Death involving splitting wedge and sledge...

[sixdogs]

I happened to read of an unusual accident involving a death of a guy splitting wood in his yard. It was in the Bangor (Maine) Daily News maybe a month back. He was hitting the steel wedge with a sledge and a piece flew off and hit the artery in his leg that matters. After he tried to run back to the house, he bled out and died on the lawn.
What is odd is that I saw something similar 40 years earlier when a friend and I were splitting wood. He got a piece of shrapnel in his leg, had it surgically removed and has problems to this day. Further, I saw the shrapnel thing again recently.
Having heated with wood in Maine for 25+ years I have cut and split maybe 300 to 400 cords of wood and a lot of it invloved a sledge and steel wedge. Many a piece of "shrapnel" flew off.
Now, I no longer use much wood but if I did would stick to plan "B" and find a different way to tempt the fate that follows us all.
Just offering this in hope of saving someone some agony.

 

[Ductape]

Sounds believeable to me. I also have a chunk of steel in my right thigh from splitting wood. I bled like a stuck pig for a bit, and drove myself to the hospital. After X-rays they told me it was too deep to remove without "real" surgery (i had no insurance at the time), and suggested i just leave it there. A couple shots later i was on my way home. Now i just have fun with it running my hand held metal detector over my leg for my friends!

Its very important to keep your wedges dressed properly (though dressing wasn't my problem). These peices of metal can end up in your eye, or worse (obviously). Stay safe out there !

 

[jimmyj]

Wow, this is shocking. I never realized a piece of a wedge be that dangerous except to your eye. When you talk about dressing your wedges, what exactly is the best stuff to do? Should I make sure to grind off any "mushroom" edges or cracked bits?

 

[MikeD74T]

My father had a dime sized piece come off a splitting wedge into his calf. Had it surgically removed. His xray showed over a dozen pieces of schrapnel left over from WWII. He flew in B24's in the Pacific. Said they often came back with small cuts & never gave them much thought. The Doc chided that with one more piece of metal in his body he'd never get past airport security again, & this was way before 9/11. MikeD74T

 

[Ductape]

Wow, this is shocking. I never realized a piece of a wedge be that dangerous except to your eye. When you talk about dressing your wedges, what exactly is the best stuff to do? Should I make sure to grind off any "mushroom" edges or cracked bits?

You hit the nail on the head. This will reduce pieces flying off greatly.

 

[LBrown59]

Sounds believeable to me. I also have a chunk of steel in my right thigh from splitting wood. I bled like a stuck pig for a bit, and drove myself to the hospital. After X-rays they told me it was too deep to remove without "real" surgery (i had no insurance at the time), and suggested i just leave it there. A couple shots later i was on my way home. Now i just have fun with it running my hand held metal detector over my leg for my friends!

Its very important to keep your wedges dressed properly (though dressing wasn't my problem). These peices of metal can end up in your eye, or worse (obviously). Stay safe out there !

A frind of mine lost an eye like that several yers ago splitting wood .
They had to remove his eye and put in a glass eye.
You have to watch this with steel chisels too.
Always wear good quality safety glasses

 

[EdC]

This sure will make me a lot more careful the next time I use a wedge. 95% of my splitting is done with a splitting maul. Last year I was swacking the back of a hand axe with a four pound maul since one arm was out of commision. If that ever happens again I'll borrow or buy a hydraulic splitter.

 

[Bedlam]

Definitely grind or burn the edges off. same as with chisels in the garage.But we often pick one up and say well thats a job for later I'm just gonna hit a few. and never get them cleaned back .

 

[Skyco]

Many years ago I worked in a boat shop as an after school/summer part-timer. We used to routinely remove the bearing caps from boat axles with a claw hammer. The claws are stuck in the edge of the sheet metal cap where it meets the cast iron hub...a few wacks on the head of the claw hammer with another hammer and they usually popped right off. Had a stubborn one one day so I was really wacking the two hammer faces together...one hammer chipped and shot the piece into my arm, pretty deep but I got it out with some needle nose pliers. Back in those days we never messed with safety goggles and probably didn't even know not to strike two hammers together. I'm wiser now

 

[LBrown59]

Many years ago I worked in a boat shop as an after school/summer part-timer. We used to routinely remove the bearing caps from boat axles with a claw hammer. The claws are stuck in the edge of the sheet metal cap where it meets the cast iron hub...a few wacks on the head of the claw hammer with another hammer and they usually popped right off. Had a stubborn one one day so I was really wacking the two hammer faces together...one hammer chipped and shot the piece into my arm, pretty deep but I got it out with some needle nose pliers. Back in those days we never messed with safety goggles and probably didn't even know not to strike two hammers together. I'm wiser now

I've done that

 

[shane]

You guys are hitting on (pardon pun) two things my high school ag/shop teacher used to preach about back in the 80's. Never hit two hammers together and always keep wedges and chisels dressed.

Also, I never dreamed about being able to bleed out so quick until one day it almost happened to a concrete subcontractor on a job. He was stepping across one of his forms that was held in place by a big metal rod/pin. The pin was mushroomed from years of being hammered into the ground. He accidentally brush his leg against the sharp pin and cut his calf. He just about bled to death in a matter of minutes. He was able to get to a close by hospital.

