Care and Caution with Equipment

wr · #1 03/26/15, 11:08 AM

We're starting to see faint signs of spring now and with it comes the usual rash of farm/equipment accidents.

Yesterday, my neighbor flipped his skidsteer doing something he's done a million times before. He was fortunate that I was home and was able to come rescue him before any serious harm or damage but trying to pull an grumpy man, built like Winnie the Pooh out of a rather tight space wasn't an easy job.

Last week, a dear member of our community, was helping a friend work on a car and likely did something he's done a million times before with no problems, was crushed to death while working under a vehicle.

Two weeks ago another died when he fell off a grain bin he was working on.

I know things happen and I know we're often just a quick fix or task but please review your safety procedures and take that one extra step to make sure you make it home in time for supper.

where I want to · #2 03/26/15, 11:20 AM

I think about that every time I work right behind my old mare's rear end. Yet I keep doing it for the sake of convenience. Why do I not take it serious enough when I had a good friend killed by being kicked by a loose horse? There is a serious short circuit in humans that leads to "it can't happen to me." Just because it hasn't happened yet.

wr · #3 03/26/15, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

I think about that every time I work right behind my old mare's rear end. Yet I keep doing it for the sake of convenience. Why do I not take it serious enough when I had a good friend killed by being kicked by a loose horse? There is a serious short circuit in humans that leads to "it can't happen to me." Just because it hasn't happened yet.

One of the dumbest things I've ever done, could have easily got me killed. My daughter had taken on a filly that had terrible wire cuts on her back legs and right after I fed, I noticed an area I didn't think had healed well.

Instead of thinking about a dozen horses pushing at each other for feed, I was focused entirely on her back leg, I ran my hand down her back and rump and promptly bent over to have a look and never noticed the back hoof of a big gelding until it nicked my ear. I sustained nothing more than a tiny scrape but a millimeter or two the other way and I'm pretty sure I'd have been in bad shape.

Grizzly · #4 03/26/15, 01:56 PM

butt puckering learning experience for me a few weeks ago....Was removing the top link from my box blade, and the front was still off the ground....Thought my foot was clear...Thank GOD for safety toe Wolverines. Otherwise I believe I would be down a couple of toes.

Care and Caution with Equipment - Homesteading Questions

Care and Caution with Equipment - Homesteading Questions

TerriLynn · #5 03/26/15, 03:46 PM

Dec 18, 2014 The day of the classroom Christmas Parties, my 7 year old son was pretty wired on candy so I sent him and his brother outside to run it off a little.

Later on I saw his brother in the house and had just assumed the little one came in too, as he is kinda afraid of the dark, it was around 6 pm.

Turns out he hitched a ride on the forks of the tractor as my husband was coming into the yard to grab a bale. My husband had no idea he was even out there. When he stopped to put the tractor in reverse, my son hopped off the forks.......except he didn't get out of the way of the wheel.

My husband drove right over him. He is a miracle, ended up with a fractured pelvic bone (in 2 places) and fractured the fractile plates (growth Plates) in his foot and ankle. had a cast on and no weight on that side of his body for 6 weeks.

It was the most terrifying, horrific thing I have ever experienced. One of the nurses in the emergency operating room (the ambulance delivered us directly there with about 30 people in scrubs waiting for us--which in itself scared the crap out of me) told me something that made such sense.....she had grandparents that farmed......when you are around that heavy equipment all the time you get comfortable, it becomes "old hat".

You can bet we won't be taking it for granted any more......or at least not for a long long time. All I can say is thank God for His mercies.

Ozarks Tom · #6 03/26/15, 06:49 PM

The old bumper jacks are the worst. One slipped and took my sunglasses off. Another inch and I wouldn't have that eye, another 4 inches I wouldn't be typing this.

big rockpile · #7 03/26/15, 07:34 PM

Had many accidents over the years and scars to prove it.

