Safety

[chris vickery]

I am so sorry to hear of Bob Mosley's accident in the shop. This has inspired me to start a thread about safety while working in a shop.
We are all our own worst enemy sometimes thinking no, "it can't happen to me".
Ask yourself, "how many times have I just about xxxxxx myself"?
I work in the electrical utility field, many times around high voltage >500,000v, up to 4000a environment. While working in these environments, we are trained to the upmost standards for our own good.
In the electrical field there are no second chances.
Outside of work though, sometimes safety becomes an after thought.
I know myself, I have lit coveralls up while welding, spattered paint stripper in my eyes, obtained numerous cuts and abrasions, wrecked my back lifting things that were too heavy etc.
Remember guys, we only have one life, one set of eyes, two arms, two legs etc. End your days with all of your parts that you started off with- thats what I tell my crew.
Always use your safety PPE (personal protective equipment). While working in the shop the basics should include at least safety glasses, gloves, hard toed boots and fire resistant clothing. Add hearing and respiratory protection as needed. Keep your workspace clean. Ask for help. Take a break when you are fatigued. Dispose of garbage and flammables in accordance with proper techniques on a regular basis. The list goes on.
Its a hobby fellas, enjoy it and work safely.

[r.morrison]

I don't want to wade into a big blah blah. Let's just let Bob heal and open discussion then . God willingly, Bob may have a few comments himself. Let it go....Amen Robert You hang in there Bobby!

[Lynn Eades]

I don't know how it is elsewhere, but at home the trend in the workplace is toward nylon type overalls. I guess they last longer. I for one do prefer the older style cotton type.
Having set both types of overalls on fire, I am aware of the difference. Others may not know.
I wear cotton overalls when working on my hobbies.
I think Chris's post is timely. It can do no harm.

[motto]

I go along with what you say Lynn.

Also, it's not morbid curiosity that makes me ask what kind of overalls can do that to a man? It's a desire to find out the circumstances of the accident so as hopefully there will be no repeats.

I tried to kick-start a discussion on Land Rover instability and suspect tyres for the same reason.

We've lost a couple of good people in preventable circumstances so far this year, one in a forklift accident and one in a rollover as well as almost losing a couple more, one down a mine shaft and now Bob who's future is still in doubt.

Cautionary tales do serve a purpose, perhaps we can start there. One I know of is to do with a fellow HMV enthusiast who was using a wire wheel to clean up a part and believed he'd finished. When he took his goggles off he noticed a spot he had missed. He didn't bother to put his goggles back on as it was only going to be a few seconds work. The result was a wire buried in his eyeball with just the end sticking out.

I will finish by simply saying. C'mon Bob, we need you.

David

[Lynn Eades]

David, you never know where things can come from. I know of a chap, a successful engineer now. He was trying to undo a bolt on his bike, when a piece of chrome pinged off, into his eye. For a few days his vision in that eye, hung in the balance.
I would never had seen a need to wear eye protection for that sort of a job.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

David, you never know where things can come from. I know of a chap, a successful engineer now. He was trying to undo a bolt on his bike, when a piece of chrome pinged off, into his eye. For a few days his vision in that eye, hung in the balance.
I would never had seen a need to wear eye protection for that sort of a job.

For a long time I had a pair of glasses with a little but deep scratch on one lens. My then-12 or 15 month old nephew hit me in the face with the sharp end of a toy. It would have been a serious eye injury if I hadn't had on my glasses. Yes you are right, the risks come for everywhere.

[chris vickery]

Yes, sometimes incidents happen out of nowhere without any sort of warning and limited risk. I once got cut under my eye when I dropped something into a porcelained steel bathroom sink. A small piece of the porcelain came off like a grenade fragment. Lucky it was my face, not my eye.

[chris vickery]

Lynn and others;
The trend here in Canada now for most industrial sites is to wear FR/AF coveralls (fire retardant and/or arc flash)
This goes for anyone working on site, and is especially true for all workers in utilities (electrical, gas etc) as well as others in mining, petro chemical etc.
This is a broad brushed effort to help ensure all workers safety, it is not neccessarily trade specific. The truck drivers wear them, mechanics, crane operators, electricians- everyone. Cleanliness is important as well to keep the material free of greases, oils, chemicals etc.
Sure, a person may ask "why does a crane operator require them?"
You never know, as any added layer of personal protection is better than not.

