TJ - Accidents at work.

[Time's Ran Out]

Just got to the job on Friday 8am and only been there an hour when there was a yell and a general purpose worker came down stairs holding his hand!!!!!!!!!!!
He had been using a Chop saw/mitre saw for cutting a replacement floorboard 'along its length' and didn't realise he'd cut the top of his thumb off.
Now I can be as sympathetic as the next man and accidents do happen - but he wasn't a qualified joiner and he was not using the correct saw (which was all set up on another floor). Apparently they couldn't stick the top back on as he had removed it at a 33degree angle, so he had to go back to the hospital today to have it cut off properly below the knuckle.

Now for us it was a wake up call - so all the power tools were re checked for cable nicks, and I insisted that the first aid box and extinguishers were present and correct at the front door.

Remember HEALTH AND SAFETY - is for your own good.



P.S. Sorry there are no pictures to this thread.

 

[Alan.P]

MMmmm, whilst I feel sorry for the guy it does illustrate how 'easy' accidents can happen, I have concerns over the DeWalt D24000, we're doing brick slips and on occasion it grabs the brick and pulls towards the saw, yes, keep your hands out of the way, but still a worry, anyone else find this with the DeWalt ?

 

[user123]

Wow, sobering stuff. Oddly enough yesterday the blade of my electric ringsaw broke, not sure what happened, but major crash bang wollop, maybe a bit of glass got trapped in the workings, but I was SO glad I wore my safety goggles, (I don't always, I must admit), because a bit of glass flew right at them, it was all a bit fast and scary. The only inconvenience I have now is to wait for a new blade to arrive and hope that the saw is ok. Could have been worse, a lot lot worse. Guess who will always wear her goggles now...

 

[DHTiling]

That is down to the blade rotation / direction , best to make steady wot ever you are cutting.


TJ not a nice accident but agree H&S could be more controlled on site


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- Sent from my iPhone

 

[doug boardley]

workplace accidents are gonna rise I reckon, due to contractors trying to rush jobs as they've probably had to underprice to win the job.

 

[mikethetile]

must have got his thumb under the guard somehow, shouldnt be able to do that with chopsaws

mind you having said that I managed to catch the back of my hand when I didnt lift the saw fully before grabbing the timber, lots of claret and a nice scar, fortunatly I had fitted a frued blade that is designed to throw you out rather than pull you in which is a problem with the negative rake on a chopsaw or I would have lost half my hand

 

[jay]

What NO PICS:mad2:

 

[Perry]

MMmmm, whilst I feel sorry for the guy it does illustrate how 'easy' accidents can happen, I have concerns over the DeWalt D24000, we're doing brick slips and on occasion it grabs the brick and pulls towards the saw, yes, keep your hands out of the way, but still a worry, anyone else find this with the DeWalt ?

As I have said before Alan over head tile saws cut the wrong way IMO like a milling machine or router into the material and not climb it if you know what I meen

 

[Mike]

must have got his thumb under the guard somehow, shouldnt be able to do that with chopsaws

mind you having said that I managed to catch the back of my hand when I didnt lift the saw fully before grabbing the timber, lots of claret and a nice scar, fortunatly I had fitted a frued blade that is designed to throw you out rather than pull you in which is a problem with the negative rake on a chopsaw or I would have lost half my hand

i've nearly done that a few times with my makita chopsaw mike, the saw doesn't spring up all the way on its own and when i put my hand in to get a small piece of wood i nearly cut mine on the spinning blade as the guard is only half down. i should try fix it, probably only needs lubricating

 

[Rob Z]

I continue to be amazed at the reckless and stupid stuff that I see guys do with power tools. My Grandfather cut two of his fingers off in the 1960's, so the entire time I grew up and worked with him, I saw the effects of having lost two fingers and trying to work. That experience, more than anything, has caused me to be ab out as careful with tools as anyone I know. But with that said, I still do stupid stuff and catch myself when judgement and attention to detail lapse.

Good reminder for everyone TJ.

 

[Perry]

The amount of guys on site that use the chop saws that have no idea about the material and the machine they are using is frighting

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Mike,

Two things I've done for years is to draw lines on the platform of the SCMS, parallel to the blade and about 5 " away, on both sides of the blade. I tell the employees they may not ever put their hands between the lines to hold a piece of wood and then make a cut. THis eliminates the need to "risk it" to make a cut on a piece that is too short to cut safely. I tell them I don't care if that's the last piece of wood and we have to stop the job to go and buy one more length to be able to make a safe cut.

I also tell them I don't want to see them reach for the piece of wood or the offcut until the blade has stopped moving. They're getting paid by the hour, so they have no need to try to do things fast.

Still, human nature being what it is, we still seem to end up violating the two "rules" that I just described. But it's rare, and when I see them doing it I make them stop for a few minutes and we have a talk.

I have separate sets of rules for the table saw.

Fortunately, so far, no employee of mine has ever been injured with a power tool.

i've nearly done that a few times with my makita chopsaw mike, the saw doesn't spring up all the way on its own and when i put my hand in to get a small piece of wood i nearly cut mine on the spinning blade as the guard is only half down. i should try fix it, probably only needs lubricating

 

[White Room]

A general purpose worker dos'nt fill me with confidence when using tools, in manufacturing you need a ticket for a grinder..

 

[Daveshadowman]

Having worked as a site manger for 6 years health and safety was always important on my sites if I found any not doing things right was off site I did this to so the site was safe for everyone

 

[Perry]

A general purpose worker dos'nt fill me with confidence when using tools, in manufacturing you need a ticket for a grinder..

Yes mark I worked as a grinder years ago and you couldn't mount a wheel without one

 

[Dan]

I hate chop saws and flatbed saws. Never liked using them. And once your confidence goes you're better letting somebody else make the cut as the more tense you are the less likely you're going to pull away quickly if something does happen.

I'm perhaps too confident with a tile saw with an old blade on it though. Used to show students that you can touch them lightly with the palm of your hand and nothing happens. I used to do that so they kept their fingers well out of the way but used the palm if anything near the blade to slide thin jobbies through. The more they had confidence the less tense they were around the saw.

Though anything bigger than that, or even a new blade on a tile saw I don't like at all.

Christ knows how the bloke felt going through it all in slow motion at hospital the second time around!?! I'd have had to be put to sleep for sure.

 

[White Room]

I know you done the Bal thing but did you train there 12 years ago ???