 

[PILOON]

You'll notice that cold chissels and punches are always ground somewhat tapered at the striking face!
That's how you should grind or 'dress' them to prevent flying chips.
Simply periodically hold them to a grinding wheel or disk and spin the tool to grind off the mushroom edges.

 

[slowzuki]

Chisels are the usual problem with flying mushroom pieces. I know health and safety look for that.

When ever I'm chainsawing I keep something to make a tourniquet, never thought of it while splitting although I often wear my saw pants with the kevlar while splitting.

 

[CBW1999]

A lot of good talk about tool maintenance to prevent injury, but we all know that no matter what we do- "Murphy's law" will come into play.

Several good examples of someone bleeding, but no mention of anyone having a first aid kit with them. We invest thousands of dollars into our equipment, but seldom think that maybe 5 dollars worth of bandaging material would save a life! Severe blood loss does happen quickly, but applying direct pressure, even with your hand will help slow and most likely stop bleeding.

...OK so call me a Zealot! In the real world I am an EMS Field Supervisor for an Ambulance Service. So, I have Tons of supplies, equipment etc with me or around me all the time. I also have the direct experience of seeing both sides of how this scenario may play out.

I would encourage everyone to make the investment in a simple first aid kit. Nothing elaborate, just some gauze pads, roller gauze and triangular bandages (cravats) maybe even some band aids (ok...yes I have band aids and no- i don't stop to use them....on myself at least). Stuff it in a quart size freezer bag and presto!- The ability to save a life.

All of this stuff can be bought at the local drug store, the few minutes and few dollars are well worth it.

 

[DWCox]

A lot of good talk about tool maintenance to prevent injury, but we all know that no matter what we do- "Murphy's law" will come into play.

Several good examples of someone bleeding, but no mention of anyone having a first aid kit with them. We invest thousands of dollars into our equipment, but seldom think that maybe 5 dollars worth of bandaging material would save a life! Severe blood loss does happen quickly, but applying direct pressure, even with your hand will help slow and most likely stop bleeding.

...OK so call me a Zealot! In the real world I am an EMS Field Supervisor for an Ambulance Service. So, I have Tons of supplies, equipment etc with me or around me all the time. I also have the direct experience of seeing both sides of how this scenario may play out.

I would encourage everyone to make the investment in a simple first aid kit. Nothing elaborate, just some gauze pads, roller gauze and triangular bandages (cravats) maybe even some band aids (ok...yes I have band aids and no- i don't stop to use them....on myself at least). Stuff it in a quart size freezer bag and presto!- The ability to save a life.

All of this stuff can be bought at the local drug store, the few minutes and few dollars are well worth it.

That's a really good idea.

 

[peterc38]

I happened to read of an unusual accident involving a death of a guy splitting wood in his yard. It was in the Bangor (Maine) Daily News maybe a month back. He was hitting the steel wedge with a sledge and a piece flew off and hit the artery in his leg that matters. After he tried to run back to the house, he bled out and died on the lawn.
What is odd is that I saw something similar 40 years earlier when a friend and I were splitting wood. He got a piece of shrapnel in his leg, had it surgically removed and has problems to this day. Further, I saw the shrapnel thing again recently.
Having heated with wood in Maine for 25+ years I have cut and split maybe 300 to 400 cords of wood and a lot of it invloved a sledge and steel wedge. Many a piece of "shrapnel" flew off.
Now, I no longer use much wood but if I did would stick to plan "B" and find a different way to tempt the fate that follows us all.
Just offering this in hope of saving someone some agony.

Here is a link to the story.

Monticello man killed in wood splitting accident - Bangor Daily News

 

[gumper48]

Several years ago a hunting buddys dad, an older gentleman was working on his front porch and had wired the blade guard back on the skil saw to cut some boards. After a cut he felt dizzy, they guess, and sat down on a step with the saw still juiced, the saw landed in the most logical place, his lap, cut the major artery. His wife was close by and saw him sit down, they live about 35 minutes from and towns, wasn't much she could do but watch.
Lord help us.

keith

 

[Soundguy]

Makes me want to wear my chainsaw chaps when splitting wood.

( yes.. we use a lil wood here in florida.. though not much.. )

soundguy

 

[Conservation]

My grandfather was principal of a small school many years ago. He was hanging a picture after basketball practice (he was the coach too). It was a metal frame, and one of the kids was helping. The frame suddenly fell apart, and swiped across his jugular, severing it. He stuffed a nearby rag into the wound and gave his car keys to the kid to drive him to the hospital. The kid proptly passed out. He took back the keys, drove himself to the hospital, and spent a lot of time there recovering after surgery. This was before the time of common transfusions, so the recovery was many months. I had heard this story a bunch of times, and thought it was exatuarated. Then I met the guy who passed out. He said it was spot on.
I never knew about the mushroomed heads having to be dressed. Learned something today here!

 

[sixdogs]

With the talk of first aid here I'll mention I had a close call about 20 years ago in rural Maine. I jumped off the tractor (1987 Ford 2110) and caught my leg on the loader frame. Tore a big, and I mean big gash in my leg and blood was everywhere.
When you have to think fast, you do and I used duct tape to hold everything together until my daughter could get me to the clinic.
Not sure about duct tape but the doc said he was sure glad I used it. I now try to have duct tape handy in the barn just in case.