Injuries?

[Anonymous]

After reading a few previous threads on injuries, I started to wonder what constitutes as an injury.

As a pro wood worker I have suffered a few "injuries" over the years but do not class them as injuries in my mind, maybe cuts at most. I have probably had 20 stitches in 4 cuts in the last 10 years, all inflicted with sharp chisels, I have also cut myself where I knew it required stitches but couldn't face a four hour wait in a&e, so didn't go and took my chances. I have never had a day off due to injury.

So heres my definition of injury,

A BAD CUT; there are 2 very distinct body parts, totally seperate, or if still attached the little bit is extremely wobbly.

A FALL; minimum height of at least 3ft, body needs to attain a perfect horizontal position, with all parts of the body of the ground at the same time, with a forward speed of 10mph+, also carrying 2cu timber.

A SPLINTER; minimum size, 15mm, strategically placed under the nail.

BRUISING; Does not count, unless accompanied by broken bones.

BROKEN BONES; do not count, if minor ones, i.e. fingers and toes.

etc

 

[nickson71]

What happens when the small cut that does not count goes all bloated and starts oozing ................ resulting in antibotics at the best and amputation at the worst?

 

[Scrit]

What happens when the small cut that does not count goes all bloated and starts oozing ................ resulting in antibotics at the best and amputation at the worst?

Are you trying to say that your First Aid kit doesn't include an amputation saw and leather gag? :roll: :lol:

In the average week on the bench you'll inevitably pick up one or two cuts, especially when handling melamine-faced materials, together with the occassional blood blister. They're hardly what many bench workers would regard as injuries, myself included.

Other "non-injuries" I've had include planing 3mm off a finger tip with a power planer (nearly 30 years back), split fingers several times when something heavy was dropped on them (generally lumps of timber) and allergic reaction to wood dusts, in particular a batch of dark red (Cuban?) mahogany a few years back.

What I class as personal injuries I've "accrued" include 13 stitches/20 lacerations in my left thumb (1 day off work), reconstructive surgery on my right thumb (2 days in hospital, then a further 1 day off) and a few gashed fingers which have dripped for a day or two but required no stitches, although they did hurt for a heck of a lot longer. Both the thumbs required several months to heal but they didn't stop me working, although they did slow me down at times - that's what running your own show means.

A good friend of mine is an upholsterer and when we were talking about this a week or so back he mentioned that it is not unknown for people in his trade to stitch themselves to covers then are making or even staple themselves onto frames, normally through the web between thumb and finger. Not life-threatening, but apparently very painful.

Scrit

 

[Alf]

What happens when the small cut that does not count goes all bloated and starts oozing ................

You're immediately banned from posting any pictures... :lol:

Cheers, Alf

Who's leaving this thread, quick, before the battle scar comparisons start.

 

[9fingers]

How does this rate on the sale then?

Planing off the top surface of middle finger from nail to second knuckle.

4 operations to fix it. Flesh supplied from adjacent finger, skin grafts as needed from forearm and tendon transplant from my thigh.

Brilliant surgeon, first class physio, all NHS - can't fault them.

All 10 fingers working now so maybe I should change my ID?

Original offcuts found in the machine during post-op cleaning upsome weeks later but a bit dried up by then so not offered to medical science!


Bob

 

[Fecn]

BRUISING; Does not count, unless accompanied by broken bones.

BROKEN BONES; do not count, if minor ones, i.e. fingers and toes.

Now I know what a 'REAL MAN' is ... I can see you now like something out of the movies... staggering out of the warzone covered with blood and minus a few body parts... "Pah.. It is just a flesh wound.. Back to work"

By your definitions, I don't think I've ever suffered an 'injury' in my life. All my woodworking injuries to date have been things like 'jabbed myself in the hand with the corner of my set square'

 

[JFC]

Now I know what a 'REAL MAN' is ... I can see you now like something out of the movies... staggering out of the warzone covered with blood and minus a few body parts... "Pah.. It is just a flesh wound.. Back to work"

You forgot to add " did i get any blood on the wood " :lol:

 

[Scrit]

You forgot to add "did I get any blood on the wood " :lol:

I've always found that the most amazing thing about (trade) woodworkers - never mind if your hand is hanging off, have you marked the work? Just how do you get blood out of oak? Will the iron in the blood react with the tannin to cause a black stain? :shock:

The messiest one I ever saw first hand was a builder I did some worked for in the 1980s who was in the habit of holding onto pieces of wood in one hand and chiselling away in the other. He was very lucky not to have severed an artery when the chisel slipped, although the size of the slick on the floor was huge. Even with a tourniquet and holding his hand up he still lost more than a pint of blood before getting to hospital. And all with a 2in chisel, no power required....

Who's leaving this thread, quick, before the battle scar comparisons start.

So you don't want to play "my scar's bigger'n your scar" then? :twisted: I actually had much worse injuries during my many years as a biker - but then I've never heard of anyone falling off a spindle moulder at 60mph :wink:

Scrit

 

[nickson71]

The best scar (not that it's much) I got when falling of a push bike when I was a kid.........

I guess there still time to "improve" the collection :shock:

 

[Amateurrestorer]

Reminds me of the old story about the old lad who gets an ear chopped off during a spindle moulder accident and when they dug the ear out of a pile of shavings denied it was his because it did'nt have a pencil behind it. Anyway talking about injuries try playing sport past your sell by date. I have had more stitches than the Bayeux tapestry.

 

[Roger]

have you marked the work? Just how do you get blood out of oak? Will the iron in the blood react with the tannin to cause a black stain?

Just what I was thinking! There you are, working away and you start to see blood stains all over the wood. Oh! I must have cut myself somewhere, so frantic checking to see what if any vital parts are damaged :shock:

Nothing major (on the wood working side yet) apart from that little 'thump' when a saw blade connects with some exposed piece of hand and you slowly look down to see what's still there/not still there!

 

[MrJay]

I classify injury as any damage or hurt caused to a person, because that's what the word means. As a professional gardener I injure myself very very rarely, though I did bang my head on the tailgate of my new motorised carriage during the week and there was some bleeding.

 

[DomValente]

Or, you've been ripping for half an hour, your eyes glaze your mind wanders for a millisecond and..............kickback and you're standing in the wrong place and the piece of timber hits you, for a few seconds nothing and then the pain, oh God the pain

 

[tim]

I've been shot. Does that count?

Cheers

Tim

 

[Roger]

Well if you're going to count those type of things ............ :!:

 

[Scrit]

I've been shot. Does that count?

Only if it was by a wooden gun!

Scrit

 

[Anonymous]

I've been shot. Does that count?

Cheers

Tim

Ok, I accept being shot is an injury, not sure it would warrant a day off though. :lol:

 

[pidgeonpost]

Worst 'woodworking' injury I got was when aged 15 I was helping to break up some very worm-eaten church pews and panelling. I stood on one pew and jumped down onto some old framework that was tougher than it looked. The framework broke OK, but I found I couldn't move my right foot. A moments examination revealed a very large cut nail sticking up through the top of my boot. It didn't hurt at all...for a few seconds. Took ages before I could walk without a limp. Lesson learned there....

 

[tim]

Ok, I accept being shot is an injury, not sure it would warrant a day off though.

It was work related although different job and d'you know what - I didn't get a day off!

Cheers

Tim

 

[RogerS]

Discovered this evening while cooking the Saturday gastronomic repast that mandolines and thumbs do not mix ...not quite a trip to A&E but enough to keep me grounded woodworking-wise for a couple of days