Good reminder...it only takes a second, I know I have had my share of close calls. My dad lost part of his arm in a corn picker when I was 1 YO, then a couple years later his FIL (my grandpa) did very much the same thing. I grew up thinking men with "hooks" was normal. Fortunately I still have all my digits A good friend of my wife's lost her husband (and new dad) in a freak silo accident last fall...so sad.
Sad but have heard this story too many times. It takes only a second to turn the machine off before getting off. Yet, it is called an accident. Was it?
I don't know the details in my grandpas case, but my dad left the machine run at a low speed on purpose to assist with fixing the issue he was having (plugged up) In the case of our friend, they think he just slipped (then fell)
I get your point but yes it is an accident. He didn't intend for something bad to happen. Be safe out there folks.
I certainly am not one to try to downplay things like this and I surely feel for him and his family, but when he got off without shutting the machinery down and then did something that he knew was wrong... It is sad to say the least.
Thank you, I've gotten hurt twice in the past 6 months, doing stupid things! I gotta be more careful! Maybe I'm getting old?
I was a teenager jumping around on the back of a corn planter making sure the fertilizer was feeding and seed bins weren't bridging and my bootlace caught in a chain gear. Instinct took over and I yanked my leg as hard as I could - ripped the bootlace grommets right through the leather....My boss was just driving, we kept on planting until we ran out of seed. He didn't realize anything had happened until we were unhooking the planter in the barn. Always tucked my laces in ever after
The truth is that there are very few accidents but there are lots of injuries. I've been fortunate enough to grow up in heavy construction and then the power industry that truly walks the talk on safety first. It's a culture. This poor kid was rushing because he had something to get to and knew what he did wasn't the safe thing to do. His story is very similar to one I saw a few years ago in a training class where a guy twice his age did a similar thing and ended up worse off but also lived to share his mistake. Take two minutes before you start a task and go through what could go wrong and what your expected outcomes are. Don't be the guy who wished he had. I don't mean to be preachy or a downer, but Felter started it. Thanks Felter!
When I was like 21 or 22, I was working for a landscape co. We were doing a fall cleanup and I was cutting up branches with a c.s. I picked up a forked branch, went to cut it and the saw kicked back. Caught me on my left pinkie. Thankfully, I had on a pair of heavy leather gloves, and the chain didnt cut my finger off or catch any tendons (plus my cat like reflexes helped). I had to get stiches, but I cant remember how many. I DO REMEMBER GETTING IT CLEANED AND STITCHED NOT Fun!!! I still got a scar fromit also. Needless to say, I never pulled that stupid move again.
I appreciate everyone's comments and experiences and near misses. it helps me to think more about safety and different things I've done that could have been much worse.
I have to agree with BS on his comment. I know I have become MUCH more aware of everything around me as I have gotten older. I check, double check and triple check all my set ups before I risk my life to do something. Jacking the car, working on ladders/scaffolding, using shop tools..........
