First real accident

[kienik]

Evening all.

 

Thought about starting this topic a few days ago but have been more than busy trying to recover a bit.

 

Basically this is a bit of a warning to others on here when fitting out or carrying out Improvements to your boat.

 

As some of you know I bought a 40" boat last July and have stripped the inside and refitted it, I. More or less finished now and decided last Monday that I would strip off the old tiles surrounding my squirrell stove, and replacing the tiles with something more in keeping with the new interior.

 

I took the squirrell out and started knocking the tiles off using a brick bolster, got down to the fire board and noticed their were some more tiles beneath it, so fire board removed carefully so i could reuse it, I proceeded to knockoff the very old tiles (floor tiles were used previously, so very big and heavy).

 

This is where the accident occurred, as I started to chip the old tiles off one of the tiles under the gunwale cracked in half and fell off the wall. On its way down it caught my right leg/knee.

 

Result was a huge slice in my trousers and a much bigger slice through my right leg just on the knee, to say I went a bit grey is an understatement, it was extremely deep but didn't bleed at all.

 

I was alone on the boat and as my mooring is on the edge of a farmers field I could have been in big trouble as I couldn't walk too well, the nearest hospital is around 8 miles away.

 

I tried to raise the alarm with a friend that was working on his boat some way down the moorings, but he had left hos phone in his van!!, In short I managed to raise the alarm with a fellow boater, finally we got hold of my friend who took me to A & E, I spent two days in hospital and had to have an operation to check i had not done any serious damage and the put it all back together again, not a very nice experience at all, I'm going to be off my feet for a few weeks and the pain is not good.

 

I just wanted to raise this with you all and note down some lessons that I will definitely learn from this and in turn hopefully by reading this it will make others think about the hazards.

 

1, I should have had overalls on and not thin track suit bottoms

 

2, I should have been standing up and not crouching below the area whilst knocking the tiles off

 

3, I should have made sure I had a first aid kit available (I had to use a tea towel to scrunch the leg together whilst I tried to raise the alarm)

 

4, prior to carrying out DIY jobs I should have made sure I had someone around that I could call on "just in case".

 

Their is probably lots more "if" things I could have done but these keep springing to mind, I'm a healthy 32 year old and like to think have my head screwed on properly and this was just a silly silly mistake albeit a very costly one but could have been much

 

I'm now hobbling around on crutches with my leg strapped up, luckily the staff in our pub are really helpful and have been waiting on me hand and er foot,

 

I'm sure lots of us have had similar accidents on board but it does bring home just how isolated we can be when on our boats carrying out DIY jobs,

 

I was very lucky this time and I hope that by reading this it will put into reality just how wrong a simple job can go sometimes

 

Wishing you all happy and safe boating

 

Nik

 

 

Edited for spelling

Edited February 16, 2013 by kienik

[mrsmelly]

Evening all.

 

Thought about starting this topic a few days ago but have been more than busy trying to recover a bit.

 

Basically this is a bit of a warning to others on here when fitting out or carrying out Improvements to your boat.

 

As some of you know I bought a 40" boat last July and have stripped the inside and refitted it, I. More or less finished now and decided last Monday that I would strip off the old tiles surrounding my squirrell stove, and replacing the tiles with something more in keeping with the new interior.

 

I took the squirrell out and started knocking the tiles off using a brick bolster, got down to the fire board and noticed their were some more tiles beneath it, so fire board removed carefully so i could reuse it, I proceeded to knockoff the very old tiles (floor tiles were used previously, so very big and heavy).

 

This is where the accident occurred, as I started to chip the old tiles off one of the tiles under the gunwale cracked in half and fell off the wall. On its way down it caught my right leg/knee.

 

Result was a huge slice in my trousers and a much bigger slice through my right leg just on the knee, to say I went a bit grey is an understatement, it was extremely deep but didn't bleed at all.

 

I was alone on the boat and as my mooring is on the edge of a farmers field I could have been in big trouble as I couldn't walk too well, the nearest hospital is around 8 miles away.

 

I tried to raise the alarm with a friend that was working on his boat some way down the moorings, but he had left hos phone in his van!!, In short I managed to raise the alarm with a fellow boater, finally we got hold of my friend who took me to A & E, I spent two days in hospital and had to have an operation to check i had not done any serious damage and the put it all back together again, not a very nice experience at all, I'm going to be off my feet for a few weeks and the pain is not good.

 

I just wanted to raise this with you all and note down some lessons that I will definitely learn from this and in turn hopefully by reading this it will make others think about the hazards.

