Eyes & Bungees

[mrutkaus]

A husband of a friend of a friend got blinded by a bungee cord breaking and the hook snapping into his eye. He wants to pass on the need for care in using bungee cords and the need for eye protection in general.

Mike

[bigtiller]

I am all for safety glasses! I had a trucker walk into my office one day with so much blood on his face and in his eyes it turned my stomach. He got hit from a broken bungee cord on his eye brow.

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by bigtiller

I am all for safety glasses! I had a trucker walk into my office one day with so much blood on his face and in his eyes it turned my stomach. He got hit from a broken bungee cord on his eye brow.

They scare me too.
Some things I watch:
Keep the tension as low as possible.
Get a good grip and hold on very tight when stretching it & be sure the other end is hooked securely.
Make certain ya got er hooked on good before letting go of the bungee.
Keep your face as far away from both ends as possible.
50 chevy 60 chevy Bx23
MY FIRST CAR http://chevy.tocmp.com/chevyscrapbook/files/kamp50.jpg 1950 Chevy
OUR FIRST CAR http://www.hubcapcafe.com/i/2001/storycty/chev6001.JPG 60 Chevy Impala Convertible front http://www.hubcapcafe.com/i/2001/storycty/chev6001a.JPG rear view
MY TRACTOR http://www.jenningsequipment.com/storepics/ksBX22.jpg BX23

[davitk]

Let me add to that list: throw away your bungees with cheap steel ends (they straighten) and buy high (er) quality bungees with adjustable plastic ends.

[Ridgewalker]

My wife is an ophthalmic photographer (She takes pix of eyeballs) and says that bungees are very, very dangerous causing many folks serious eye injures every year. Don't use them, wear glasses or otherwise take precautions so they don't get you. It's a much more common injury than many realize.

[N80]

I have bungees. Plenty of cheap ones too. But I hate them. They do almost nothing well. But they do a lot of things okay. Plus they are quick and easy. I guess that's the appeal.

[coobie]

Originally Posted by mrutkaus

A husband of a friend of a friend got blinded by a bungee cord breaking and the hook snapping into his eye. He wants to pass on the need for care in using bungee cords and the need for eye protection in general.

Mike

About 25 years ago I went with a few friends on a canoe trip we had BRAND NEW bungees to tie the canoes down with,I had one in my hand pulling it over to tie down the canoe and it broke in the weld.I spent the next two weeks in the local hostipal wondering if I would keep my eye.Thank god it turned out ok and I kept my sight.I use ropes and ratchit straps now.coobie

[40_acre_mule]

I've been riding motorcycles for 36 years and strapping stuff down with bungees for just as long.
Yes, I have let a few slip out of my hands, and they do snap back. But, on the other hand, I've never tried to stretch them to the absolute max. And I've never tried to use them to hold a heavy load.
Bungees work great for light loads and for maybe 80% (wag) tension. Too little tension and they come loose when you hit a bump (or the load slips out).
I would never use them to strap down something (especially anything heavy) on the back of a truck.
Still, they have held stuff in place for a 1000 mile trip on a motorcycle. Used smartly, they are not a problem.

[ToadHill]

Nothing but ratchet straps for me, I got rid of all my bungee's and bought 4 different sizes of good quality ratchet straps. The safety issue aside I had a tiller fall off the back of a trailer about 15 years ago when the bungee cords let go. I was lucky and nothing broke but that was the end of bungee cords for me.

[Soundguy]

I likethe black rubber ones with stiff -s- hookes.. but hate the fabric coated rubber thread ones witht he knot inthe end and the flimsy hooks.. at least if the black ones break. the hook stays put and a black belt just pops you.. the others sometime sthe knot slips.. or the hook straightens..

soundguy