Had a neighbor one time I asked her about a couple of her missing fingers. Seems her Son had got hung up in a Baler and she lost them trying to get him out.

big rockpile

haley1 · #8 03/26/15, 09:07 PM

25 years ago our neighbors dad was running his self propelled chopper doing corn. It clugged up and got down to unclog it with it still running. Well he got his carhard jacket caught in the feed chains. He was short but built like a bulldog so he just braced himself and it tore that heavy carhard jacket off him. He busted ribs, tore up his shoulder but lived. But he was never the same after that

3 years ago a mega farm a few miles way, a guy using a tub feed grinder some how feel in and got ground up. He did not come home for dinner so his wife went to find him and that is how she found him. My neighbor who is a first responder said that had to just aguer what was left out of the grinder

Molly Mckee · #9 03/26/15, 09:30 PM

One of our DD's 4-h friends was killed by a horse that was in cross ties. He cow kicked her and hit her in the temple. Another kids Dad was filling silo and stepped over a running PTO. It pulled him partway into the silo filler-he lived 3 weeks.

My DH was very lucky several years ago when he rolled a tractor on a hill. He hit a rock on the uphill side and a hole on the downhill side. The frame of the loader saved him, we had lifted the tractor with another tractor as the fire department came. They are 10 miles away, I was surprised they got there so fast. DH was doing something he did all the time and had driven tractors since he was a kid.

Be careful!

Truckinguy · #10 03/27/15, 08:38 AM

I delivered rental construction equipment for almost 18 years and the things we saw that people did on site to save a little time was frightening. Taping over safety switches, removing ROPS from machines, doing things around running equipment instead of shutting it off to save a little time. It human nature to do shortcuts, specially when we get comfortable with what we're doing. I'm guilty of it myself.

Make sure all the safety features available on your equipment are working. Be safe.

where I want to · #11 03/27/15, 11:14 AM

Even to the new light switch. I noticed that one of the garage light switches was working intermittently. I thought it was arcing maybe.
Thinking better safe than sorry, I bought a replacement switch- which sits in the truck in the bag. While I avoid turning on the garage lights rather than shut off the power to replace the switch.
If I wasn't afraid of insulting myself I'd say that was pretty dumb.

sisterpine · #12 03/27/15, 04:10 PM

Well I for one thank you all for the reminders! I am very guilty of short cutting and thankfully I have DB here who makes sure I don't do dumb stuff while I race around trying to get it all done. I think my latest was standing on the top rung of a 20 ft extension ladder in a strong wind....I chose to jump to the roof rather than fall with the ladder. God is good.

SueMc · #13 03/27/15, 05:18 PM

I know of a couple of true miracles involving chain saw accidents. One friend was incredulous that he was hurt since he'd cut wood on a regular basis for many years. His doc told him that someone like him was more likely to be hurt than a new-be not because he was careless but because he was so comfortable/complacent doing his job that he might skip the tiniest safety measure....and that's all it takes. I bought my husband and son wood cutter's chaps and helmet with face protection then harassed until they used them. They use them all the time now and I don't care if it's just to shut me up.

I also know someone nearly killed when his clothing got caught up in the spinning PTO. He lived but was severely hurt. We use an auger a lot for planting trees and I watch the PTO constantly.
It just takes an instant.

MichaelZ · #14 03/27/15, 05:41 PM

Too early in the year for me. Anywhere from June 15 to July 15 is when I like to visit urgent care or the emergency room. Darned near every year!

wr · #15 03/27/15, 09:28 PM

I just realized how ironic it was that I started this thread. I usually end up in ER about once ever 10 years and I remember thinking that I was probably close to due because the I cracked my pelvis a few years ago in a messy little thing involving a green prairie horse and a young grizzly about several years ago.

This fall, I fell down a dozen stairs at my day job and shattered my ankle and ruptured my achilles tendon, which was when I discovered because of global warming, old gals don't heal as quick as they used to.