 

1, I should have had overalls on and not thin track suit bottoms

 

2, I should have been standing up and not crouching below the area whilst knocking the tiles off

 

3, I should have made sure I had a first aid kit available (I had to use a tea towel to scrunch the leg together whilst I tried to raise the alarm)

 

4, prior to carrying out DIY jobs I should have made sure I had someone around that I could call on "just in case".

 

Their is probably lots more "if" things I could have done but these keep springing to mind, I'm a healthy 32 year old and like to think have my head screwed on properly and this was just a silly silly mistake albeit a very costly one but could have been much

 

I'm now hobbling around on crutches with my leg strapped up, luckily the staff in our pub are really helpful and have been waiting on me hand and er foot,

 

I'm sure lots of us have had similar accidents on board but it does bring home just how isolated we can be when on our boats carrying out DIY jobs,

 

I was very lucky this time and I hope that by reading this it will put into reality just how wrong a simple job can go sometimes

 

Wishing you all happy and safe boating

 

Nik

 

 

Edited for spelling

 

 

 

 

Glad you are going to be ok. A very good post.

 

Tim

[Ange]

Ouch - that sounds really nasty Nik.

 

Glad you're ok and thanks for posting some good advice - it's easy to get too complacent.

[kienik]

That's exactly what I did, I got to complacent and ultimately paid the price for it,

 

I always male sure I have the correct guards on and correct ppe when using grinders etc but didn't think about this task being dangerous

 

A big wake up call for me and hopefully others

[frangar]

Ouch...glad you are ok now.

 

When I was having my boat painted i helped out by using a flap wheel on a angle grinder to dress the roof where we had taken the wooden handrails off...correct PPE...googles...gloves..ear defenders etc...got to a point where I needed a break...took googles off...promptly had a flake of rust fall out of hair and into eye....put up with it for a day thinking all would get better...ended up at docs who ordered me to emergency eye clinic...will spare details but ended up with an eyepatch for a while...that was in 2007...last time I went to the optician he said you can still see scar on lens....you really cant be too careful!

 

Stay safe people

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Alanji]

Good advice Nik - have a greenie.

 

Glad you have suffered no permanent damage - other than a nice scar you can show the girls - which you did not get when removing a tile of course, but from mountaineering in the Himalayas/in the SAS etc etc.

[system 4-50]

A point to note is that every piece of safety equipment is also a hazard.

For example, goggles are essential to protect the eyes in many circumstances, but also reduce your peripheral vision. It is quite easy then to trip over small items of furniture etc.

Gloves, essential to protect the hands, reduce the accuracy with which you can wield the materials you are using.

And so on.

I have dust masks, gas masks, a full face mask, various types of gloves, goggles, knee pads, overalls, ear defenders, available and I use them. The only major omission is steel capped boots.

Another one to be wary of is static electricity. I once took my goggles off and saw dust fragments attracted to my eyebrows, some of which got in my eye! Just my magnetic personality, I guess.

 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[nb Innisfree]

Good advice Nik - have a greenie.

 

Glad you have suffered no permanent damage - other than a nice scar you can show the girls - which you did not get when removing a tile of course, but from mountaineering in the Himalayas/in the SAS etc etc.

Except that he'll have to drop his trousers first, not a very good chat up procedure.

[Sanddancer]

We ALL do it just get on with the job and not thinking something might happen

[boathunter]

A point to note is that every piece of safety equipment is also a hazard.

For example, goggles are essential to protect the eyes in many circumstances, but also reduce your peripheral vision. It is quite easy then to trip over small items of furniture etc.

Gloves, essential to protect the hands, reduce the accuracy with which you can wield the materials you are using.

And so on.

...

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

This is so true. My finger got momentarily sucked into the gap between a grinding disc and it's guard once. If the guard hadn't been there my finger would have bounced off. I could post a picture, but on grounds of taste I won't unless someone asks nicely.

 

The more you work with your hands and tools the more natural it becomes to think "what if" all the time. So you never have your face in line with an angle grinder, never position your knuckles in line with anything skin removing while spannering, stop sticking screwdrivers in your fingers and generally getting yourself in the line of slipping and jumping tools.

 

If you work in an office, it requires more concentration to wield a lump hammer than if you're a builder.

 

My classic Doh! moment: I was replacing broken glass in a large aluminium framed window. The glass was held and sealed by a rubber gasket. As I wiggled a chunk out of the bottom, a large icicle type shard fell out of the top and stuck in my knuckle. It took about a year to get full movement back. How daft not to start at the top!