[David DeWeese]

Hi,

A moment of letting your guard down without eye protection, and see what could happen?.........yes, that is my right eye now.

Hope for a speedy recovery for Bob.

Thanks, David

[Lynn Eades]

David You have paid a very high price. Thank you for posting. The lesson is invaluable.
An even greater respect for the quality of your work, from me, now.

[Hans Mulder]

Surplus Nomex clothing and coveralls are readily available these days since the RCN has recently changed the NCD pattern. I always use these in my shop and I've given sets to several of my welder friends. Anyone passing through Hope is welcome to stop in and grab some...

[gordon]

Originally Posted by David DeWeese

Hi,

A moment of letting your guard down without eye protection, and see what could happen?.........yes, that is my right eye now.

Hope for a speedy recovery for Bob.

Thanks, David

Sorry to hear that David.

Best wishes for Bob, too.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Most of us have worked around shops for years and often don't what to talk about the times we have goofed or had something go wrong. Chris's point in starting this thread was I think to make us all stop and think and share our collective wisdom on avoiding accidents.

I have a supply air system in my shop which with different masks is used when I'm painting, grinding, working with chemicals and most often when welding.

A welding helmet with auto darkening lens, a leather back hood and a supply air system is the cats meow in comfort and protection. The air keeps the lens from steaming up, hood keeps stray light from reflecting off the inside of the lens which combined with the auto darkening lens means you can actually see what you are doing. Only one big problem you may not smell something burning.

Which I found out one day when welding wearing a wool sweater, you guessed it the sleeve caught fire which because of the supply air I didn't smell and because of the layers of clothing I didn't feel right off. Fortunately I noticed and was able to beat out the fire and remove the sweeter. Only damage conversion of a good long sleeve shop sweater to a short-sleeved one.

What did I do wrong, a couple of things:

I had two good Nomex shop coats that I use just for welding hanging on the wall not 10' away which I wasn't wearing.
Was wearing shop clothing that had been used while working on things and it had some oil stains.
No smoke alarms in the shop.

So while I was doing a good job of protecting my lungs working in the shop with a supply air system that was supplying out side air, I failed to take into account if you aren't breathing the air you may not smell a problem.


Now I know there is some question of the value of smoke detectors an CO detectors, in a shop. Lots of false alarms, for me working alone in the shop most of the time I decided to put up with the false alarms.

Just my thoughts, hope it will help protect somebody else.

Cheers Phil

[chris vickery]

Hi Phil

Working alone in the shop is another animal all together that most of us don't think about. I personally have known people ho have got hurt while alone in the shop, both seriously and otherwise minor.
It never hurts to setup a check in time with a friend or family member to make sure you are OK. There are all kinds of potential dangers involved while working alone- cuts, burns, entrapment, fumes, heart attack etc.
The craziest one that I heard, albeit kinda funny was a fellow I knew who was stuck in the garage for a couple hours with his hand pinched between the hood of his truck and the fender when the hood somehow closed and latched shut. I have also known people who were trapped under vehicles that fell on them due to jack failure and no blocking.
Another guy I heard of died because he had a heart attack and no one around to save him.
Food for thought.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Chris

Being alone doing anything can be dangerous but at least today we can take one simple precaution cell phone in the pocket.


Cheers Phil

[lynx42]

David, you could be my son Geoff.

Geoff was in the last year of his diesel mechanic apprenticeship when he lost his eye. He went back into the pit at the logging company he was working for after smoko and the foreman had been checking the spring shackles on a log trailer with a crowbar. The foreman left the crowbar standing upright against the pit wall and as we all know a crowbar will always fall down. Geoff was busy replacing something on the trailer and heard a sound so the turned towards the pit wall to see what it was. It was the bar sliding down the wall. Unfortunately for Geoff it hit something and the end which had been on the floor rocketed up and as he turned, it swiped the front off his right eye. The specialists tried to save the eye but with no cornea, lens or lens muscles they finally took it out last year. Geoff had put up with it for far too long waiting for technology to get to a stage where the good retina at the back of the eye could be used with a tiny camera or something.

