Comments

Taking time out — 7 Comments

  1. Whenever I take something apart (which I do often, being an inveterate tinkerer) my heart always sinks when there are springs involved, because I know from past experience that springs always go ‘sproing!’ when you don’t want them to. and they never leave any indication of how they were originally mounted, And they usually involve personal injury. I can’t tell you how much of my blood has been spilled dealing with springs. Probably enough to stock a medium sized blood bank.

  2. Grandad,

      I’m very disappointed in your post regarding fixing a clock and injuries sustained.
      It’s obvious from your post that no Risk Assessment was prepared on the appropriate forms prior to the task being undertaken so I must assume no pre-job safety meeting was held and documented.
      Did you read and understand the safety documents that came with the clock relating to springs?
      From wot you typed we can assume that the correct safety clothing was not used; hard hat? safety glasses? safety boots? High viz jacket? Safety gloves? No? Why not? And the old excuse that the job was too fiddly to use gloves won’t wash, okay?
      I also hope you didn’t reach and stretch to get the clock off the wall and I’m sure you didn’t stand on a stool or chair to remove it but used a step ladder of the correct dimensions and configuration, right? Did you read the step ladder safety document and inspect the ladder and document the inspection? Did you only climb, as recommended, only three of the six provided steps? Did you always ensure at least one hand was safely holding the steps grab rail? If you had to use both hands to remove the clock, thus not holding the step grab rail at all, did you use a fall arrestor? One with a valid inspection and test certificate issued by a third party authority? Was the area cordoned off and traffic diverted?
      If the answer to any of the above is ‘No’ then it’s no wonder you nipped your fingers and I have no sympathy…

    I may have pointed you to this before, sorry, but it makes me smile;
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4n-amRJeyw

    • I will have you know that the Risk Assessment nearly cost me my life.

      I did indeed shut down the main road in both directions and evacuated everyone within a quarter mile radius.  I donned my hart hat and carefully measured the angle from the vertical for the ladder.  Having climbed to the very top of the ladder to tie it off [as per regulations] I discovered that there was nothing to tie it to.  I managed to find a piton and a lump hammer and climbed to the top of the ladder again.  Unfortunately the act of hammering a piton into solid granite requires two hands where regulations state that I must hold onto the ladder with at least one hand at all times.  In my attempt to hammer in the piton, with my left hand holding the ladder, my right hand holding the hammer and the piton between my teeth, I slipped.  I fell to the floor and my hart hat dropped on the dog [who had managed to sneak in past the safety cordon].  My cries for help went unanswered as everyone was at least a quarter of a mile away.

      Don’t talk to me about fucking Elf and Saferty.

  3. Grandad: if you were repairing the clock in the kitchen, that was your first mistake: “The kitchen is where some of the most serious home accidents occur.” RoSPA
    (BTW, it’s a well-known fact that, in the case of itty-bitty springs, they invariably ‘sproing!’ into some dark corner under furniture.)

    Loved your post, Mac!

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