Edited February 17, 2013 by boathunter

[Alanji]

Except that he'll have to drop his trousers first, not a very good chat up procedure.

 

Ah but I have a kilt

[Radiomariner]

Knowing you have done something stupid after the event is easy. It's knowing beforehand is not so easy!

I try to always give a few minutes thought before doing any tasks to eliminate any possible disasters, but inevatibly there is nearly always something I had not thought of.

In my latter years at sea, we had "job assessment meetings" every day to discuss all possibilities. Ususally the whole plan had changed within the first hour!

I try to bear in mind the following:

1. Avoid working alone if possible.

2. If you can not apply 1 above, make sure there is help within shouting distance, or have a mobile phone handy. Not out of reach, handy where you are working.

3. Allow at least 3 minutes to consider what you are doing and any possibilities for accidents. Say to yourself a few times "Safety first"

4. If there is a possibility you can fall into the water wear a safety belt, harness or lifejacket. Alternativly secure yourself to the boat somehow.

5. (This one I have good reason to remember) If I drop a tool can it do any damage. This includes items that may fall out op pockets.

 

Of course, having said all that, do I always adhere to my own rules. No.

 

Slightly

On the subject of the OP's gashed knee. Many years ago, before mobile phones, while mooring up my foot went into what I then believed was a rabbit borow, (Probably a voles), and I got a rather large gash on my shin. SWMBO very bravely gave me a large slug of whisky of which I drank half and she used the rest to clean out the wound. She then with a couple of safety pins and a pair of pliers clipped the wound together and bound it all up. It was two days before I got to hospital and doctors said she had done brilliantly. Using pliers they clipped off the bits of safety pin and did not need to anything further other than a tetnus shot and some more bandaging.

[bizzard]

I believe that at weekends and bank holidays hospital A&E's are inundated with injured amateur DIYers.

[steve hayes]

I believe that at weekends and bank holidays hospital A&E's are inundated with injured amateur DIYers.

 

Nearly, in the summers is it is mainly bikers and trampoline accidents.

I know, 18 months ago my 24 year old son did the trampoline accident bit back board in an ambulance, etc. When we were there their was another trampoliner and at least three bikers

The doctor said that if motor bikes and trampolines were banned he could have the weekends off

 

Steve

[rubblequeen]

Evening all.

 

Thought about starting this topic a few days ago but have been more than busy trying to recover a bit.

 

Basically this is a bit of a warning to others on here when fitting out or carrying out Improvements to your boat.

 

As some of you know I bought a 40" boat last July and have stripped the inside and refitted it, I. More or less finished now and decided last Monday that I would strip off the old tiles surrounding my squirrell stove, and replacing the tiles with something more in keeping with the new interior.

 

I took the squirrell out and started knocking the tiles off using a brick bolster, got down to the fire board and noticed their were some more tiles beneath it, so fire board removed carefully so i could reuse it, I proceeded to knockoff the very old tiles (floor tiles were used previously, so very big and heavy).

 

This is where the accident occurred, as I started to chip the old tiles off one of the tiles under the gunwale cracked in half and fell off the wall. On its way down it caught my right leg/knee.

 

Result was a huge slice in my trousers and a much bigger slice through my right leg just on the knee, to say I went a bit grey is an understatement, it was extremely deep but didn't bleed at all.

 

I was alone on the boat and as my mooring is on the edge of a farmers field I could have been in big trouble as I couldn't walk too well, the nearest hospital is around 8 miles away.

 

I tried to raise the alarm with a friend that was working on his boat some way down the moorings, but he had left hos phone in his van!!, In short I managed to raise the alarm with a fellow boater, finally we got hold of my friend who took me to A & E, I spent two days in hospital and had to have an operation to check i had not done any serious damage and the put it all back together again, not a very nice experience at all, I'm going to be off my feet for a few weeks and the pain is not good.

 

I just wanted to raise this with you all and note down some lessons that I will definitely learn from this and in turn hopefully by reading this it will make others think about the hazards.

 

1, I should have had overalls on and not thin track suit bottoms

 

2, I should have been standing up and not crouching below the area whilst knocking the tiles off

 

3, I should have made sure I had a first aid kit available (I had to use a tea towel to scrunch the leg together whilst I tried to raise the alarm)

 

4, prior to carrying out DIY jobs I should have made sure I had someone around that I could call on "just in case".

