Attached is a couple of pics of the shirt I wore to work today. If you look at the pics you will see a series of tears in a circular shape. This is where my circular saw snagged the shirt I was wearing and sucked the saw right up to my chest, about mid rib-cage. Scared the snot out of me. I was leaning over a leg of a split-jam following through a cut and my shirt came too close. It happened so fast I couldn’t believe it.
I don’t know how or when I let go of the blade guard, but thank God I did. If that guard had been pinned, I would have been all done. That saw literally slammed into my chest, knocking me back. I stood there in the driveway, slack jawed, with that saw dangling off my chest for about ten minutes. I just couldn’t believe I wasn’t bleeding anywhere. Got away with a decent rasberry as opposed to about a zillion stitches. Was all by myself at the end of a street in a cul-de-sac, don’t know what I would have done.
Once again, for what it’s worth, be careful out there.
Replies
Too close for comfort. Glad that it was only a ripped tee shirt and not open heart surgery my brother.
Gabe
Glad you're ok. That would've been a scary one.
Greg
Werner Building & Remodeling
Huntingdon PA
Diesel, it wasn't your day for field surgery. Friend of mine had a similar experience with a hole hawg and an auger. The bit wrapped up his shirttail, which was hanging down, and smashed into his groin. Those things have a lot of torque, and it ripped the front right off his shirt and gave him a major bruise below the belt.
I got a pair of shorts that got attacked by circle saw with guard up the only thing saved me from cutting my leg was a big set of keyes. I wear those shorts around the house just to remind myself how fast it can happen.
GLAD YOUR ALLRIGHT
ANDYSZ2
I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
I hate hearing stories like that. I think it is good.....necessary.......that we hear them. But they scare the sh1t out of me. Im sitting here with a knot in my stomach. That could have soooooo easily have been me, or probably any of us. I like to think that Im safe, but these things can happen so quick, so easily.
Glad your o.k.
m2akita
Diesel,
WHEW!!!!
I carry an old swanson speed square with a nick on the marking edge.
My milw.circ saw kicked and the gaurd stuck and That square saved my Thigh from a close encounter with the spinning blade.
Your experience is definitely an A.T.E. (@$$hole tightening experience)
Or may be loosening would be more accurate!!
glad your OK!
and Hey!!!
Lets be CAREFUL out there!!!Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
Lets leave the improvisational open heart surgery to the pros. Glad you only ventilated a tee shirt. That sort of accident, where everything switches to slow-motion and the power of the tools take on an unstoppable demonic quality as it winds its way toward your flesh, massively increases the pucker factor. Heavy breathing and cold sweats are in order.
This is another reminder why I need to watch the clothing I wear. Loose or dangling clothing is an accident waiting to happen. Jewelry likewise. People think I'm old fashioned with jeans relatively close and held up and shirts too tight to be fashionable.
Safety pays. Be safe.
Reminds me of when I had long hair and bent over to pick up a cutoff and my hair got sucked up by the open belt on my craftman table saw.Yanked my head right down to the motor where luckily i could reach the switch.My hair was all wrapped around the pulley and luckly someone there came over to help me.I pleaded with them to take the pulley off so they wouldnt have to cut my hair but..well they vcalled me Patches for awhile!
"an accident waiting to happen. Jewelry likewise"
Was trying on wedding rings. And one of my criteria was that I be able to take it on and off. My finance' (now wife) said, "why would you ever take it off?" I explained about lathes and what 10,000 amps from a power supply will do to to/though a metal ring and its wearer.
"Oh, okay."David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Glad you're ok man! Those few minutes after a near disaster tend to rewire the brain for awhile.
I had an eighth grade shop teacher, ex DI from the Marines, who for the first two weeks of class taught nothing but safety. If he asked you a question and you got it wrong, he'd launch a blackboard eraser at your head. Mr. Kirkendol, if you're out there,,,, THANKS!
So much in this business is production related with little steps to save seconds on each task. That's all fine and good but being safe shouldn't be considered loss of productivity. It's a way of life for anyone working with the equipment we use. Man, if you need five seconds to tie a knot in your shirt or tuck it in, DO IT!!!! I'm glad you're ok but I'd venture to say, you won't make that same mistake again. Be safe diesel.
T shirt is expendable. Try getting along with a heart or a lung with a big groove in it.
You one lucky fella.
By the time you realise what has happened.....its all over. Not often you get a warning like that.
