I was attempting to build a deck today, pretending to be a handy guy, and as per my usual custom thinking about the worst construction accidents I have seen.
These are not just morbid ruminations of my darker side, but useful ways to avoid being hurt. Standing on a ladder while using a circular saw to cut off a piece of trim really gets the imagination going, because of the sheer number of different ways to lacerate, contuse, dismember, and abrade your body. For instance, I must remember to keep the ladder secure so I don’t tip over, breaking my wrist and impaling my face on a piece of rebar.
I can’t cut off a piece of lumber, and let it fall on my foot and then break my neck when I stumble in pain. Perhaps most importantly, I want to make sure I don’t position my body over a fence so that if I do fall off the ladder, I don’t straddle the fence and crush my testicles. Even when I’m finished using the circular saw, I must remember not to set it down while it’s running, so that it doesn’t run over my foot and amputate my toes. In fact, I’ve gotten so paranoid about all of these scenarios that sometimes I find myself just staring at my power tools, too afraid to pick them up.
Perhaps this is why the deck is unfinished after 6 months.
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I applaud you for trying to protect your face from rebar. However, I thought that the main danger of falling from a ladder onto an object was rectal insertion ….