 

Their is probably lots more "if" things I could have done but these keep springing to mind, I'm a healthy 32 year old and like to think have my head screwed on properly and this was just a silly silly mistake albeit a very costly one but could have been much

 

I'm now hobbling around on crutches with my leg strapped up, luckily the staff in our pub are really helpful and have been waiting on me hand and er foot,

 

I'm sure lots of us have had similar accidents on board but it does bring home just how isolated we can be when on our boats carrying out DIY jobs,

 

I was very lucky this time and I hope that by reading this it will put into reality just how wrong a simple job can go sometimes

 

Wishing you all happy and safe boating

 

Nik

 

 

Edited for spelling

 

Nik you do realise that you have just written a Health & Safety Risk Assessment. Often derided on here.

Glad to here that you are OK and as I'm also refitting my kitchen a timely reminder for me. Thanks

[kienik]

Thanks for all the kind words.

 

I've now been sat with my leg strapped up for six days armed with my recent copy of WW, and towpath talk, ipad by my side and I think I have almost exhausted all of the boar brokers websites, most of the topics on here as well as looking at tons and tons of boat porn,

 

Another week and a bit to go and ill have read all of my back issues of WW (Complete set from day one to the current issue),

 

I'm definitely going to have arms like Popeye by the time I give these crutches back

 

Happy Sunday everyone

 

Nik

[John Holden]

 

I'm definitely going to have arms like Popeye by the time I give these crutches back

 

Happy Sunday everyone

 

Nik

 

I found after a spell on crutches that I developed rather large shoulders, to the extent that I ripped the backs of jackets open!

[madcat]

ouchy ouchy ouch, hope you recover quickly.

[tree]

Some very good advice and most of all you are now recovering tips for having to use horrid crutches ... wrap the handle bits with lots of padding

 

Bestest wishes

[DeanS]

Great post.

My wife often said...why dont I get one of those nail guns...they make the job so easy. After seeing the tv clip where a guy pinned his hand to the stair rail..and they only found him when his wife got home that night......I decided I'd prefer to use a hammer....although my kids would have loved the nail gun.....hmmmmm

 

Thanks for all the kind words.

 

I've now been sat with my leg strapped up for six days armed with my recent copy of WW, and towpath talk, ipad by my side and I think I have almost exhausted all of the boar brokers websites, most of the topics on here as well as looking at tons and tons of boat porn,

 

Another week and a bit to go and ill have read all of my back issues of WW (Complete set from day one to the current issue),

 

I'm definitely going to have arms like Popeye by the time I give these crutches back

 

Happy Sunday everyone

 

Nik

 

 

Try www.ted.com ....20min chunks to keep you from being too bored....

[blackrose]

Evening all.

 

Thought about starting this topic a few days ago but have been more than busy trying to recover a bit.

 

Basically this is a bit of a warning to others on here when fitting out or carrying out Improvements to your boat.

 

As some of you know I bought a 40" boat last July and have stripped the inside and refitted it, I. More or less finished now and decided last Monday that I would strip off the old tiles surrounding my squirrell stove, and replacing the tiles with something more in keeping with the new interior.

 

I took the squirrell out and started knocking the tiles off using a brick bolster, got down to the fire board and noticed their were some more tiles beneath it, so fire board removed carefully so i could reuse it, I proceeded to knockoff the very old tiles (floor tiles were used previously, so very big and heavy).

 

This is where the accident occurred, as I started to chip the old tiles off one of the tiles under the gunwale cracked in half and fell off the wall. On its way down it caught my right leg/knee.

 

Result was a huge slice in my trousers and a much bigger slice through my right leg just on the knee, to say I went a bit grey is an understatement, it was extremely deep but didn't bleed at all.

 

I was alone on the boat and as my mooring is on the edge of a farmers field I could have been in big trouble as I couldn't walk too well, the nearest hospital is around 8 miles away.

 

I tried to raise the alarm with a friend that was working on his boat some way down the moorings, but he had left hos phone in his van!!, In short I managed to raise the alarm with a fellow boater, finally we got hold of my friend who took me to A & E, I spent two days in hospital and had to have an operation to check i had not done any serious damage and the put it all back together again, not a very nice experience at all, I'm going to be off my feet for a few weeks and the pain is not good.

 

I just wanted to raise this with you all and note down some lessons that I will definitely learn from this and in turn hopefully by reading this it will make others think about the hazards.

 

1, I should have had overalls on and not thin track suit bottoms

 

2, I should have been standing up and not crouching below the area whilst knocking the tiles off

 

3, I should have made sure I had a first aid kit available (I had to use a tea towel to scrunch the leg together whilst I tried to raise the alarm)

 

4, prior to carrying out DIY jobs I should have made sure I had someone around that I could call on "just in case".

