knew it was stupid...and did it anyways

Whiskey · May 27, 2004

learn from my blunder:

I had a major brain fart last night and for a split second I thought it was going to cost me a finger.

Pulled about 450' of field fencing this past weekend, I tend to check the corners post every couple of days to make sure my packing job on the post is holding up and while I'm out there I'll "pluck" a couple spots on the wire to make sure it's still good and tight.

Last night I was finnishing up turning the compost pile and thought I would drive down the fence line and "pluck" a couple of spots on the fence.....while still on the tractor!....major stupid idea. Wedding band cought the fence on the palm side of my finger and dug the other side into my finger in a split second, thank god for seat belts or I think it would have pulled me off the tractor.

Now before I get and ear full of...."yepper that was stupid" I know........

even though a tractor it thought of as a slow lumbering piece of equipment....things happen fast!

Soundguy · May 27, 2004

You aready know it was a bad idea.. so no need to 'slap' you with it.

Glad you DIDN'T loose your finger. Considder this your 'good' deed safety announcement.

Soundguy

EastTexFrank · May 27, 2004

Yea, it's so easily done and happens so fast. I've worked with companies who actually forbade the wearing of rings in the workplace for that very reason. I know that mine has hung up a few times over the years ... nothing serious, still have the finger, but it has been cut, bruised and battered.

DaveNay · May 27, 2004

I used to work with a guy that got his ring caught on the latching bolt of a common interior door in his house! He swung the door shut, and his ring got caught and actually tore the gold at the thin point in the inside. Rings in general can be dangerous, and I have been in many many factories that do not allow them to be worn in the machine areas. Neck ties and watches are also pretty dangerous around machinery.

Dave

TCowner · May 27, 2004

A friend of mine was working on his car around the battery. His left ring finger happen to be resting on the positive battery post when a wrench accidentally came in contact with the negative post and his wedding ring which was in full contact with the positive post.

The ring almost "melted" into his finger. Of course his first reaction was to try and remove the ring. Now not only does he have a burnt left ring finger he has a burnt thumb and forefinger on his right hand.

The moral of the story is this. Only wear the wedding ring on anniversaries or special ocassions. Otherwise, keep it in the house.

KubotaSteve · May 27, 2004

I've been there done that. I was help cleaning up the local ruritan club lot and we were taking out old horse shoe pits. I was pulling the pegs (about 3 feet long) out with the 3 pt hitch on the tractor and went to throw one of the pegs to the side. The top of the beg (flattened out from driving it in with a sledge hammer) caught my wedding band and spun it around slicing my finger quite deep. Trying to get it off to care for the wound was the hardest part as the finger was bleeding pretty bad and swelling. Lesson learned for me, either take the wedding band off or wearing leather gloves.
Glad you didn't loose your finger.

Big_A · May 27, 2004

I need to get the misses to read this post. I have never worn any jewelry of any kind since I saw the training videos of mangled fingers and such in the service. I am an electrician and there is no way you could get me to wear a ring or a watch.

I tried explaining all this to the other half and she said I didn't wear the ring because I didn't love her. Of course 15 yrs later she knows better (I think).

higgy · May 27, 2004

When I managed a decontamination busness I did not allow any of my employees to ware jewlery for this very reason. After I left the new manager relaxed that rule. On of the people that wored for me then the new manager started to ware his ring at his wifes request.

He jumped off the back of a large truck and the ring caught, this gloved his finger (removed all of the skin and mussle). He lost the finger.

He told me that he wished that I had never left and he still had his finger.

This person was a very good and talented employee.

Dane

GerardC · May 27, 2004

I NEVER wear jewelry when I'm in or around the house. No watch, no nothing. At work, just a watch (I'm a driver/courier). Only when I'm going out do I put some jewelry on.

Learned that as an apprentice in the Tool and Die/ Mold making industry from a man they called, "Stubby". G