I backed a saw up over my thumb one day doing something stupid. Thought for sure I had done some serious damage. It turned out to be only scuffed. Been very careful after that.
As for wedding rings. Every now and again my wife asks me if I will get one. Nope. I like all my fingers the way they are, attached.
Get enough frights on the job without looking for more.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
A couple of electricians I know wear their rings on a short piece of string or yarn around their necks. The string is selected to be weak enough to break before posing an entrapment hazard and are kept short so the ring rides near the neck to limit dangle.
Others, possibly more safety conscience, just slip the ring into a pocket or leave it on the truck or at home. I have seen people who try to wear their wedding rings and take them off when warranted far too often forget. Only takes one really good time.
Be safe.
You've got that right. I leave mine in the drawer at home. Wear it on the weekends.Who Dares Wins.
here here on the jewellery thing, i mean other just plain scratching marring expensive personnal stuff on the job, most times jewelry is best left at home
one personal exception, years ago i was using an abrasive concrete saw freehand and some thing caught, my wedding ring still has the marks from the blade, no injury though
also on the be careful note, yesterday a good friend of mine was using the steel rod on a caulking gun to poke a hole in the seal of the tube, the rod was too short so he "really rammed it in", rod came out of the tube and right through his hand, fortunately no serious injury
so lets keep this thread open so we all have a daily reminder, post your near misses, stupid goof ups, and lets all stay away from the hospitals caulking is not a piece of trim
While back a buddy jumped down off the bottom couple rungs of a ladder and somehow his wedding ring caught something on his way down.
They are still not sure if the finger is going to make it or not.
That's known as a "degloving" injury - Strips the meat right off the bone like pulling off a glove. Rings & ladders don't mix.
Whew! That's a heart stopper. Keep that shirt in your dresser. You may never want to wear it again but everytime you see it or move it you'll think about it.
Who Dares Wins.
tuck it in babydoll- i was nineteen the first time i spent a day looking for a man's fingers in the snow and saw dust- bad way to start the day.
radial arm snagged his glove and pulled his hand right through- lucky me, i found his ring finger seventy feet from the saw- docs reattached it- it died.
glad you're okay
hub
Edited 3/30/2004 8:59 pm ET by hubcap
That's one argument for bib overalls. Answers the question of where to carry your pencil, too. And better ventilation, since they don't have to be tight to stay up.
WOW!!!! Glad it was only the shirt. Glad your ok. DanT
Alternating top bevel makes for an interesting pattern in textiles, doesn't it? I'll bet it was an American made saw and the T-shirt was from China!
;)
"It happened so fast I couldn't believe it."
Just think, if it had happened slower, you would have had time to sh!t your drawers and still have a little left over to think of a few new four letter words. LOL
Been 'bout that close myself, with a drill winding itself into the chest hair and t-shirt. Tearing the hair off your chest can make you imagine a hole being gouged in and nervous sweat running down can feel like blood runing out. Ever notice how nervous sweat smells different??????
Also saw a guy holding back his gaurd while triming rafter tails - h3e brought it down onto his thigh and suddenly had pocket change, and keys flying all over the place. Tore the side right out of his jeans and didn't nick him. That was all the excitement he needed for the day.
What did the little woman have to say about things?
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Saw that in med school. Guy cutting a board on his lap! Yes, that's what I said. Cut his femoral artery and vein. Collapsed and died before getting out of the room. They used to bring them in for us to pronounce dead.
I've done the drill bit to the chest bit and have the scar to prove it... was under my "workbench" attaching a drawer slides when I was about 14, Mom opened the basement door and told me I had a phone call... It was this girl I had the hot's for..
I come barreling out from under the bench, kick the cord of the drill, knock it off the bench, comes down right below my shoulder got about an 1/4" deep, hurt like all hell...
still took the call though before my mom saw the blood and thought the fact I was bleeding was more important.
"What did the little woman have to say about things?"
DW "How was your day babe?"
Me "Fine, I'm gonna go lay down for awhile"
Know what "fine" stands for? F#$cked up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.
That was as deep as I went into it with her. She tends to get freaked-out when it comes to battle scars. Crept into bed last night with the lights off so she didn't see my chest......we'll see how long that lasts.
Think I'll wear a leotard or scuba suit to work today. Or tuck in the T-shirt in the very least. Better safe than sorry. Very humbling.
