What was your worst injury?

[woodchuck357]

Worst injury on job: second degree burns on back while working a fire line

and various splinters over the years. Off the job broke ankle two years ago practice for a sky dive with grandson.

 

[pdqdl]

Fibula fracture, or did you do a full fledged "parachutist fracture" on that ankle?

I can sympathize, having torn up my left ankle.

 

[woodchuck357]

The docs just said you really screwed it up. I now land mostly on the other foot and wear very stiff boots. Surprise is that it doesn't bother me when standing on spurs during a long take down.

 

[SecondGenMonkey]

Only one I've ever had at work.
I was checking on why a chipper was feeding weird and leaned over to tell my co-worker it was time for lunch break.

Turns out the drum had a nail jammed in it that was holding it under pretty good tension when we shut it off.

I guess I got my glove in just the wrong place because the nail gave, drum turned about 1/16 of a rotation grabbing a tiny piece of my glove and almost severing the first joint of my right index finger.

Here's the result.

Sent from a thing using a program

 

[cookies]

Hurt on the job, engine hydro locked from fuel. spun engine over without plugs and distributor/coil unplugged. got showered with fuel, turned key off standing outside the vehicle, vapors inside ignited blowing out the open window catching my clothing on fire.
90 days in the hospital, 12 skin grafts, 46% of body burned, most important part- no damages to my 3rd leg or its two companions. After 2 years of healing I was starting to do physical things outside, drive myself and walk further than 50 feet. 10 years later I still battle heat stroke, dehydration, nerve damage pains, sensitivity to sunlight and only sweat on half my body.

 

[pdqdl]

What a hoot. I did that too, only I wasn't smart enough to unplug the coil.

I thought it was hydro-locked on antifreeze, and didn't expect any kind of flamethrower action. I wasn't burned nearly as badly as you were. My incident was ignited by the ignition, and I think a lot of the gas burned up in the air before it got to me.

 

[cookies]

What a hoot. I did that too, only I wasn't smart enough to unplug the coil.

I thought it was hydro-locked on antifreeze, and didn't expect any kind of flamethrower action. I wasn't burned nearly as badly as you were. My incident was ignited by the ignition, and I think a lot of the gas burned up in the air before it got to me.

the dr's told me that taking my melted uniform off likely saved my life, I was butt@ss naked, wrapped in a towel for the ambulance/helicopter rides. Shop uniforms should be cotton, luckily the jeans were cotton so only the shirt melted into my skin...really sucked peeling it off and then peeling the bandages the local hospital put on without large amounts of Silva dine to help prevent attachment to the scabbing 12 hours later in the burn unit.

 

[Campbellcontractlogging]

Log crushed my leg got compartment syndrome lost half my calf muscle almost died from that un felt like **** for 5 days as my body was processing the dead tissue right after I drove myself home laid on the couch with my leg up for 5 hrs till I had to piss so bad I got up hopped to the toilet started to piss got ice cold started to shiver sweating almost passed out from the pain for five months every time I got up the pounding in my leg was almost unbearable had to go to work at the saw mill to make ends meet for 4 months all together it was 8 months till I could log again and not at top shape took another 4 months in the woods till I was almost as good as I once was have never been the same.

 

[biggerstaff94]

Ive got sh*t luck with concussions.

First good one was a kid smacking me in the head with a shovel when i was 16ish. Concussion and stitches.

Got knocked in the head with a high lift jack spreading the frame on a dodge. Concussion and stitches.

Was cleaning an alignment rack while another guy swept under it. Stepped on the turntable wrong and down i went. Dislocated my knee and fell 2’ off of it. Racked the back of my head on the concrete resulting in concussion #3.

Got smoked in the face with a trailer jack handle when i was landscaping right out of highschool (long story that i dont personally remember). Luckily there was a skid loader behind me to break the fall. Concussion, stitches, broken nose and clavicle, and a dental implant on 2 posts to replace my 8 front teeth. That was a grade 4 concussion. 0/10 would not recommend. I had issues for over a year with that one. Took me a couple days to put together who my girlfriend of 3 years was.

Next up i almost ground my finger off when i was cutting a bolt head off of a hitch. Got it pinched between the grinder and truck frame. Pro tip, dont go to the hospital asking for stitches when theres nothing left to stitch.

Smashed my finger in the door of my old 96 Chevy truck. Broke the nail about an 1/8” from the top. Later accidentally yanked the still live remainder of the nail off when i was taking off a welding glove.

At work:
I pulled a large plate off of a surface grinder, it slipped and slit my wrist in the wrong spot. Blood EVERYWHERE.

