Interesting day today...

[azpyroguy]

Today my contractor started installing the wood floors (after the concrete grinder company was here to flatten the concrete in areas... that was a total dust bowl mess)

So today they got about 70% of the gameroom, and front room done, then there was an accident at about 5:15pm with one of his helpers while I was out on an errand run for them.

I got the call that I needed to come back right a way, because one of the guys cut off two of his fingers on the table saw and knicked a third one, it was his ring, middle, and pinky fingers.

When I got back the firetruck and ambulance were here stabilizing him, after the paramedics picked up their mess, I had to wash off the blood concrete and rocks which was substantial to say the least.

They took him to surgery immediatley, but the paramedics were not hopefull about the fingers because they were not a clean cut.

The contractor is going to call me Saturday and let me know how the surgery went... I hope they are able to save his fingers.

The hospital that he was supposed to goto would not take him because they dont specialize in those types of incidents.... so they had to take him to another place almost 30 miles away....

I was rather surprised they ambulanced him to that place during rush hour traffic... as there was a perfect place down the street for the chopper to land and airlift him to the distance hospital...

 

[wesalbert]

any word on how the surgery went?

 

[Prof]

Too late but:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbndZtkfcqs

 

[SilvrSRT10]

Too late but:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbndZtkfcqs

Yeah Prof, Most people buy those after the fact. After they realize that "That will never happen to me" has just happened. I know a guy who bought one after he lost three fingers to a table saw. If the Government has anything to do with it, all table saws will have to have this technology like cars have seat belts and airbags.

 

[azpyroguy]

I just talked to the forman, and he is doing well. The injury was bad, but not as bad as it was thought to have been on the scene.

1 finger was cut off hanging by skin, but they were able to save it, and the other fingers had their tendons cut, and were able to sew them back up.

So yes.... he is in pain, but doing well....and will be out of comission for sometime.

I remember that Saw Stop product, I am emailing that to the contractor...

 

[TheSickness]

I lost my right pointer finger and had it sewn back on....Don't ask how either

 

[Chuck B]

I do a lot of woodworking. Had an incident Aug 17th 2004....you don't forget days like that! I've got a 5hp cabinet saw and was finishing up a set of kitchen cherry cabinets. I had to make a series of dado cuts then rip a large piece of solid cherry. Approx 16" wide and 24" long and 3/4" thick. It had been along day and decided to skip installing the splitter on the back side of the blade since I only had to make one rip. This btw takes about 35 seconds.

While my cherry wood was air dried it can still have internal tension and often ripping a piece of wood releases that tension causing one or both pieces coming out of the blade to twist or bend. The splitter is designed to keep the wood from bending back into the back of the blade. Doing so can cause kickback sending the board at a very high velocity right back at you or it can climb up and over the blade and firing right back at you...either way you're in trouble.

I was ripping about 4" off the piece when 1/3 the way through the larger piece started to press into the back of the blade. Times like this everything slows down. I had already started calling my self every name in the book for not installing the splitter. I watched in slow motion as the board pressed hard into the blade. Smoke began to pour out from the friction. I had both hands on the board trying to fight it and knew I couldn't let go to reach down and kill the saw. For a moment all was a stand still....would it fire back at me or climb up over the blade. Sure enough I knew my answer a moment later.

All I remember is seeing the blade now bent so far over that it was cutting into the metal insert around the blade. I watched as the board climbed up and remember pulling my hands back to protect myself. I heard a loud crack and next thing I knew I was on my hands and knees trying to figure out what just happened. I reached up to kill the saw and immediately pulled my hand back and into my belly....blood was spurting...literally out everywhere! I reached with the other hand and killed the saw, stood up and just at that moment the wife came running into the garage wondering what just happened. Her office is at the other end of the house and said the whole house shook.

I immediately told her to stop where she was. Told her I was fine but I had cut my hand and needed her to get me a towel, grab the medical card and get keys to her car. I did this as calm as I could as I didn't want to scare her too much. The look on her face told me I wasn't doing such a good job. She turned to do as I asked. I glanced down and by now my shoes were red with blood.

I turned behind me and saw blood splattered all over the ceiling, walls and garage door behind me. What I saw next stunned me....the board was now 3/4 of the way through my garage door just about eye level. It came out of the saw so hard it went through the inside metal sheet, through 2" of foam and out the outer sheet metal of the door. The door itself was completely twisted from being hit that hard.

My wife came back moments later with a towel and I again stopped her and told her to throw it to me. She turned around in a panic after tossing it to me. A couple min later my sister pulls up. Wife had called her and she happened to be right around teh corner. She's a Dr and when she saw the blood you could see her face change. I just smiled and asked if I could catch a ride to the ER. She asked to see my hand and I pulled it away for the first time to take a look.....bad! Even I knew this wasn't good. All three jumped into her car and sped towards the ER.

