In the New Mexico spring months, we don't receive much rain; we get wind. We have a log chain attached to the driveway gate post and when it's straight out, the wind is blowing. ;)

 

Yesterday, my helper was wire cupping outside when a sudden blast of wind blew his cotton shirt into the cup. I wasn't watching, but I heard a strange sound and an abrupt halt to the operation. Fortunately, no skin was harmed, but his shirt now has a big hole in the front of it.

 

It could've been worse.

A few days ago we had some wind that lifted my neighbor's trampolines off the ground... they landed on their roof. We were all thinking about how much power there was.

When I visited a historic windmill in the Netherlands I asked how much power it actually had during a typical windy day near the North Sea---90 horse power!  Not high speed but a lot of torque till something breaks  and looked to be designed so that what would typically break would be easily replaced.

 

"wire cupping" ??? Google says that is a medical procedure,  I certainly hope he was not doing that outside.

Use of a wire cup brush with an angle grinder.  

 

Much as I appreciate the wind blowing dust away from the work area it does provide other issues---like blowing dust into the work area!

Also another good reminder not to wear synthetics, if his shirt was not cotton it could have been a different outcome.

Another reason to wear a shirt that is a size smaller than normal. (grin)

Leather bib apron!  I know of at least 1 incident where a thrown wire penetrated a guy's abdomen.

i had that happen Thomas i did not even feel it and found it while showering for dinner i have about 1 1/2 inches of wavy wire inside of me and about a 1/4 of an inch sticking out

the wire penetrated the cloth welding jacket and my shirt to find its way into me

i can tell you i did a quick once over to make sure there were no more stuck in me anyplace ells

I don't use a wire brush at angle grinder rpms. I use a sander/polisher at about 1/3 that speed. Reduces the risk quite a bit.

A buddy of mine was brush cutting and hit a piece of old rusty barbed wire about 1" long drove it into his lower leg out of site.  He thought he had been hit by a bee.  4 days later he couldn't walk on that leg, went to the hospital when puss started running out.  They operated, nearly lost his leg, out of work 6 months still limps today 20 yrs later! 

 

I don't start one without my logging chaps on and buckled up, not fool proof but better than jeans. 

 

The wire cup brushes are lethal all around always throwing wires all over, try never to use them.  Can't ever wear enough eye protection with them. 

Boy was I glad I do blacksmithing!  Coming home yesterday from a Demo at Albuquerque NM, USA the winds were gusting terribly and having a small pickup loaded to the brim with my smithing stuff helped a lot to keep me on the highway!  We had several brown outs due to blowing dust too.  My wife's minivan would have never made it home.