Was polishing a handle on a lathe, my hand slipped and i punched a 12” 3 jaw spinning at 2500rpm. Nothing broke but chewed it up and twisted everything from the elbow down pretty good.

Cut my finger right down the center (long ways) almost to the knuckle on a table saw.

 

[Tobystihl]

This one, early this year with a Husky 550...working long hours on a poweline shutdown, very tired, a week previously I'd had covid so was feeling weak and made a very poor judgement....

 

[Tobystihl]

I must add, I've been on the saw for the past twenty two years, I'm no newbie..!

 

[Tobystihl]

Stitched up...

 

[Tobystihl]

Healing....

 

[Tobystihl]

I will admit to my stupid mistake... I was too far down a valley (not to mention exhausted!!) to go back for the extendable saw head (fibreglass insulated rods and silky) so I reached up with one hand to cut the high limb, expecting to hold the saw throughout the cut... saw went through the limb, the limb caught the bar, saw dropped with my hand still on the trigger, arm came down on a lower limb, folded at the elbow throwing the tip of the bar into my stomach... No excuses, I know it was a dumb thing to do, I was tired, dehydrated and paid the price.... Please be careful out there, I know you guys will think I'm an idiot but that's ok, I totally deserve it! I will wear this scar of stupidity for the rest of my days........

 

[Gabby3545]

Log crushed my leg got compartment syndrome lost half my calf muscle almost died from that un felt like **** for 5 days as my body was processing the dead tissue right after I drove myself home laid on the couch with my leg up for 5 hrs till I had to piss so bad I got up hopped to the toilet started to piss got ice cold started to shiver sweating almost passed out from the pain for five months every time I got up the pounding in my leg was almost unbearable had to go to work at the saw mill to make ends meet for 4 months all together it was 8 months till I could log again and not at top shape took another 4 months in the woods till I was almost as good as I once was have never been the same.

Not me, but my late hubby. Tore bicep tendon trying to catch a log rolling toward him. His arm was black all the way to his wrist in a few days. Don't know how to insert pic.

 

[oldbuzzard]

I will admit to my stupid mistake... I was too far down a valley (not to mention exhausted!!) to go back for the extendable saw head (fibreglass insulated rods and silky) so I reached up with one hand to cut the high limb, expecting to hold the saw throughout the cut... saw went through the limb, the limb caught the bar, saw dropped with my hand still on the trigger, arm came down on a lower limb, folded at the elbow throwing the tip of the bar into my stomach... No excuses, I know it was a dumb thing to do, I was tired, dehydrated and paid the price.... Please be careful out there, I know you guys will think I'm an idiot but that's ok, I totally deserve it! I will wear this scar of stupidity for the rest of my days........

Glad you mentioned being dehydrated. I‘m frequently cutting in high and dry mountains and that is a serious issue that is not always obvious, especially as it will effect your judgement before your physical performance (at least with me). In my younger days I flew a lot (as pilot) in small aircraft. Since I didn’t want to have to pee on the trip I would not drink before the flight. Big mistake!

 

[Mike Davis]

What was your worst injury?

As a teenager, I went through a short stint of Railroad train surfing. When a train would go by slow enough, I'd jump on the ladder of the car. The second time I attempted this, the train majorly sped up after I jumped on. I panicked and thought , what do I do now. My logic was, if I jumped off I could stay running along side of it and gradually slow myself down. Not how it worked, When I jumped, I instantly face-planted in rocks that are track side. I knocked my 2 front teeth out and still have the scar on my chin

2012 Willow tree removal: At my TIP, but only tied in by a buck-strap with my climbing-line on my hip. I started the chainsaw to make a couple cut's and the buck-strap came off of my D-ring some how and I free fell 25-30 Ft. I should have been tied-in twice! I broke the L-3 off my spine and a rib

 

[Overwatch]

ripped the very tip of my right middle finger off in a e-bike sprocket, that happened one year ago

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

With a saw I took one tooths worth of meat off my knee cap when I was about 14.

On the Job I got my right leg tangled under the the foot rest and under the back tire on a 4 wheeler. Nothing broken, but not a good time.

Working for myself I slipped off a trailer last year and broke about a few bones in my right hand. Been about a year but still dealing with it.

 

[ShezTreeNThar?]

What was your worst injury?

This one by far, up until Dec I myself had never had a chainsaw injury, it took someone else with a 36” bar to do it, I gotta say though when I did get hurt at least it was at work so I still got paid, unlike hurting myself at home-for free- then having to stay home without compensation……Although, I’d have rather not gotten hurt at all and still be working, Being able to feel my lower leg or how I set my foot down to walk is but a faint memory.