Ouuuuuch!!!! (warning this is graphic!)

[PROS]

Hi,
Managed to do myself some damage over the weekend, writing this to remind all of us the importance of using safety equipment while working with power tools.

Working on the boat reno Sunday morning doing some dash work, I was shaping a thin aluminium plate to use as backing for the gauges. Managed to cut a hole on the plate and I was using a sanding disk on angle grinder to smooth the edges, holding the plate in my left hand while doing this.
Next thing grinder grabs the plate and BANG!
Big pain in my chest stunned me for a second, saw my tshirt all torn a part and blood everywhere I thought I managed to dislodge the disk in to my chest, checking it closely it was mostly surface damage with some small chunks of deeper penetration but nothing looked serious.
That's when I couldn't figure out where the pool of blood was coming from on the ground, then I saw the damage to my finger.
Long story short, this is how it looked like it the emergency,
IMG_5767.jpgIMG_5769.jpg

Left hand small finger cut along vertically including cutting the bone into two and through the nail.
Frankly I am very lucky to be limited to this damage only. Could have been a horizontal cut easily chopping 3-4 fingers clean out. The piece landed on my chest could have easily go up into my face taking an eye or two out, even worse if it went down to crown jewels.

I am not an amateur with power tools, as part of being in trade we use it daily.
Most of the time would wear gloves and goggles. Working on my boat I think I was bit casual no gloves no goggles.

It all happened so quick there wasn't even time for a reaction.
Seeing many graphic pics of self inflicted damage on the internet from lures, trailers, etc... you could say I was quite arrogant, "what a silly bum" would be my general comment. Here I am in similar situation due to arrogance and laziness.

I hope this would be a reminder to all of us.

I would like to share also couple of very important lessons learnt regarding to readiness for a medical emergency.
- Should I call an ambulance or drive to hospital? We end up driving to hospital but both myself and wife werent ready to clearly identify which option to choose in which general scenario. I wasnt clear on damage to my chest also until I was at the hospital. My blood pressure dropped and vision disappeared for a while straight after accident including heavy sweating; clear indications of shock. Should this have been much worse, it would be helpful to be prepared.
- Which hospital to go to? We were always planned and prepped for our kids since they were born but found that we made no prior planning for us adults. Took us a while to figure out where to go in stressed out scenario.
- I always complained about how much private insurance cost for the family but yesterday it all come to be realised that there is no value to be put on health. I was quickly seen by doctors, stayed overnight, etc...

This is pretty much best case of a bad situation especially considering I earn the doe for my family with my hands.

They stitched me up yesterday and stayed overnight, Back to hospital again tomorrow for another operation to fix the nail properly. Doc reckon 6-8 weeks recovery time, finger will be usable probably bit out of shape.
Hurts like hell.

Max

[Funchy]

Yep, thanks for posting. Very good reminder that safety/PPE isnt for wusses it's what keeps us able to provide for our families and enjoy a decent quality of life

Hope for a speedy recover for ya mate.

[3rd degree]

Jeepers Max, you did well not to incur more damage.

thanks for sharing, and good luck with the recovery!

Cheers
jim

[Spaniard_King]

Max, I sympathise with you as I know how easily it is done. Almost lost my pinky when a Ubolt on a trailer broke with the trailer frame coming down jamming my hand beween the caliper and the frame. Doctors do a wonderful job stitching bits back on.

If your anything like me, you will be back before the 8 weeks

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks for the story and pics and a timely reminder, like this , is always welcome here.

I would say many of us do similar things... wear the right PPE at work but take home duties a bit more casual.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

cheers LP

[chris69]

Im feeling for you Max i can handle a cut but when it goes through the finger nail ouch i hope it all heals up well for you.

[Crunchy]

Ouch ouch ouch, speedy recovery mate

[Moonlighter]

Thats the second "angle grinder while holding the item to be cut in the other hand" injury i have seen in the past 2 weeks!