 

Their is probably lots more "if" things I could have done but these keep springing to mind, I'm a healthy 32 year old and like to think have my head screwed on properly and this was just a silly silly mistake albeit a very costly one but could have been much

 

I'm now hobbling around on crutches with my leg strapped up, luckily the staff in our pub are really helpful and have been waiting on me hand and er foot,

 

I'm sure lots of us have had similar accidents on board but it does bring home just how isolated we can be when on our boats carrying out DIY jobs,

 

I was very lucky this time and I hope that by reading this it will put into reality just how wrong a simple job can go sometimes

 

Wishing you all happy and safe boating

 

Nik

 

 

Edited for spelling

 

Just be thankful it was your leg and not a shard of tile that hit you in the eyeball!

 

Don't forget your eye protection when doing jobs like this.

[kienik]

Well I thought it was time for an update so.........

 

Leg is healing well, after two weeks on crutches I had my sutures out yesterday (Tuesday), not a very nice experience at all.

 

The surgeons did an amazing job and the wound looks really good, very clean and amazingly neat stitches,

 

Still feel very stiff and get the occasional twitches in the knee which can feel somewhat strange.

 

Should be back up and into normal action next week, I did a four hour shift on the bar tonight in my pub and boy am I feeling it now!!

 

Large glass of white before bed and I should be a bit more supple tomorrow

 

Update done

 

Back on here tomorrow

 

Night all

 

Nik

[Doorman]

Ah but I have a kilt

 

 

The classic question then will be; "what are you wearing under yeh kilt?"

 

To which I believe most Scotsmen answer; "only my girlfriend's lipstick!"

 

A bit rude I know but it is nearly the weekend.

 

 

 

Hi Nik,

 

Good to hear that you're on the road to recovery. I had a chuckle when you mentioned that you were wearing track suit bottoms when the accident occurred. I take it that you are native of The Wirral so you won't mind me asking if you had one of those curly wigs on and a black moustache at the time? (Harry Enfield style).

 

Scousers and even posh scousers on The Wirral are renowned for wearing track suit bottoms during most procedures and if they're really well off they adorn the ubiquitous shell suits too! I have a pair of track suit bottoms that I used to wear when relaxing and sometimes when doing jobs around the boat. After your cautionary tale, I think they'll be consigned to the rag box from now on.

 

As a time served fitter, who was trained very well by other competent craftsmen, I still make daft mistakes when carrying out repairs or servicing the boat. I put many of the gaffs down to senior moments and thankfully am able to look back and laugh at them. One one occasion though, I was tacking a metal battery tray in place on the stern of our cruiser sterned boat. Being lazy and given that the job was out in the open air, I neglected to take one of the batteries out of the tray because it was awkward. I covered it over with a thick protective sheet and proceeded to tack away with my welding set.

 

Boom! The gases from the battery ignited and blew the thing apart. Luckily, because I had a full face welding mask on, the battery acid didn't reach my skin. What a stupid and irresponsible thing to do, all because I was complacent and wrongfully believed that I'd taken enough precautions. You may notice that any 'in line' fuses that are located near to your batteries should have sealed holders for this very same reason of risk of explosion. And also why it is important to follow the correct sequence of disconnection when removing a battery in order to minimise the risk sparks igniting the gases emitted from lead/acid batteries.

 

Sometimes, we are fortunate to be able to tell the tale of our misfortunes, others are not so lucky.

 

Thanks again for letting us know about your accident and may you be out on the water very soon (before the hire boat season starts)

 

Mike

Edited February 28, 2013 by Doorman

[Alanji]

The classic question then will be; "what are you wearing under yeh kilt?"

 

To which I believe most Scotsmen answer; "only my girlfriend's lipstick!"

 

A bit rude I know but it is nearly the weekend.

My response (and many others):

 

"You want to know what is worn under my kilt"

 

Answer: "Yes"

 

"Nothing at all madam, it is all in perfect working order - would you like to check?"

 

OR

 

"There is only one way to find out and only ladies are invited!"

[Doorman]

My response (and many others):

 

"You want to know what is worn under my kilt"

 

Answer: "Yes"

 

"Nothing at all madam, it is all in perfect working order - would you like to check?"

 

OR

 

"There is only one way to find out and only ladies are invited!"

 

Aye, and the other classic is the reaction when they actually do check is: "Oh, it's gruesome" to which the cheeky Scotsman replies; "Aye and if you get any closer it'll gruesome more!"