Long story short Dr's/Nurses all insisted the blade had gotten my hand. I kept telling them it had not...remember I watched it all in slow motion. After the xrays it was easy to determine what happened.

It was the board that hit three of my fingers as it came out of the saw. It had hit it with such force that it broke my fingers in at least 8 different places. The tips of two fingers where blown open/off from the bone exiting through the tips. The force of impact went through my fingers bending them backwards obviously but the energy had taken nearly all the skin off the fingers. My skin was literally blown off from the impact. Imagine if the board had hit me other than my hand.....ugly!

ER and sister did the best they could to bandage my fingers. I got into see a hand surgeon the following day. He took one look and told his assistant to schedule surgery immediately. He then spent some time determining how bad it really was. Here's the great part.....everything worked! All my tendons and muscles were still intact. The bones healed and even the tips grew back. Several skin graphs and other cosmetic touches and its actually hard to tell what happened. I still have area's with no feeling but I must say...I was very lucky!

I still do woodworking, still use my table saw but I immediately went out and purchased the best aftermarket safety devices for my table saw and then purchased about $2500 in other equipment that allowed me to make cuts that I need WITHOUT using the table saw. Every cut is now made with safety in mind and specifically if there is a way to do the cut without using the table saw. Its by far the most dangerous piece of equipment I own and the last resort piece I use. Bandsaw covers 90% of what a table saw can do....much much safer.

I've seen the Sawstop in action....its an amazing device. Fact is the person who invented it couldn't get the manufactures to add it to their saws so he ended up raising enough money and building his own brand.

 

[Prof]

You may have saved me some pain and possibly much more...I am convinced. All of the safety devices are going back on...I have been very lazy in the past...your story has changed that. I greatly appreciate your input...

Roy

 

[SilvrSRT10]

My story isn't nearly as bad as yours Chuck. But any saw can get you if your not paying full attention. I was building a handicapped ramp for my in-laws. I was hot, tired, dripping sweat and not focused. I was making a cut with a little DeWalt 18V circular saw and thought the piece I was cutting would make a great pattern for my next cut. So I reach up to catch it and my fingers come in contact with the blade sticking out the bottom of the board.

Caught the two middle fingers good and nicked the index and little finger. Ended up with a combined total of 11 stitches. Everything has grown back but those fingers feel thicker then they use to be. Learned that you don't work with dangerous tools when your tired. You end up making stupid mistakes.

 

[black pearl]

Most of the equipment today has safety devices. Some people think they are in the way and remove them thinking an accident won't happen to them.

 

[Chuck B]

Much of the safety equipment is poorly designed thus leading many to remove. Consumers are so price sensitive that manufactures have to cut corners and often its the lawyers and bean counters who determine the final product with quality of the accessories taking second fiddle.

One major difference between the average american wood shop and the european wood shop....Americans wood shop often is centered around a table saw. European shops are centered around the band saw. Regardless, just try and find a european tablesaw WITHOUT a riving splitter. Only now are topend models coming with that here in the USA.

I ride/race motorcycles so I understand or should say I balance safety all the time. After years of people asking how I can wear full gear during Az summers my reply has been....Funny thing about accidents; you never know when you're going to have one.

 

[wesalbert]

I think anyone who has worked with a table saw has a story to tell. I use to do car audio for 12 years. One day a co-worker was building a box. He had a 4x8 sheet of MDF that he was cutting. I will never forget how quick that board shot up and hit him. It hit him square in the forhead. Looking back now it was funny, but then..... not so much. He is a big guy and it almost put him on his back on the ground.
Like most have said before. This could have been prevented IF the guard was used. It was removed because also stated above...... they get in the way.

 

[tinygiants]

Much of the safety equipment is poorly designed thus leading many to remove. Consumers are so price sensitive that manufactures have to cut corners and often its the lawyers and bean counters who determine the final product with quality of the accessories taking second fiddle.

One major difference between the average american wood shop and the european wood shop....Americans wood shop often is centered around a table saw. European shops are centered around the band saw. Regardless, just try and find a european tablesaw WITHOUT a riving splitter. Only now are topend models coming with that here in the USA.

I ride/race motorcycles so I understand or should say I balance safety all the time. After years of people asking how I can wear full gear during Az summers my reply has been....Funny thing about accidents; you never know when you're going to have one.

You hit the nail on the head.

It is a matter of cost and function. European table saws will not even accept large dado blades for safety reasons.