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This trade should be relatively safe (apart from the risk of electrocution I guess) but I managed to land myself in A & E with a pretty nasty hand injury a little over a week ago.
Had started a stripdown of a 5yr old Panasonic with rumbling drum bearings when a very worn socket I had been meaning to replace slipped off a bolt securing the left damper to the tub.I think my hand connected with a bit of pressed metal the front panel mounts on but the result was a flap of flesh being peeled from the back of my left hand, hellish pain and much blood. It was deep enough that the doctor could see the tendons moving when I made a fist ! but at least they were working and not severed I guess.
The v shaped tear measured about 2 inches long by about an inch wide and required 10 stitches.
The anti cut gloves my wife bought me years ago are now permanently in my tool box, very painful lesson learned.Anyone else got any horror stories ? 😮
Eddie.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Sounds nasty, how much time did you have to take off work?
Reminds me of a stupid accident I had at a customer’s house earlier this year. Leaving the house to fetch a part from the van, I opened the front door and turned to the left (the direction of the front path), whacking my head into a decorative point on the support beam for the front door canopy. Once I regained my footing, I instinctively put my hand on my head, and immediately felt wet hair and blood flowing down my sleeve.
I rang the bell and asked my customer to pass the towel I had got ready for the dishwasher repair. Luckily, the spilled blood landed only on the front path, and none on the hall carpet. I pressed the towel onto my head, walked the 50 yards or so to my van, rifled through the first aid kit to find a suitable dressing bandage and wrapped it round and round my head, all one handed.
After a quick wash at my customer’s house, I drove to the local minor injuries unit (feeling a right pillock), where they glued up the blunt 1.5 inch L-shaped gash, I returned to finish the dishwasher repair. Luckily, I was able to reschedule most of my later bookings, so was able to take it easy for the rest of the day, although I had to go back to have the wound re-glued after it opened up again and started to bleed. The worst part was being told not to wash my hair for a week, and having to put up with the ridge of glue and mini quiff in my hair for a couple of weeks after that.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Can’t remember who posted this, it was a few years back. A forum trade member came off second best. I think his hand got trapped in the drum pulley but not sure. 🙁
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Ah! A ‘show us your scars’ thread 😀
Every time I roll up my sleeves I gaze at my ‘Hotpoint 95452’ scar. Silly me tried to stop this machine slipping off the back of my van back in the early 80’s. The jagged base ripped into my arm. Blood everywhere, dash to A&E…..
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
That drum pulley injury looks even worse than mine, yuk. I remember a few years ago a guy called me out to his Hotpoint WM52 with no drum movement. I noticed his right hand was heavily bandaged and he sheepishly admitted that a few days previously, having gleaned some info from google :rolls: he took the lid off the machine, put it on spin and twirled the drum pulley with his right hand while tapping the motor with a pair of pliers . Nice.
The brushes made enough contact and his hand was pulled into the gap between the pulley and drum. Required stitches to at least 3 fingers if I remember rightly and was probably going to have permanent nerve damage in them.I had to take a full week off after my injury so definitely wish I had passed on that particular job! Unfortunately the customer is still expecting me back to finish the work as he wants to make sure I get paid for my trouble ! At least he had the decency to phone to see how I was I guess 🙂
The latest incident had me thinking back to the first ‘flesh peeling’ hand injury I can recall when I was 12 or 13. Parents away for the day, I found a couple of rounds for dad’s ancient Lee-Enfield rifle ( he had a licence ! ) The gun was locked up thank goodness but I still thought it a fine idea to mount this sizable .303 cartridge in a vice in the garage figuring once activated, it would shoot through the open doors and hit a target I had positioned in the field behind our house ( it was a very rural setting thank god !)
So after clamping a round in the vice and gathering up a nail and a small hammer I proceeded to tap the primer gently, and with confidence building, managed to set the thing off on the third or forth strike.
It did not end well :eeek:My ears rung for about 3 days and I was seriously lucky the deep jaws of the big old vice I used must have directed most of the blast towards the floor and roof. A chunk of brass came back towards my hands though and peeled a strip from my left index finger.
I remember dropping to the floor and going into a bit of shock, not able to move for half an hour watching blood drip through the hand I had clamped around my finger.Firearms have big thick barrels for a good reason was the lesson learned that day 😆
Didn’t share that one with my parents untill I was in my mid 20’s !
