hearing

[Ten Hammers]

For the benefit of you young folks, I will say a few things. I was raised in a farming community. Hunting, trapping and target shooting was part of life. So was operating machenery from farm equipment to shop equipment. At age 17, I was on the flight line of an advanced Jet Training Squadron in the U.S. Navy. This was during the waining years of Viet Nam ( 1971-1974 ). Hearing protection was provided ( plugs and "ears" ). Most only wore "ears" ( spring loaded muffs that covered your complete ear ). I was negligent in wearing mine as were many. I served Stateside and am NOT a combat veteran. The above mentioned practices alone started my hearing loss, combined with hereditary issues from my Mother. 30+ years later I have severe hearing loss which was not helped by lifestyle and work environment in those years. Protect your hearing. More bandwidth can be taken up by me typing other issues associated with this ( like the associated issues of nuisance of taking plugs out and having clean ones or cleaning safety glasses to see ). Suffice to say this. Wear hearing protection and safety glasses. Maintain them. If you don't, you may lose your hearing and your eyesight.

[irnsrgn]

I might add, always wear safety glasses, a moment of not wearing them cost me the sight in one eye, and like Ten, I deaf in one ear and can't hear outa the other, also take care of your back, and knees. and don't get you fingers and toes frostbitten.

[Ted T]

Ten Hammers and Irnsrgn,
I agree, I agree, I agree, I agree with everything you have both said.
There is no sense of going out to the shop to work if you do not intentionally plan on working safely.
To understand and apply safety factors into the work process is what adds to the making of a skilled craftsman.
My opinion is: If a person can walk out of the shop or off of the job at the end of the shift, healthy and without an injury, it is a good day at work. Everything after that is cake.
That sounds like shallow thinking I know. But one slip of your attention of about what your doing, or not understanding the consciences of what your doing can be a life changing event. As a result you may be out of work for a short time or forever.

Your willingness to incorporate safety into your work process may affect you and your family the rest of your life, if you live!
My wish is that I had the power to boldly proclaim the safety message in some way that people would listen to men and women like Ten Hammers and Irnsrgn.
There message is so important. And that is to have safety concepts incorporated and applied as a critical part of the work strategy.
It seems we all need to be reminded over and over, about the safety issues that Ten Hammers and Irnsrgn have pointed out about ear and eye injuries along with knee, back and frost bite injuries, the list could go on and on.

I would suggest the following:
A. Think about what you are doing.
B. Plan on working safely.
C. If you have any questions, ask them now.
D. Answer them now.
E. Don’t wait until after. If you do, you or your family may be asking a whole lot of different questions to a doctor or a mortician.

What I am attempting to say is real. I was an Accident Reconstructionist for my principal vocation for about 36 years. In that time, from time to time, I was also called on to be a consultant for OSHA. I have seen the after math of what bad judgment or a lack of knowledge can bring on. It is never good!

As a result of my investigations, I found that most people knew how to do better than what they did to got them selves injured or killed. The short cut used (at the expense of safety), was generally to save time or additional expense.

To some extent, I feel like a voice in the darkness when speaking about safety. Many people only hear “yada, yada, yada, . . . . . . .yada. . . . . .safety”.
It may be that most people who have not been injured are smart, lucky, or have not been injured yet.
Be safe!
Ted

[Ten Hammers]

EHHHHHHHHHHHH ? Whats that you say ? I have to laugh a little. I have been injured more than once. The hearing deal is lifetime. I know my grandkids speak softly but I hope that they can appreciate their Grandpa's advice and wear hearing and eye protection ( and not whine if they get a little warm scale on their arm. ) I will be wearing hearing aids in the future, I know. Ted and Junior, thanks for the support. I don't mean to preach.

[Nick]

I have some unidentified issues with my left ear canal, and as a result I won't wear plug type ear protection, so I wear my "ears".

And I'll second on wearing your eyes. Friday in the forge I had a piece of steel that was about three inches long pop out of the vise and hit me right in the glasses. If I hadn't been wearing them I probably would have lost an eye It was an accident, but it could have been serious.

[ThomasPowers]

More than just at the forge! I wear my hearing protectors mowing the lawn, using a powersaw or grinder, on long trips in my old pickup---sometimes when my wife is watching television...

Thomas