Thread: It pays to be warned

Good thread. We can all use a reminder about safety now and then. Thanks to everyone who posted. I'll add stand to the side of a spinning wire wheel, so when a wire flies off, it doesn't hit you in the face. Or wear face shield. And always eye protection. And don't wear Crox in the shop - I'm guilty of forgetting to change mine now and then.

Originally Posted by Bruno

...the jeans turns to ashes in an instant, but that's it. It acts as a buffer between the steel and your leg, giving you a split second of margin in which to minimize damage. You'll still have burns, but they will be relatively clean....

I don't know about that Bruno. My jeans are so dirty they can stand unsupported and probably walk around by themselves. The layer of dirt and grease means that they smolder. I've had fellows at demonstrations who tried to tell me my pants were on fire for five minutes before I quit working hot steel and then put the fire out that I know full well was cooking there.

You are right about plastics of any kind. They are little protection. Even Kevlar will reach a fail safe point, but it's pretty good until then.

The ER story is also true. Especially if you know someone who was making acetylene hot air balloons and had one of them pop inside the shop building. It took hours to remove the 30 gallon garbage bag from his skin, while he was fairly normal. His shop building is noticeably no longer square around the corners too....

I have a couple of old jeans, old sweaters, etc. I wear them a couple of times and then they get washed.
I like starting out with semi clean clothes.

Acetylene hot air balloons...
This is o mind numbingly stupid it is worthy of a darwin award, or in case of your non-deceased friend, an honorable mention.

When Richard Pryor was cooking freebase coke he set himself on fire. His shirt was some kind of synthetic and melted on his skin badly burning him. After he recovered he was on a talk show, Johnny Carson or one of those, and he quipped, "What does a white man do when he sees a (N-word) running down the street on fire ? He gets out of the way !"

Originally Posted by Martin103

I notice on the website that the poor man who lost his finger is wearing a wedding band. Around machinery especially fast moving spinning objects rings are a big no no. Dont ask me how i know.......

I always have a ring band cutter nearby in any shop I work in. Under $20 and cheap at 20 times the price. I have used it a few times over the years.

~Richard

I have just stopped wearing my wedding ring. I have seen 2 people that were wearing their rings while welding. Since my wife worked at one of the body shops, she understands why I do not wear it.

I have to confess my drinking buddies and I use to fill two balloons one acetylene and one with helium. Tied them together with some cannon fuse and let them fly. While it was fun as heck, I do not endorse it.

I used to share a lot of near miss stories with my horse shoer while he was working. He had scars and short digits to back his up. Mostly from animals spooking on him. I do feel lucky and I always keep thinking about the what ifs. I think that "what ifs" are the key to any safe operation of anything. Think it through and think of what might/could happen and be prepared for it. I do have have small scars but they could have been much worse had I said " heck with the face shield , I'll be done by the time I get it on ". These days I get hurt more from people helping me than anything else. Ever lift something with someone else that is clueless? Why do they think it's okay to drop their end before your ready ?

Originally Posted by Martin103

I notice on the website that the poor man who lost his finger is wearing a wedding band. Around machinery especially fast moving spinning objects rings are a big no no. Dont ask me how i know.......

I know some guys who lost a lot more while wearing wedding bands....

Girls, no unprotected long hair around machinery, guys... ehh, you ain't got long hair do you?

Originally Posted by Lemur

Girls, no unprotected long hair around machinery, guys... ehh, you ain't got long hair do you?

Two incidents with that ..... in the '70s or maybe the '80s, I read in the newspaper of a girl working in a book bindery who had her long hair get caught in some machinery or other that effectively scalped her. My old boss in the tattoo shop is also a crackerjack machinist, auto mechanic and general jack of many trades.

He had shoulder length hair when he was younger. Was running a large surface hand grinder, like a black & decker, or whatever, his hair got caught and reeled the grinder into the side of his head with such force it knocked him unconscious. The only thing that saved him from more serious injury was that the electrical cord disconnected from the outlet when he fell to the ground.