Close call at work!

[smokinwrench]

Me and another guy were working in the weld shop. We were using the drill press. Drilling a few small 5/16 holes. He went to brush off the plate so he could see the center punch marks and didn't raise the bit up high enough it caught his glove. Before you could blink it wrapped him up, luckily the drill press is crappy and the belt started slipping. It slammed his face into the top part then into me, I was holding his arm but couldn't reach the switch. He finally got the switch. Luckily he had leather gloves on, it is way stretched out now and cut up. He has a couple black finger nails and dang sore thumb. It could have been way worse.

In a split second it makes you realize how fast things can go to crap.

[twitch101]

yea especially with machinery that gets old and is taken for granted. in my shop we use an overhead crane to lift chillers around the shop. if your not pay attention you can get a 10000lb box swinging and seriously hurt somebody. also with electricity communication is key. the best way to be safe is think safe. glad yall are alright.

[Xpress]

Good thing he was wearing those gloves, definitely could have turned out a lot worse. I bet he's going to get another pair of those, eh?

[Dirtcrasher]

Funny thing is, thats why I never were gloves or long sleeves.

One day I used a right angle grinder on my truck rear cab mounts, they had broke through from jumping the truck.

I saw the speaker wire and ignored it. Suddenly the wheel grabbed it at 10,000RPM's, broke it off and weed whacked my private part 50 times in a second, then I dropped it and the grinder flopped around like a fish until I unplugged it. It had a maintained on/off switch, not momentary which is what I use now.

I honestly thought I had been, well, sex changed. Purple/yellow/black and blue for 3 weeks. I learned a valuable lesson that day!

Glad your bud is OK, I like a big red E-Stop right where I can nail it in an emergency...........

[SWIGIN]

Good thing he was wearing those gloves, definitely could have turned out a lot worse. I bet he's going to get another pair of those, eh?

Like DC was getting at. I'd bet money those gloves are what caused the problem. Most shops wont let you near machines with gloves, long sleeves, long hair, ect.

[jays375]

Dirtcrasher that is just to funny!I know it isn't nice to laugh at somebodies misfourtune.Glad you didn't suffer any permanent damage.Not that this has anything to with machinery.The other night was having trouble with brake caliper,had to strip it down.Well the 25 year old piston wasn't coming out.So I let the compresser build to 125psi and let her hail.Well it came out then.Needless to say my middle finger was in the way.Never saw my finger flatened out that much,since it was stuck.Had to get a screwdriver and pry the piston back.Gloves is a real dangerous thing around alot of equipment.Another thing is to clamp your work down.It only takes a split second for something bad to go down.

[plastikosmd]

No gloves around rotating machinery here

[Billy Golightly]

I had a rather close call with the vertical bandsaw and a finger on my left hand about 2 months ago (left a nice scar back behind the second knuckle). It sure can happen qiuck.

[tri again]

didn't some girl just get killed last week at yale or harvard running a lathe in the chem lab?

like a month before graduation...

Today I give slide guitar lessons to a lady who,
well,
let's just say bandsaw (billy)

She has tens of thousands of $$ worth of stringed instruments
and I met her when she started selling stuff so I'm going to meet her today
and show her how to play killer slide guitar withOUT ...well, you know.

[smokinwrench]

Yep carelessness and gloves caused it! If he wouldn't have had gloves on it never would have happened. I can't blame it on the gloves though, it was pure carelessness that caused it and getting complacent with a machine.

[Dirtcrasher]

Hey, gloves do serve a purpose. I've done allot of careless/reckless drilling on the press (naked handed) just being so comfortable with it (which is when most accidents happen.)

Once your into a 1/2" drill bit plus, it gets dangerous. And of course, a dull drill that causes you to be impatient is worse than a properly sharpened and ground one.......

Even my lathe, the on/off switch is too far away. It probably won't kill me (not powerful enough - "knock on steel") but I need an E-stop that is allot closer to my hands. My mill on the other hand, would tear a digit or my arm off easily; No slip there.

I've had 3/4" drill bits grab a 1/2" thick plate and I just let it go and it whacks the post, slips the belt or breaks the bit.

