Using bucket as work platform.

[patrick_g]

I knew and predicted that I would take a lot of flack for what I said but felt bound to rail against dangerous activities and procedures. Im not at all interested in stifling discussion and comment. We are all free to say what we will.

Maybe I'm not a very clever and or persuasive author and certainly rubbed a few folks the wrong way. I am not at all surprised by some of the comments. Whenever a group feels attacked (and I was apparently viewed as confrontational while trying to be frank) there is a tendency to form a circle with backsides in the center and lowered horns to the outside for mutual protection.

Relax guys, I'm not making a personal attack on anyone. I tried to make a strong case against dangerous practices that often lead to injury and death. I knew there would be a backlash as few adult men like to permit even the remote appearance of being scolded, which was not my intention anyway.

I wish you all well doing whatever it is you feel you can do and get away with. I sure don't want anyone to get hurt to prove my point.

If you repeat behaviors with a distinct probablility of bad outcomes often enough you will most likely suffer a bad outcome. There should be no serious debate as to the reality of statistics gathered by insurance companies.

No one thinks Russian roulette is safe but what if it were not a six shooter involved but a thousand shooter or a million shooter? At some point the risk is pretty small and if there were an upside you might think the gain worth the risk. There is a reason owner's manuals tell operators not to do certain things.

I have watched several video interviews of just plain men and women who in one brief unguarded moment were injured operating their tractors and implements or who had others injured. Some of these videos were quite grisly if you have much imagination since some of those interfiewed were quite disfigured and had missing or inoperative body parts.

Too bad none of these folks were available to take part in this discussion. Maybe a first hand report from someone who has been there and done that and suffered mightily for it would make more headway than a concerned citizen like me with my paultry powers of persuasion.

It could have been worse...the topic could have been smoking and related health issues!

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Pat...Don't sweat it.. you got off easy... Chck out some of the other safety-discussion/debates/flamewars... Makes WWII look like a police action..

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I knew and predicted that I would take a lot of flack for what I said but felt bound to rail against dangerous activities and procedures. Im not at all interested in stifling discussion and comment. We are all free to say what we will.

Maybe I'm not a very clever and or persuasive author and certainly rubbed a few folks the wrong way. I am not at all surprised by some of the comments. Whenever a group feels attacked (and I was apparently viewed as confrontational while trying to be frank) there is a tendency to form a circle with backsides in the center and lowered horns to the outside for mutual protection.

Relax guys, I'm not making a personal attack on anyone. I tried to make a strong case against dangerous practices that often lead to injury and death. I knew there would be a backlash as few adult men like to permit even the remote appearance of being scolded, which was not my intention anyway.

I wish you all well doing whatever it is you feel you can do and get away with. I sure don't want anyone to get hurt to prove my point.

If you repeat behaviors with a distinct probablility of bad outcomes often enough you will most likely suffer a bad outcome. There should be no serious debate as to the reality of statistics gathered by insurance companies.

No one thinks Russian roulette is safe but what if it were not a six shooter involved but a thousand shooter or a million shooter? At some point the risk is pretty small and if there were an upside you might think the gain worth the risk. There is a reason owner's manuals tell operators not to do certain things.

I have watched several video interviews of just plain men and women who in one brief unguarded moment were injured operating their tractors and implements or who had others injured. Some of these videos were quite grisly if you have much imagination since some of those interfiewed were quite disfigured and had missing or inoperative body parts.

Too bad none of these folks were available to take part in this discussion. Maybe a first hand report from someone who has been there and done that and suffered mightily for it would make more headway than a concerned citizen like me with my paultry powers of persuasion.

It could have been worse...the topic could have been smoking and related health issues!

Pat

There's this concept of "a perfect world", where we can do everything by the book. Then there's "the real world". That's where the rest of us are forced to live. We have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. That too can be done SAFELY.

I'm all about being safe as opposed to being obsessed with saftey rules. There is a HUGE difference. Following individual saftey mandates won't protect you nearly as well as being a saftey consious person. All the "certifications" and OSHA compliance in the world doesn't automatically protect you.

COMMON SENSE. BE ALERT. THINK.

 

[CDsdad]

I like to keep my risks as low as reasonably practical. There are times when I have to make a conscious decision and after identifying potential consequences, do what I have to do. I figure standing in my bucket is no more dangerous than driving a vehicle. I won't get under the bucket, though. Sometimes it doesn't matter how careful or conservative you are. Stuff happens.

 

[N80]

No one thinks Russian roulette is safe but what if it were not a six shooter involved but a thousand shooter or a million shooter? At some point the risk is pretty small and if there were an upside you might think the gain worth the risk. There is a reason owner's manuals tell operators not to do certain things.