He was 21 when it happened and he is now 33. It hasn't stopped him as he races cars and builds race engines as well as working on the big rigs.

I'll have a few more tales to tell when I have more time.

Regards Rick.

Originally Posted by David DeWeese

Hi,

A moment of letting your guard down without eye protection, and see what could happen?.........yes, that is my right eye now.

Hope for a speedy recovery for Bob.

Thanks, David

[motto]

Thanks Rick, I was hoping you would tell Geoff's story. It wasn't my place to do so.

Dave M

[Bob McNeill]

Geez Rick, I,m lucky, when I was repairing the tarp on the truck a moment of haste saw me sew my finger into the tarp double seam, using a 0.20 needle and heavy thread but thankfully only 3 stitches by the time it stopped which all missed the bone. Took a while to cut the thread after SLOWLY winding the needle back, of course the scissors were on the wrong side.

[motto]

17th July 2013. Bob Moseley passed away today. Another one gone from the ranks. Condolences to his family and all that called him friend.

Dave

[colin jones]

I thought I would bring this thread up again. Even though i'm quite safety aware accidents happen and now I have about 6 weeks to recover after slicing my wrist including tendons just for being impatient and not getting some lifting help or equipment and I have plenty of that but a split second your day to day or possibly your life can change I guess we just shouldn't take each day for granted.
SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by colin jones

I thought I would bring this thread up again. Even though i'm quite safety aware accidents happen and now I have about 6 weeks to recover after slicing my wrist including tendons just for being impatient and not getting some lifting help or equipment and I have plenty of that but a split second your day to day or possibly your life can change I guess we just shouldn't take each day for granted.
SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT

Wish you a speedy recovery Colin - Cant have one of the best metal workers in the business on the sidelines for too long..

[chris vickery]

Colin, so very true. I myself am recovering from a workplace related incident and have been hobbling around since early Dec 2015. We often take for granted our own mortality thinking that it will never happen to me. All too often we will follow the rules at work, only to break them at home, knowing better.
It is all too easy to be impatient, perhaps it's a man thing. I don't need help, don't be silly, it's not that heavy... Too little, too late after the fact. If you don't get it done today, get it done tomorrow and bring a mate to help!!!
Get well soon.

[rob love]

I would bitch about the thumb I sliced open on the lathe this afternoon, but colin has me beat.

[Bob Carriere]

Hoping every thing will be mending soon Colin.

Same goes for Chris and Rob.

Measure twice...cut once...then count your fingers.

Never toooooo careful.

Cheers

Bob C.

[chris vickery]

Thanks Bob
Nothing that a few weeks of Physio won't take care of
Same to Rob, take care of your fingers.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Guys,

I wish you all a speedy recovery!

Thanks for sharing these accidents as a warning for all of us

Hanno

[colin jones]

My first look at what I did today and I was very very surprised at the extent of my cut. The surgeon had to turn me into a mark of Zorro to find my tendons to stitch them back together. 3 months before I have full strength again

[chris vickery]

Looks like you'll have a reminder there for ever unfortunately

[Bob Carriere]

....so much per stitches.

He obviously had some searching to do to repair the tendons. You are lucky medecine has made huge progress ..... but it does look good and clean but it is still mending on the inside.

Good luck and don't rush doing heavy things until you are in full control of that hand.

Cheers

[motto]

Hope you're not a southpaw Colin. Makes things a little easier if it's your off-hand that is out of action.
Having said that, I know a fellow who lost an arm in a shooting accident when he was a young man. He's gone on to run a steel construction/engineering business and is currently building a 60' all steel side wheel river boat in his spare time. It's amazing what he can do with one arm including operation of a large lathe. But perhaps I shouldn't be encouraging you?
All the best for a speedy recovery.

David