I have FINALLY learned my lesson with safety glasses. Once you get steel in your eye, imbedded for a couple days, you learn your lesson even with tiny ground bits/shavings from a dremel or sanding disc. I have got my eye good numerous times over the years and it's usually because my safety glasses or shield are filthy/scratched/blotchy etc and I can't see with them on. Now I bag them as soon as I'm done with them to keep them clean, or replace them...... Steel in your eye is extremely painful and I can usually tolerate some good injuries. Not my eye though.

Great reminder topic, just be careful guys. Tools can get you when your least expecting it.......... I am far too comfortable with the majority of my tools merely from years of positive experiences. However, I highly advise being as safe as possible!

[willreed03]

Ugh eye injuries are the worst...I never used to wear safety glasses until I had to take a few trips to the eye doctor for scratched eye/lens...worst irritating pain ever. Then you get the ultimate insult of the eye patch for a week or two. Now I wear my safety glasses all the time, sometimes I forget to take them off and just wear them around...fashion statement.

[UncleBubbles]

Hey, gloves do serve a purpose. I've done allot of careless/reckless drilling on the press (naked handed) just being so comfortable with it (which is when most accidents happen.)

Once your into a 1/2" drill bit plus, it gets dangerous. And of course, a dull drill that causes you to be impatient is worse than a properly sharpened and ground one.......

Even my lathe, the on/off switch is too far away. It probably won't kill me (not powerful enough - "knock on steel") but I need an E-stop that is allot closer to my hands. My mill on the other hand, would tear a digit or my arm off easily; No slip there.

I've had 3/4" drill bits grab a 1/2" thick plate and I just let it go and it whacks the post, slips the belt or breaks the bit.

I have FINALLY learned my lesson with safety glasses. Once you get steel in your eye, imbedded for a couple days, you learn your lesson even with tiny ground bits/shavings from a dremel or sanding disc. I have got my eye good numerous times over the years and it's usually because my safety glasses or shield are filthy/scratched/blotchy etc and I can't see with them on. Now I bag them as soon as I'm done with them to keep them clean, or replace them...... Steel in your eye is extremely painful and I can usually tolerate some good injuries. Not my eye though.

Great reminder topic, just be careful guys. Tools can get you when your least expecting it.......... I am far too comfortable with the majority of my tools merely from years of positive experiences. However, I highly advise being as safe as possible!

You and I think alike, but I have my belt set just tight enough to turn most bits but when it grabs I can hold it back.

I had steel sparks from a grinder in my eye for a week without knowing, my god that is the worst pain ever. Eye patch for 3 weeks.

[Jason Hall]

I had a 9" grinder grab my sweatshirt when I was about 19 years old. I was grinding the back of a truck frame that I just cut off. I went to turn the grinder over to sit It on the floor, when all the sudden It grabbed my baggy shirt. Within 1 split second the grinder was wrapped In my shirt up to my Neck! I'm lucky as heck It didn't kill me.

I just had another close call on my lathe at home. My dumb ass was pulling long thin shavings off a flywheel weight I was making. Next thing I knew my thumb made a popping sound, I yanked It back just In time to see a bone deep slice all the way across the tip of my thumb. I was lucky again. I won't pull shaving's EVER again!!!

Glad your co worker Is OK!!

[Dirtcrasher]

^ I've been cut that way also Jason; Now I keep needle nose pliers at the lathe.......

[1grindking]

metal in the eye SUCKS i hope every1 wears eye protection unless you want a dentist drill grinding on your eye ball (not fun!!!) & we are not aloud to wear gloves at work. we build wooden furniture. bout 2 weeks ago i was drilling some holes in some hard wood & the bit stuck when i lifted the bit out & it pulled the 8in piece of wood out of my hand & started spining really fast so i covered my chest with my left arm & killed the drill press with my right hand... but just as i did the bit broke, the wood bounced off my left arm twice befor flying across the room about 30-40ft. im just glad it only hit me & not some unexpecting coworker i would probly be looking for a new job & could not live with my self knowing i caused some1 getting hurt!

im glad you guys are ok!!!

[Dirtcrasher]

Maybe I should change my user name to Weedwhacker instead of Dirtcrasher :lol: