Not so lucky Chainsaw accident

[Defective]

Rox,

Sorry to hear about the injury.

The best advice that can be had after the fact:

Next time the dressings are being changed, take a picture. Put the print where he will see it every time he reaches for the saw. This injury was entirely preventable and graphic evidence will, hopefully, prevent this kind of thing happening again.

I used to have a nasty picture of my well-smashed left hand posted on the wall above where I store my stack of blocks for supporting vehicles during repair. Every time I reached for a block, I stopped to think about what happens when a 3 ton truck comes off the jack. No injuries of that type in 10 years now. (Plus, I have a nice collection of proper stands now too...)

 

[BTDT]

Rox, so sorry for your husbands injury. Now about that trip to the states. I think you should tell him not to spray until you get back. Having 1 bad hand, working a standard on a steep hill sounds a little much for him to be taking on by himself. Hopefully he will have someone else there with him.

 

[jinman]

Rox, you are right about the "gut" feeling. Two weeks ago I was preparing to fry some okra and my gut feeling told me my oil was too hot, but my thermometer said 250º. So what did I do? I dropped the okra into the pan and caused a grease explosion.

A trip to the emergency room was my reward for not listening to that inner voice of caution. That grease must have been 450º and the thermometer is bad. I'm lucky that I only got 2nd degree burns on the back of my right hand.

I'm about healed up. I sure hope your husband heals soon and without difficulty. We'll both have something to remind us to be careful in the near future. It only takes an instant to do something silly.

 

[Mith]

Rox, hopefully Mr Rox is feeling a little better by now.

A good tip is to always keep both hands behind the saw. Unless you have a top handle saw you need 2 hands on the saw anyway. Using his foot would have indeed been better, especially if he was wearing steel toe cap boots.

 

[Soundguy]

That's your 'loader' hand.. hop you and rox's HB get well soon.

Soundguy

Rox, you are right about the "gut" feeling. Two weeks ago I was preparing to fry some okra and my gut feeling told me my oil was too hot, but my thermometer said 250º. So what did I do? I dropped the okra into the pan and caused a grease explosion.

A trip to the emergency room was my reward for not listening to that inner voice of caution. That grease must have been 450º and the thermometer is bad. I'm lucky that I only got 2nd degree burns on the back of my right hand.

I'm about healed up. I sure hope your husband heals soon and without difficulty. We'll both have something to remind us to be careful in the near future. It only takes an instant to do something silly.

 

[rox]

Thanks everybody although I am rather POed with him at the moment. We tried spraying together this afternoon after his doctor visit and it did not go well. I was walking behind the tractor with the lance and he was driving. i told him to stop and he wouldn't stop! Boy that ticked me off. he has his set way of dong it which works fine if you are doing it by yourself, however with tow of us, his "set way" caused a lot of extra walking and rolling out and rolling up the hose unesisarily (I know I spelled that one wrong) Mr. rox wouldn't listen so I walked back down that big hillside and let him do it himself. I have found that is the best way to not have a confontation, jsut walk away. Plus I was ticked off that he was sprayng with these stupid, well the equivelent of flip flops on. His excuse was, he can't get his shoes on with one hand. To me that was no excuse as all he had to do was ask me. he was so darned anxious about getting out there and spraying that he took off IMHO with unsafe clothing. The hillsides are rockyt lick heck. We always wear ankle protecting hiking boots because we are walking on loose rocks. he has one arm in a sling on a hillside in flip flops all becasue he doesn't want to take 5 minutes to put on his work shoes? AND this is immediatly after coming home from the doctor visit, and that aint going well either.

I feel empathy for people who truly have accidents; I am getting very intolerant of those who foolishly and recklessly ignore even basic safety precautions. So mr rox somehow with those stupid fip flops had to do all the spraying all by himself today. And he is going to keep having to do it all by himself until we wishes to work with me. I have waited on that man hand and foot while doing allt he outside work etc. etc. at least when I nicely say to stop the tractor, he can at least stop the tractor! I think everybody should save their sympathies for someone who deserves it. Hopefully you will benefit form this thread as a reminder to be careful around chainsaws. tonight is nto one of my better moments I cna't remember my last day off. think it is 3 weeks now but it might only be 2. I'm tired.

 

[escavader]

ROX,
Lucky is right,you never run a chain saw with one hand.It could very easily kick back one handed and hit your face.Glad he survived it.
ALAN

 

[DocHeb]

Rox, you are right about the "gut" feeling ...
A trip to the emergency room was my reward for not listening to that inner voice of caution.

There was a great article in Fine Homebuilding years ago that was written after one of the editors had a bad hand laceration from a saw. He asked for readers to write in with their injury experiences. Almost to a person they reported hearing that little (and sometimes too quiet) voice that said "you really shouldn't do that", but they thought extra attention would get them by. Since then I have asked every woodworker/carpenter/machinist that I've seen with a hand injury if they heard that little voice, and most have said they did but ignored it.

Sometimes it's good to listen to the voices in your head.

 

[Slippy]

Best regards and speedy recovery. All of us who post on this board seem to operate equipment that can be dangerous. I have many times reminded people to be safe. Get a new piece of equipment, tractor, loader, mower, chainsaw, auger, and the list goes on and on, means we are excited about the equipment doing a new job, or an old job that will now be easier, or even worse, expect to get it done faster. My farm is miles from any hospital. I constantly remind myself to go slow, think first, think second, and even a third time on some projects before I start equipment. Safety first...always!
The land we work has been here long before we were, and will be here long after we are gone...so why rush, it is not going anywhere. Your post should be a reminder to all of us. Thanks.

 

[HomeBrew2]

... His excuse was, he can't get his shoes on with one hand ....

Unless I'm really really serious, I don't put shoes on that require even ONE hand. Worst possible case is my pull-on Redwings ... only takes one hand when worn-in properly. I'm with your hubby, 'course I prefer to work, and live, alone anyway (done it the other way, twice)