>Think I'll wear a leotard or scuba suit to work today.
Or just body paint.
Thanks for sharing.
Oh, like I needed THAT image in my mind.
Wasn't there an FHB back cover recently about something built by a guy who worked naked? No pictures of him, thank goodness, just the building.
I read that freelance bomb builders often work in the nude. Less chance of a static discharge that might cause a premature discharge. Also if a car backfires nearby you clean up with a shovel and mop. Saves on Laundry.
Glad to hear that you're okay. I don't know if you've calmed down yet, but my heart is still doing an odd pattern.
Here is an article that I saw posted over at JLC.
http://www.record-eagle.com/2004/feb/10hand.htm
The story is that guy was using sheetrock between two sawhorses for his CMS. Bad idea...
Jon Blakemore
so, whaddaya want for that bosch? is it 'pre-disastered' or a man-eater? only time will tell...
oh, and i'm glad you're ok too.
m
Oh man, I feel queasy and pale just looking at that shirt. I'm not much of a shirt-tucker-iner but I might have to rethink that.
Glad you are okay.
-KitTechnique is proof of your seriousness. - Wallace Stevens
Or, maybe we all should start looking for kevlar shirts and pants. It might give us some extra piece of mind on the job.
Stainless chain mail like they use to help survive shark attacks...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Or, maybe we all should start looking for kevlar shirts and pants. It might give us some extra piece of mind on the job.
Helluva pun if that's how it was intended....
It wasn't intentional- just a lapse in spelling.
Or I could just keep quiet and have everyone start thinking I'm clever.
That'll ruin your day for sure, glad all is well except the t-shirt... and probably your pants....
Was this your new Bosch?
Take it easy and becareful.
Yup, it was the new Bosch. Plenty of power there, if you're curious. I know where you can get one cheap!
All in a day's work, right? Just kidding, glad you are alright.
Mike
Dude- don't keep that shirt in a drawer, frame it and hang it somewhere in plain sight as a reminder of your good luck. Actually, you should probably go out and buy a lottery ticket.
Glad to hear you're OK.
Dieselpig
Has your heart stoped thumping?
Glad you just showed us the pic of the shirt and not your drawers.
Makes you thank your lucky stars.
Doug
"Once again, for what it's worth, be careful out there."
Diesel,
And accidents DO HAPPEN when you LEAST expect them. I've had my share, and none serious in past five years (you grow wiser with age) Glad to hear you escaped unscathed.
Jon
The good lord was smiling on you yesterday!!
I pass on my congradulations for surviving another day
And if in future you start tucking in your shirt........check your fly......
Glad your still all there. Just more evidence from the One above that your work here is not yet finished. Be well.
and will someone tell me how I managed to delete my first post while trying to edit for spelling.
The scary thing is that from what you say I can't really fault what you were doing. It is easy to say "no loose clothing" but in the field........ not always pratical. Glad you weren't really hurt.
Mike
this brings back bad memories.....
when i had my first "paying job" working for someone other than my pappy, i was working for a shop that built Corian type countertops....one day about 3 months into the job, i was out on an install, routing a clean edge for a seam with a 3 hp PC router, 2"x1/2" bit almost all extended... well, i had on the eye protection, ear muffs, dust mask, anti-vibe gloves...and a light flannel that was unbuttoned. Finished my cut, took the router off of the work with my left hand an held it down to my left side...next thing i know, i'm shirtless, and my router is 15 feet to my 9 o'clock...and i have a tingling sensation on my left kidney area....after15 seconds of taking in what the hell just happened, i look at my side...only to see a small scratch.
Guess the big guy up stairs thought a kidney replacement would needed to be done by professionals....
also with the wettin ring...with my first wife (she traded me in on a new model...one that will "understand my feelings better"...another thread, another time...) i was hell bent on always wearing the thing, untill i was scooting down a latter and it caught on the next to last rung...made my knuckle swell up and such...so i decided i'd just hang it on a nail untill the end of the day....always wondered who ended up with it.....
Wow, glad you're ok.
I've had a few close calls, but not quite like that. Wakes your a$$ right up, don't it?
Always keep TP in the glove box.
had a really close call with a chopsaw once years ago, first clue was a little blood on the wall behind the saw
dont ever use a chop saw to trim your fingernails!!, fortunately no serious injury, but did that little episode make me sit down and thinkcaulking is not a piece of trim