's that for safety?

That is not enough!--Your eyelids will not stop an exploding grinding wheel or a metal sliver ripping off the grinder you are using--folks have died from this crap! Don't risk it!

 

[sggoat]

I'm sorta all over the place when it comes to my own safety when working in the garage.

Yesterday was a good example - cutting rust out of the 40 and cutting some diamond plate aluminum.... I was using a sawzall, a 4" cutoff grinder with wheel, and was swapping the cutoff wheel for a big wire wheel.

When cutting the rusty metal... - I wore ear protection (muff-style) and a twin canister (cheap ~$40 3m unit, but works) respirator.

When wire wheeling, I wore the ear protection and a mostly cheap full face mask.

When cutting the clean metal, I wore ear and face protection (though, a piece did bounce off my clothes into my eye.... that was fun).

All of that was done wearing a cotton long sleeve shirt, shorts, and sandals.


When welding (and we'll see if that continues when I get a bigger/better welder) I find that I can't control the torch very well when wearing gloves, so I don't. However I always wear long sleeves, pants, and shoes. I always use a fiberglass blanket to cover anything of importance when welding. My helmet isn't the best, but it isn't the worst, either.

Oddly enough I've had an angle grinder with cutoff wheel slip into the fat of my left palm (just below the thumb)..... twice. Each time leaving a good 1/4-1/2" deep by about 1". Both times were hard enough that I stopped and held my hand without looking, thinking I cut into the bone (there's a loud hit sound that happens, not so much hearing the cutting of the skin). Both times when cutting bolts for rear doors of an FJ40 (oddly enough, 2 seprate sets of doors, years apart). Never have I ever had that happen, or anything like that happen otherwise. Something about those damn bolts. This is a tough one - I don't usually wear "thick" gloves for a reason, not for lack of control... but at that high speed, as greusome as it sounds, it seems better to have it cut a hole in your skin (which, no, is not fun) and bounce off is probably better than the disc catching fabric and winding it (and any bones in your hand) in a nice circular fashion.

I think you need to change your grinding/cutting method----

 

[sggoat]

Cables are equally deadly.

Sarge you story reads like a bad country song, I hope you luck changes and my best to you sir.

Not luck------

 

[Jay-]

Ear protection and Eye protection. Suit up with choral filters for painting.

I usually wear TWO condoms during the day.
That way when I do Score I take one off so it feels natural.

Even then, we both have Full Body Ebola Condoms.

 

[TheForger]

Coming over from the 100 Series forum. This is my protection

• 3ft Bow Saw w/spare blade
• 3.5ft shovel
• Fiskars X15 Chopping Axe w/composite handle
  
• Crow bar
• Fire Extinguisher suitable for vehicular fires
• Simple tow strap w/hooks on both ends that I use just to pull cars who are out of gas etc.. off the road.
• That black bag next to the sub has 5 more shackles, a snatchblock, and a 30,000lb recovery strap
• Can't leave off the extra antifreeze just in case something goes wrong
• Retired Police issued telescopic steel baton in the cubby by my left knee if I'm driving
• And a handful of the things in the bottom pic in the event I needed to immobilize someone. And yes, they ALWAYS land spike up

 

[Teddy]

Harbor freight 6 ton jack stands (pair) with 3 tons (pair) as a backup if needed.

The only glasses worth bothering with are ones that seal around the edges. Normal safety glasses, the crap will still hit your face (cheek/forehead) and find it's way into your eyeball if you are looking up. It's just gravity. Some contractor swiped my pair, so honestly, I just close my eyes when I'm doing something that requires eye protection. How's that for safety?

I ended up buying a set of these since my face shield kept fogging up. These do a good job and don't fog bad.

 

[Tysano]

4" angle grinder with a cut off wheel,kicked back, this is why we don't take the guards off our tool boys and girls , I literally have thousands of hour's with one of these in my hands, and it still managed to get me. 20 stitches later.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

OUCHY!!

 

[Tysano]

OUCHY!!

Actually didn't hurt at all, and missed all the nerves and tendons, really didn't bleed that much.

 

[Dissent]

Things like that never hurt...until you look at it....

 

[TheForger]

Actually didn't hurt at all, and missed all the nerves and tendons, really didn't bleed that much.

You're very lucky that you missed nerves and tendons. It looks like the cut-off wheel cauterized the wound around the edges so that's probably why it didn't bleed that much. Still a nasty scar that will be an interesting story to tell around the campfire!

 

[Tysano]

Things like that never hurt...until you look at it....

No, it didn't hurt, until the Doc stuck his finger into it,to his first knuckle.

 

[Weedhopper]

I've always been stupid with an angle grinder. Someday I'm gonna get mine.

 

[Heckraiser]

That's graphic. Reminds me of the time I cut the end of my thumb off with a deli slicer. Didn't feel a thing

 

[Weedhopper]

Work boots :

 

[Coolerman]

Eye protection took on a whole different meaning to me recently with all the eye surgeries I have had. When I wore glasses I rarely put on any eye protection. My glasses prevented me from getting hit directly. Right after the first cataract surgery, I was using an old wire wheel to clean up a piece of metal I planned to weld. A strand of the wire wheel embedded itself in my right cheek just under that eye. I went that day and bought a new pair of full coverage safety glasses! Without my glasses my eyes now feel very vulnerable!

I have always worn hearing protection when around ANY loud machinery. I even wear it when just running a shop vac! At 56 I can hear better than most young adults.

Gloves? I'm OCD/anal about getting my hands greasy. Plain old dirt, like from working in the yard or garden, I don't have an issue with that. I just hate greasy dirty fingernails on ME!

I should invest in the latex glove industry, I have went through so many pairs! When welding/grinding or wrenchin, I wear a pair of thin pig skin gloves for protection. They are thin enough I can still fell things.

Plus with my Vitaligo, I cannot get out in the sun (I no longer have the ability to tan). So I have to wear long sleeve shirts, pants, hat and gloves when outside.

I draw the line at steel toe boots though. I will NOT wear them in my own shop. I only wear them when I am on a customers site that requires them. They are just too uncomfortable and hot. I have enough experience with dropping heavy things to think about what I am doing when dealing with heavy objects that can drop.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

When riding a motorcycle - never try to stop a Toyota Tacoma being driven by a drunk old man. The results are - painful. (total of 3 months in the hospital - and lots of physical therapy).

Almost as painful as when I saw my bike.