Eddie.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Those old Lee Enfield 303’s packed a hell of a kick. As a young lad I was in the army cadets and had the chance to use one at a summer camp in Warwickshire. It was good advice to stuff your beret under your uniform to protect your shoulder from the recoil.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Yikes this topic should have a warning on it 🙂 I’m squeamish with graphic pictures. Mine was pushing a detergent dispenser out through the front panel. It was very stiff, and when it eventually gave way I slammed my hand into the razor sharp surround and sliced deep into me finger. Had to cancel all my jobs and get stitches at the hospital.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Here’s mine, not as graphic as some as it is healing nicely thanks to some skilful stitching.
I was attempting to rotate a double oven on my service stand after removing the rear panel when the razor sharp edge started slicing into my arm.
It was me or the oven so I duly let go and the oven crashed to the floor,blood and broken glass eveywhere.
Seven stitches and the rest of the week off work plus the excess on my insurance to pay.Steve
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
andy_art_trigg wrote:Yikes this topic should have a warning on it 🙂 I’m squeamish with graphic pictures.
There’s worse on here without images. 😉
But stop being a big Jessie. 😀
K.
(OED definition included for the Southerners who don’t understand such things ;))
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
I was somewhat remiss, my apologies.
Appropriate responses are and, all include a sharp intake of breath and a wince is perfectly acceptable…
“Oh ya b—–d bet that hurt like a mutha f—–“
“F— me, that was a sore one”
“Did the back tape hold that together?”
“Bet that stung like a ba—— when you washed your paws with Persil and Fairy liquid”
“The blood didn’t rust your tools did it?”
“Stupid b——d, you’ll know better next time eh?”
“Well that’ll teach you to f—–g pay attention!”
“A day off, seriously?”
“Cheap Turkish piece of s–t tried to kill you eh?” (can be Italian, Chinese etc.)
“You muppet”
“You told her to get the dog the f— out the kitchen!!”
Maybe it’s a Scottish thing but such things (where you don’t die or are maimed for life) tend to be viewed in a more light hearted manner.
Of course the PC brigades won’t like the more non-PC responses and naturally none of the above are suitable for use in front of the customer although, with some of the injuries sustained I think a little forgiveness could be afforded. 😉
K.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
I’ve had a notification of further replies and accidentally scrolled down to that horrific picture again! 🙁
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Madmac wrote:That drum pulley injury looks even worse than mine, yuk. I remember a few years ago a guy called me out to his Hotpoint WM52 with no drum movement. I noticed his right hand was heavily bandaged and he sheepishly admitted that a few days previously, having gleaned some info from google :rolls: he took the lid off the machine, put it on spin and twirled the drum pulley with his right hand while tapping the motor with a pair of pliers . Nice.
The brushes made enough contact and his hand was pulled into the gap between the pulley and drum. Required stitches to at least 3 fingers if I remember rightly and was probably going to have permanent nerve damage in them.I had to take a full week off after my injury so definitely wish I had passed on that particular job! Unfortunately the customer is still expecting me back to finish the work as he wants to make sure I get paid for my trouble ! At least he had the decency to phone to see how I was I guess 🙂
The latest incident had me thinking back to the first ‘flesh peeling’ hand injury I can recall when I was 12 or 13. Parents away for the day, I found a couple of rounds for dad’s ancient Lee-Enfield rifle ( he had a licence ! ) The gun was locked up thank goodness but I still thought it a fine idea to mount this sizable .303 cartridge in a vice in the garage figuring once activated, it would shoot through the open doors and hit a target I had positioned in the field behind our house ( it was a very rural setting thank god !)
So after clamping a round in the vice and gathering up a nail and a small hammer I proceeded to tap the primer gently, and with confidence building, managed to set the thing off on the third or forth strike.
It did not end well :eeek:My ears rung for about 3 days and I was seriously lucky the deep jaws of the big old vice I used must have directed most of the blast towards the floor and roof. A chunk of brass came back towards my hands though and peeled a strip from my left index finger.
I remember dropping to the floor and going into a bit of shock, not able to move for half an hour watching blood drip through the hand I had clamped around my finger.Firearms have big thick barrels for a good reason was the lesson learned that day 😆
Didn’t share that one with my parents untill I was in my mid 20’s !
Eddie.
That 303 cartridge story would make a brilliant confession to put on the Simo Mayo show. A cracker…
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
I thought it was more of a candidate for a Darwin Award. 😛
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
Na, you need to die to achieve that notoriety. 😉
K.
Re: What’s the worst injury you’ve had repairing appliances
iadom wrote:I thought it was more of a candidate for a Darwin Award. 😛
😆 ‘Twas monumentally stupid ! I still truly thank my lucky stars every time I look at the faint scar on my index finger. I think the only ‘sensible’ thing I did that day was to turn my head before each tap of the primer. I could have been totally blinded with great ease, and I’m not sure that would have been a life I would have wished to live 🙁
Eddie.
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