Indispensable tools, those grinders, but hell, they can make a mess of human flesh and bone!

Work colleague did much the same thing, cutting a bolt, when the grinder grabbed and the thin cutting disc shot up across the knuckle on his thumb, taking it down to the bone, via a couple of tendons. All in a millisecond.

All put back together now, but nasty.

Safety gear is pretty accessible too. A couple of years ago I was cutting steel colour bond to make a shed with circular saw and cutting disc, and of course not wearing safety glasses. Naturally, got some steel filings in the eye. Trip to specialist to get sorted. Luckily hadn't done permanent injury, was just very sore!

Glad you didn't do more damage. Good lesson for us all to remember. Thanks for posting.

[McKnight]

Hopefully you have a quick recovery mate. Hopefully we all take note and don't just gloss over this.

[robfish 1]

Max...I feel for you, having suffered some pretty horrendous damage over the years - and wish you a speedy recovery, but whilst we're on the topic of safety, I'd like to mention the safety subject of covering up in the sun.
We all know now, what the sun can do, but as of today, it's been brought home far more pointedly.
As a young guy, I felt invincible, and rarely bothered to cover up when out fishing. Sunburn? Nah - it's good for you! was always my motto.

Today I had a surgeon cut a melanoma from my back, taking a chunk around 7cm across, and about 4cm deep out of me, and there's more to follow over the next few months. Doc's diagnosis? Continued sunburn for many years was the culprit.

As the anesthetic wears off, I'm acutely aware of the fact that I should have covered up all those years ago! Hopefully they're only stage 1, which will enable a complete recovery - but the reason for this ramble, is to ensure that none of you have to go through what I've just had. It bloody hurts!
So please, guys, slip, slop and slap!

[Jsmfun]

I hope you have a speedy recovery mate you. hint for you now you have 6-8weeks free you might get good at the play station and give the kids a run for there money as you use your thumbs. I know I did when I cut the tops of my three middle fingers of

[sharkymark2]

Was about to have breakfast when i opened up your post.....might delay it awhile longer

[Dignity]

All the best on your recovery and your ideas posted, it's funny how at work it is bred into us about safety but at home we take the easy way out, I suspect it is because we are far more relaxed rather than some macho kind of thing. I think I would have taken the ambulance, in my case it is 2 mins up the road and the hospital next door, also the paramedics are very good and will treat you for shock etc.

I know the issues and damage caused by power tools only too well, interesting whenever I read the manual for most power tools it says to hold in both hands firmly, took me many lessons to work out why, last time I was drilling into concrete with one hand as I was trying to hold something up against the wall to protect it and as in your case the drill bit grabbed and the drill spun around twisting my arthritic fingers badly. Still hurts now 12 months later, I now get the missus some gloves, ear muffs and goggles and make her hold things for me if needed or use those vice grips if she isn't around.

Don't rush back into things too quickly as it is amazing how that arthritis seems to set into the places you have injured, take care.

[Crunchy]

I was sanding some metal with no goggles on and a tiny bit of rust landed in my eye, my eye cells grew over it and eventually I had a clitoris type thing growing out my eye, had to have surgery to remove it, very costly and freaky having eye surgery, I could see the scalpel coming down towards my eye but was too out of it to worry, yeh now I wear safety goggles.

[andoland]

There's a lot of mentions of being sure to wear PPE in the above replies but it's not just about PPE. The best protection is making the decisions to do things properly and not take short cuts. PPE helps only when something has gone wrong. In Max's case (not picking on you Max, it sounds like you've well and truly had a wake up call) clamping the workpiece before grinding would have stopped the accident from ever happening. I think we're all particularly bad at this sort of things at home, and we all have those moments where we think "I should put this in the vice, or get someone to help lift it (or whatever)...nah, she''l be right it's only a small or quick job" and next thing whammo we've hurt ourselves, then we go "dammit if only I'd spent 30 seconds to do it the proper way".