Angle Grinder Accident - Could Have Been Much Worse

[Boothy]

Now here's a real horror story,

Left alone in my garage/workshop one Saturday morning, the Grippenfurher safely away at work, the kids (big teenagers) fast asleep in bed, just me and my faithfull German Shepherd dog and a chassis in the garage that needs grinding, outriggers etc removing and generally getting ready for conversion to my new Challenge truck.

My faithfull series 2a V8 at the time was driven up to the doors outside to protect the garage from unwanted visitors, that the scene roughly set.

Soon with the grinding/cutting quite happily underway, when a few discs later "it's getting a bit smokey in here Boothy my old son" I thought, dogs vanished outside re-educating the local feline population who's in charge around here, now at this point the smoke was getting decididly thicker and very noxious.

It was at this point when it dawned on me that I had set fire to the bleedin' washing basket on the floor by the tumble drier, left in there again despite repeated warnings to the brains of the outfit what could happen, and here it is in all it's glory fully ablaze and spreading to the resident pile of rags and overalls etc.

This in turn has started the polystrene tiles that I had glued to the ceiling some years previous when I wintered my Koi carp in there, dipping and giving off the foulest fumes you could imagine, abandon ship, use the fire extinguisher (which I always have free to use) to put out the worst, then run through the house in sheer panic to move the series from the door to enable me to open it and vent the garage.

Proper scared me to death of what could have happened, if I had not got the extinuisher handy, if I had been overcomeby the fumes, trapped in the corner, roasted fido, spread to the house, all sorts of terrible outcomes could have occurred.

But no harm done thank goodness, except the biggest woe of the whole tail, IT WAS ALL HER CLOTHING IN THE BASKET,

The cost to replace was horriffic and the chauffer driving and smiling and following her silently around countless retail stores to replace my moment of lapse,

yes my friends you can argue "she had been warned", but believe you me that counts for nothing, she has you totally and utterly to blame for a long time and at great expense to the project.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR PPE AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT TO HAND AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, please, you know it makes sense.

Boothy

[Turbocharger]

Guess who just bought a full-face polycarb mask?

[Night Train]

Not motoring related but given that I am usually overly H&S aware I was rather peeved to fall through the floor I was rebuilding at a friend's house yesterday.

I am now sporting a dinner plate sized bruise and graze on the back of my right thigh where all my weight landed on the edge of a joist and a huge bump on my head where I smacked my head on the corner of the chimney breast on the way down.

Still undecided if I should visit A&E to have my head examined as the pain isn't where I hit it.

[TheRecklessEngineer]

Following on from Turbocharger....Just placed an order with screwfix for more PPE, including a full face shield and polycarb goggles.

[Bowie69]

 

Still undecided if I should visit A&E to have my head examined as the pain isn't where I hit it.

What's the worst that could happen from a visit? And what's the worst that could happen from not going?

[Adam001]

Ouch,

I have taken something from this though as I too wear welding gloves when grinding, will now use my rigger leather gripped gloves instead

[Night Train]

What's the worst that could happen from a visit? And what's the worst that could happen from not going?

Just back from A&E.

Doesn't seem to be any serious damage but I could have a sore and achey cranium for a couple of weeks.

At least there is nothing important inside.

[Bowie69]

Good news Night Train

[landroversforever]

Good news Night Train

Which bit? Nothing inside or that he isnt badly hurt?

[zim]

Boothy - your stories always make me laugh !

[Turbocharger]

In fact, on collecting my face mask today I also picked up a welder's leather apron. I can't see that it'll do me any harm (if I remember to wear it) for welding/grinding/dropping stuff on myself, proper gloves are already in stock in my shed too.

[errol209]

Boothy - your stories always make me laugh !

I just hope he lives to keep telling them

[pinny]

i find a petrol disc cutter a better option i know its noisy and more cumbersome but if it nips it stops belt slips/clutch a electric angle grinder wont just my thought,chris.

[mike4444244]

Never mind getting muck in your eye, try keeping a steady hand whilst fishing it out with the needle at 3am when someone decides they can't sleep and they need to go to A&E! :ph34r:

Mike

[Spearos]

7 - times I've been to A&E to have grit/metal particles taken out of one of my eyes. When you're laying on your back - there or no googles available that I know of that will stop bits getting in. Last one was a welding spark - even though i had a full face mask on at the time.

Les.

Any body tried swimming goggles?!! Neighbours may think you're a little 'strange' though

[wozza35]

And the moral of these stories :- land rovers are bad for your health ,i have a scar from 18 stitches and the debts from over 6 months off work to prove it oh and my knee is still f****d

[errol209]

... but you love it really

[Handy_Andy]

I have also lost control of a grinder (with a 1mm disc) it bit into a section of metal jumped down to my leg I have a set of scars in my thigh that look like Zorro has been around. The overalls i was wearing took most of the damage.

Iv'e also had another near miss when using a wire brush with a grinder. I was cleaning up the rear of the chassis it suddenley bit and kicked into my face.. I always wear eye protection and the lenses took all the brunt and i came away luckaly with only a black eye :rolleyes:

[R.G.P]

7 - times I've been to A&E to have grit/metal particles taken out of one of my eyes. When you're laying on your back - there or no googles available that I know of that will stop bits getting in. Last one was a welding spark - even though i had a full face mask on at the time.

Les.

Hi Les, I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this but I use a pair of clear lensed goggles, similar to ski goggles that I picked up from my PPE supplier. They manage to keep everything out of my eyes when i'm grinding / underneath my 90.

Hope this helps.

[R.G.P]

This is a great thread, I think all young mechanics such as myself need to read it before getting stuck into any work!

[JeffR]

I consider myself to be a wee bit of an expert on damaging myself, I've had plenty practice. What it has taught me is that the most important thing to consider when working with all tools (powered or not) is to ENSURE THAT ONE ENGAGES THE GREY MATTER THAT LIVES BETWEEN ONES EARS.

[bangbang]

.

3. I could probably have done the whole job, albeit more slowly, with my 4 1/2" angle grinder which would have been that much safer.

Funny you should think that a few years ago i did exactly the same thing gutting some ganite with a 4" ginder and dimond blade and ended up with a simalar scar abit longer (and heres the scarey bit) as it ran up my leg and i just nicked my sack yes that right i came mm's from castrating myself it was litteraly a scratch on my b*****ks and 9" off blood poring out of my leg wound.

It a funny story now but at the time i was horrified and if telling it stops and make someone think about safety then it's a good thing

[RichardAllen]

A couple of month's later after my accident and I decided to finish the job of cutting up my old trailer yesterday.

Now somewhat nervous with PPE from head to toe, I started off with a small angle grinder which made slow progress and I did not feel at all at ease on the job. Time for a cup of tea and time to apply some thought to the problem.

I worked out that by knocking out the wooden panels I would be left with a simple frame. I then put my chopsaw onto a Workmate and used the weight of the frame plus the chopsaw vice to keep things in place and quickly chopped the frame into manageable chunks, with no drama at all.

Pity I did not think of that approach in the first place.

Thanks for all the support.

Regards

Richard