My Stupidity and saftey

[IH2LOSE]

I wanted to share this with you guys.Today I was cleaning up a set of half shaft yokes,I was soaking them in my containers of parts cleaners(1 gallon pails of highley flamable solvents you drop the parts in) Any way's I was swishing the parts around in the solvents and my 10 year old son said
"hey dad your not supposed to smoke around gasoline"
So Im thinking leave me alone its not gas, it cleaner and Im being carefull anyways.At his insistence I put out the cigerette.a couple of seconds latter I grabbed the shaft out of the can by the c clip and as soon as it raised about 4" above the can the shaft slipped out of my hand and spashed into the pail of solvents In turn splashing me and my face with the solvents,I feel If I would have had the cigerette in my mouth (as I always do when working in the driveway) I may have had the solvent ignite.Anyways I thought I should share this and although nobody is quite as stupid as me to do such a thing I thought I should just say be carefull.3 secounds of stupidity can be life altering,
This from a fellow who lost his right knee to stupidity allready.

PS I only realized the stuff was highley flamable after I washed my face off and read the can to see what I should do and at that point I read the 1" RED letters stateing Highley Flamable

 

[67HEAVEN]

Larry,

That scare was God's little way of suggesting you give those suckers up.

 

[Pittsaj]

First..
These things are hard to admit.
Thank you for sharing..
Maybe it will save someone who reads this thread

Second,
Thank your son,,,

Finally...
Give those smokes up...
You don't need them
If not for you,, then for him


Flammables have to be respected..

My son was helping me with a fuel line replacement and was under the car.
I set it up so that the last line connected would be to the fuel supply.
He pulled that last line but was unable to re-connect it.. Fuel was running down his arm.. :eek
Before I could even think, he was laying in a pool of fuel.. :eek :eek :eek

Luckily, I had pulled the front wheel and was able to reach in and pull the inner fender far out enough to to reach in and make the connection..

Just as quickly, I pulled him out from under the car..

I still today can't believe that I did that..

A catastrophe was averted...

A small clamp at the tank would have eliminated this problem..

Always think ahead...


One second can change the rest of your life... Forever!!!!

Tony

 

[bluestripe67]

Larry...take a deep breath and say, Thank you Lord! and Thank you son! Glad to see all is well and can still count on seeing that fine car at Carlisle and it owner.

 

[richscorvettes]

Looks like your son took to heart the safety lessons he likely learned in school. Now that you have shared this experience his lesson will be spread much further than anyone would have thought.

Smart son, be sure to thank him often and do something nice for him today - a nice ride might be in order!

Rich Lagasse

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Thanks for sharing your story!! It isn't just flamable materials; how many times do we do something and after we get something in our eye say - I wish I was wearing safety glasses! Always remeber to take 60 seconds for safety before starting a job.

 

[impala]

It's nice to hear of a father who'll take the time to listen to advice from his 10 year old son. Too many of us would have just brushed off his suggestions. Your listening to him, probably avoiding a horrible situation, will undoubtedly leave a lasting, positive effect on his self esteem - his words are important to his father.

BTW - I was a 2 to 3 pack a day complusive smoker and quit in January.

Eugene

 

[Mac]

You're lucky, Larry. Give that boy a big hug and raise his allowance.

The following is a true story of what can go wrong. My buddy, Blaine Worth, is a genuine charactor. His active retirement includes four bays and a full paint booth at his house, if you catch my meaning. His place is way out in the country and surrounded by trees. One spring day, he gathered a bunch of twigs and dead fall to burn, but was having trouble getting the fire going, so he grabbed a can of lacquer thinner from the shop, figuring he'd drizzle some on the material, then toss a match from a distance.

Some embers caught and flashed up the drizzle, exploding the can in his hand, spraying highly flammable liquid all over his arms, his face and his chest. He received 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 40 percent of his body. The only thing that saved him was his hot tub. He literally jumped in to smother the flames. He was at home alone and had to wait for an ambulance to drive out from the city.

After several months in a burn ward, endless skin grafts and pain, he's back to restoring cars again. Blaine is an amazing person. Some guys would feel sorry for themselves. He just figures the rest of his life is a gift. In fact, Blaine has spoken at several burn conferences, describing his ordeal and teach others how to deal with adversity.

As is so very typical of these situations, we know better. Blaine knew better. Larry, you knew better. A moment's inattention or calculated indifference can mean a lifetime of pain or a sudden end. Let's play safe, kids.

 

[RedRagTop]

Another terrible example; The older guy who owned the local garage down the road decided he was going to burn a little trash in an empty 45-gallon drum. He threw a bit of gas in there to get it going, and when lit it sprayed him with flaming gas. He did not survive.
Safety is a big part of my job and I am seldom without safety glasses at any time when outdoors, the styles are so nice now that wearing them all the time gets easier. I do a lot of 4-wheeling on my 700 twin Polaris and carry 2 sets, tinted for day, clear for night.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Give your Son a big hug today and every day when you see yourself in the mirror!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Spain must have the lowest safety standards on earth! Last month during our annual safety inspection one of my mechanics was mixing 2 cycle gas and oil with a cig hanging out of his mouth. The inspector was also smoking and joking with the mechanic. All of this under a NO SMOKING sign.

Now in walks the gardener, (independent, he does not work for me), with his gas powered weed-eater still running with a 2 ft. unguarded blade spinning, no safety glasses and a cigarette burning, he proceeds to fill the weed-eater with out shutting it off, bums a new cig from the inspector, lights it off the butt, throws the butt on the floor and goes back to whacking weeds.

After the inspection I was expecting a fine slightly larger than the national debt. NO WAY JOSE, the only gig I got was for the gardener not wearing safety shoes. When I told the inspector that the gardener was an independent contractor he tore up the gig and wished me a nice day.:duh

These days I tend to wear Nomex suits more days than not.

 

[RedRagTop]

Actually, the worst safety violations I have seen yet were in Cuba. Regulations, other than political, simply don't exist. A big part of the problem is, of course, the poverty and lack of available safety gear. Life is cheap.
One of the more amazingly dangerous things I dealt with down there was a shower in a private home that had the hot water heating coil built right into the shower head! A 220 volt, red-hot coil directly over your head with water running through it! It was not uncommon to see this.
They also boast the worst local air accident record in the world after South Africa.
Go Castro Go!

 

[58Mike]

I'm a safety bug (a lesson my dad hammered into me), but I still occasionally do some pretty stupid things . . . to save a few seconds. These stories are a good wake up call! Thanks guys!

- Mike Greene

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thank You all for the kind words,its funney when your doing something stupid You just dont think its that stupid untill afters its done.after thinking about it for a while I am thinkin HOW MUCH STUPIDER COULD I OF BEEN.Well next time your out in the garage remember me and my son and just think is this something larry would do? If yes try and figure out a safer way to do,
Normally I am MR SAFTEY him self.This time I was just plan stupid and as my dad always said he has never heard about accedents only acts of stupidity.
BE SAFE.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Its threads like this that make one of the best families on earth.
:bar