well this doesn't need to get a huge response but my son was handling a 45# barbell plate and it slipped out of his hand. now for those of you unfermilure with these they are about 1" wide and 14" dia. it sliced right through his shoe and toe nail bed on his big toe. it only fell about a foot. after thinking about how many of us handle chunks of steel I though it appropriate to mension how some of us handle metal when we are tired or sweating. it may just a be a split second between walking and being carried away.

on a side note his toe isn't broken. just a bad cut that required 4 stitches.

Gravity never sleeps. When I know something is headed down in the general vicinity of my feet I've developed a habit of using that split second to move my feet. If you don't know it's comming then you're screwed, like the time a 200lb hammer from a Chambersburg utility dropped 3' from my hoist while I was looking up. It missed by a couple if inches.......I still shudder when I think of it.......

They put all manner of things on gloves now days that improve grip, silicone, abrasives, etc.

For the shop look at steel toed shoes with metatarsal protection.

I sweat a great deal while working in hot weather and wear tennis wrist bands to keep the perspiration on my arms from wetting my palms.

I also lift weights frequently and wear Schmidt & Sons gloves with the deer skin palms to handle the plates and bars. Like you said, a dropped plate is a good way to lose some toes.

I sweat a great deal while working in hot weather and wear tennis wrist bands to keep the perspiration on my arms from wetting my palms.

I do the same.

What can I say? Thanks for the reminder. I am sorry for the mishap. We all learn something from this.