Accidents

[Cole]

Rich this is a thread about work related accidents, so if you dont like it, feel free to delete it.

Saftey is and should be the #1 thing on every job site.


Ok guys let the stories flow, I know we have had some happen to us or have heard some.

[Cole]

I have had a friend of mine that was running rafters on a 2 story house and he fell because of improper bracing and fell to the ground and landed on a splitered 2x2 (that was standing upright in the ground, driven in by a concrete crew) that stabbed him in the lower back resulting in a 3 inch deep gash. I have got alot more that is just a teaser.

[mjpliv]

A drywaller, taping a stairwell standing on a SPF 2x10 #2 or better board instead of a certified (painted end) scaffold plank. The board snapped across a knot and he dropped about 10 feet to a concrete floor. Shattered both ankles.

[Rich]

Saftey is and should be the #1 thing on every job site.
100% agree. I hear all types of excuses why contractors don't have safety gear (PPE) - I can't see with my safety glasses on, the harness restricts my movement, hardhat makes my head itch when I sweat.
Get some safety glasses that you can see through - better that losing an eye.
How about when you're sitting in traction in the hospital - that's restricting.
Better to itch than to have a dent in it.
We will drop production on purpose to adhere to our safety standards.

[mjpliv]

(PPE) ??

[mjpliv]

Personal Protective Equipment maybe?

[Cole]

Rich I have a story to tell you about safety glasses. i used to complain about them all the time I hated wearing them and what do you know one day cutting a 2x6 a splinter from the wood popped up and caught me in the eye. It was 100 degrees outside so I was sweating and it was running into my eye, I couldnt open it so I went to the hospital. They showed me the piece of wood, they had to get out of my eye and I have been wearing safety glasses ever since.

BTW- they told me I was lucky, i could have gone blind in that eye.

For the next 3 weeks i had to wear a pirates patch over my eye. :D

[Rich]

Personal Protective Equipment maybe?
Yep

[marx]

Cole, Thanks for the reminder. I was running birch crown mold this morning on some cabinets. My second shot ran out, bounced off the wall, ceiling and then the top of my head. I went to the truck for my safety glasses.

User friendly hearing protection is something else I need to use daily.

-m

[plunkinberry]

I'll admit that I've never been a big one for safty equipment, particularly PPE until my 5 month old daughter poked me in the eye. Ended up detaching 30% of the surface area of my cornea. That was a scary, painfull, process. I learned. Now I always wear safty glasses...

[CyPhoth]

I use Powder Actuated guns(aka Hilti guns) alot on the jobs sites. I had a pic bounce off my glasses... gave me a good scare.. even made a big mark on the glasses, I can just imagine what it would of done to my eyeball.

-Cy

[vCarpenter]

Hi everyone, My name is Jim I just joined.

I've been a carpenter for around 16 years. My first 10 years I managed to cover 5 states doing construction starting on Maui in 1988 then to N. Calf (redwood city) to Arizona then to Michigan for 2 years then onto Nevada (vegas) for 3 years (1993-96). I left Nevada in Aug of 1996 for California and I am still in Los Angeles.

Sitting here 2nite at my computer and thinking back of what my 9th grade wood shop teacher (Mr. Kohen) taught me first and I have knot ever forgot was SAFETY FIRST.

I am knot careless and I can instantly detect if a careless/unsafe person is around me and I'll then give them a quick safety lesson by showing them how I use tools.

It is just terrible when I hear about news like this I found doing research yesterday.

I am working on a carpentry cartoon for http://www.CarpentersRule.com (already w/ copywrites) :) and developing these 3 other .coms which will more than likely link to each other.

http://www.vCarpenter.com
http://www.vCarpenters.com
http://www.VirtualCarpenters.com

Anyways, there is alot to talk about

Safety is always first.

And about me. I've done construction is 6 states in 16 years and I have knot ever fallen, cut myself with any saw or shot myself with any kind of nail gun. I was taught safety first a long time I go. I wish every one was


Get to work! Here is that story I mentioned.

______________________________________

Man nails heart in carpentry mishap
By Janelle Miles
October 20, 2004

SURGEONS removed a 7.5cm nail from a carpenter's heart today after he accidentally shot himself with a nail gun.
The 37-year-old, who was building a shed on his property at Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland, drove himself about 400m for help before lapsing into semi-consciousness.

His wife called the Queensland Ambulance Service just before 9am (AEST).

Emergency Specialist David Cooksley, of the CareFlight helicopter service, said the nail went through the man's aorta - the largest artery in the body.

"He was bleeding into the sac around the heart and that was squashing his heart," Dr Cooksley said.




"He needed to get to cardiac surgery as quickly as possible."

The man was flown to the John Flynn Hospital on the Gold Coast where surgeons operated to remove the nail.

He was reported to be in a stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit.

"He's actually doing very well, I believe," Dr Cooksley said.

"He's extremely lucky. He should go and buy a lottery ticket."

Dr Cooksley said the CareFlight helicopter service had the man in hospital within 20 minutes of arriving at the scene.

He said the time factor and the man's extreme fitness had probably saved his life.
AAP

or this link

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11128833%255E421,00.html

[Cole]

Wow, welcome to the forum

[mjpliv]

Welcome to the forum vCarpenter!

[vCarpenter]

Thanks guys. I was looking for construction chats or forums about 3 years ago, lol... then I realized maybe everyone is working or to tired after work. Because we all know construction is hard work itself. Getting home and having extra energy to turn on a computer and or time to learn about computers or the internet is like working a second job. Very few can do or have done it. We are some of the first. So we RULE. :) Me? I've been around the internet for around 5 years. And around carpentry and construction for 16 years. So I've been there and got the t-shirt.

This seems to be quite a great site (forums), everything meaning the links and such works with no problems what so ever.

Again Thanks

Jim

[rgramjet]

My dad was the most safety conscious person I ever knew. Always tied off ladders in 2 places, wore safety glasses religiously etc.

On August 31, 2000, he went on a second story flat roof to take some measurements for an estimate. He saw a small broken branch hanging slightly over the roof. He reached out to pull it off and somehow lost his balance. He fell 16 feet...the first 10 feet he was fine, feet down probably headed for a broken leg. Unfortunately there was a string of RG-6 cable dangling from the house. It caught him by the feet and flipped him upside down. He landed on his head breaking nis neck and damaged his aorta. He was pronounced dead about an hour later at the hospital.

The ironic part is that when I got the call that he was in the hospital, I smiled thinking I was going to be able to rib him about how anal he was about safety. When I got to the waiting room, I knew the news was bad.

Hope I didnt bum you out, just make sure you kiss your wife and kids every day before you leave for work. Ive driven back home 5 miles because I forgot to give my 2 year old a hug and a kiss. I was late for my appointment but thats ok.

[Rich]

Damn - thanks for posting that rgramjet. It does make you think when it hits that close to home.

[Cole]

Wow, that is terrible.

[steeve]

it's always when you "think" your save...your not....it's like mesure twice,cut once...peace

[Tom R]

rgramjet,

Devastating! Thanks so much for the invaluable post. Peace and prayers, - - hold on to the good memories!