On Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:58:58 -0500, Frank Boettcher
wrote:

On Tue, 5 Jun 2007 10:21:52 -0400, "Lee Michaels"
wrote:


"Swingman" wrote

Unfortunately, I can do one better for a "table saw accident" when not
cutting wood. I "filleted" a thumb, to the tune of 13 stitches, on a TS
with
the blade off and not even plugged in!

Always endeavoring to be safety conscious, and taking advantage of all
opportunities to further that goal, I was installing an overhead blade
guard, and, in the process, created a perfectly functioning guillotine.


Oh the irony, the irony.

I can think of a couple safety phobic folks I knew who would point to this
incident as "proof" that safety procedures and devices just don't "work".
LOL


Sometimes they don't.

In an earlier life I was a welder making offshore oil platforms and
deck sections. These things were loaded on barges using two bridge
cranes that had two hoists each at 250 tons capacity each so 1000 tons
total capacity The hooks were very large as were the cables that
attached to them.

Crane hooks are required by OSHA to have spring loaded safty latches,
that is they spring out of the way when you push on the cable loop and
spring back when you get the cable on. Picture cables as large as your
upper arm with a swedged loop that required two men to lift onto the
hook. The hook latches were so large the spring back was mashing
peoples hands. So we took the latches off. Got cited by OSHA. Asked
the OSHA inspector to demonstrate how to get the cables on with the
saftey latches without getting hurt. He declined, admitted that
logically we were right, but had to cite us anyway "got to go by the
book". We also were curious as to how a crane hook loaded to 250 tons
could have a cable slip off the hook if there were no latch. Our
limited knowledge of physics could not fathom that happening. He
declined to explain or to cite any specific statistics.

Overhead blade guards, however, are very good safety devices (provided
you can get them on without getting hurt in the first place).

Frank

OSHA is one of the greatest BS components of the government today! AND
the principle reasons for companies to outsource!!
I was charged 3500.00 when my people were taking down a tower of
scaffolding FROM a sissor lift and one stepped out on the scaffold to
pick up a walk board. OSHA sent me a picture and the charge for "no
hand rails". We had the best safety record in the industry according
to my insurance co. Our country is destroying itself with political
correctness and lack of personal responsibility.