That's just it. There are a wide variety if tractor users out there. For some, the "Do Not Take Internally" label on the gas can is an epiphany.
But many, if not most, of us here can weigh the risks and benefits of our actions. The guy who is prone to drink from the gas can should never consider using his FEL as a work platform. For those who understand the risks involved, then it is a calculated risk. And we all live with calculated risks everyday. And making blanket statements about how things should be done to folks who are experts at what they do (and I'm not claiming to be a member of that group when it comes to tractors) is liable to generate some heat. (I know, I've done it myself ).

I will agree with you that even those with vast experience do have to be careful with what they say because this site attracts a lot of noobs, like myself, who might not understand the risks invloved. It certainly might be better for them to hear "never do this" than "I do that all the time" if they don't have enough knowledge to sort out how to strike a middle ground between these extremes.

I apologize for this post taking this direction. It was bound to, but when I originally posted I was really just curious about how dedicated man-lifts were safer than an FEL. That question was answered.

 

[vmarc]

Most accidents happen in the home.Most head injuries happen in the bath tub or shower......I may stink but I'm not stupid.

 

[rico304]

Most accidents happen in the home.Most head injuries happen in the bath tub or shower......I may stink but I'm not stupid.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
NOW THAT IS FUNNY!!

 

[Soundguy]

Every time I see one of those product liability labels / consumer protection labels.. I jsut have to chuckle.. but then when i think about it.. it's pretty sad. In all likely hood, that decal is there in response to that company being sued... Things like.. do not pick mower deck up by hand to use to trim hedges.. etc.. that sort of thing. Regretably.. they probably had that happen. My push mower deck is almost completely covered by decals... Must save some money on paint i guess..

Soundguy

That's just it. There are a wide variety if tractor users out there. For some, the "Do Not Take Internally" label on the gas can is an epiphany.
But many, if not most, of us here can weigh the risks and benefits of our actions. The guy who is prone to drink from the gas can should never consider using his FEL as a work platform. For those who understand the risks involved, then it is a calculated risk. And we all live with calculated risks everyday. And making blanket statements about how things should be done to folks who are experts at what they do (and I'm not claiming to be a member of that group when it comes to tractors) is liable to generate some heat. (I know, I've done it myself ).

I will agree with you that even those with vast experience do have to be careful with what they say because this site attracts a lot of noobs, like myself, who might not understand the risks invloved. It certainly might be better for them to hear "never do this" than "I do that all the time" if they don't have enough knowledge to sort out how to strike a middle ground between these extremes.

I apologize for this post taking this direction. It was bound to, but when I originally posted I was really just curious about how dedicated man-lifts were safer than an FEL. That question was answered.

 

[schmism]

i only skimmed the last couple of pages... but from the tone it looked as if you guys were debetateing the finer points of safty <pppppfffffttttt>

i had a great use of my bucket as work platform this past weekend. wanted to put some plastic on a couple of the windows in that are in area of the scarry house out on the property we actually use (bathroom and kitchen both have small baseboard heaters now to keep the plubming from freeezeing)

anyway the windows were at about 7' i could reach the bottoms confrontably but needed a small 2' boost to easly reach the tops....

i had the tractor out and the 5' wide flat bucket is so much nicer to stand in than having my step latter sink into the soft dirt/mud around the dirt and become unstable.

so ya i could have pulled out the 5' scaffolding set up some 2x2' squares of plywood for the feet, and been all "safe" about it with my fall arest harness... but the hr of prep for the 10 min it took for me to put the plastic up wouldnt have been worth it when the bucket works just fine!

say what you want... see me sitting hear with my fingers in my hears singing to myself (ie im not listing)



call me a rebel... (i even drive around with the ROPS folded down... gasp... i know!)

 

[N80]

I have a fancy digital camera. Right next to the viewfinder there is a little dial to adjust the focus in the viewfinder if your vision is poor or you wear glasses. In the manual detailing how to adjust this there is a big warning block in bold print advising that you not poke yourself in the eye with your finger while making an adjustment.

On my tractor next to the fuel filler hole there is (was) a decal there indicating that diesel fuel can ignite and burn. Now, if I was a liability lawyer, I'd make some hay with that one. Anyone who doesn't know that fuel will burn is likely to hurt themselves in innumerable other ways on a machine as dangerous as a tractor. The lable should read:

Warning: Fuel is Flammable. If you did not know this prior to reading this label then you should not operate this or any other machinery, or mechanical device including but not limited to ball point pens.