My first Cobra injury.. Any others?

[750hp]

I couldn't sit down for a while after Customs bent me over.

[Rob. Smith]

I'm so used to getting cuts and barks that I now regard a job well done as one that has blood on it. My biggest injury involving the Cobra was slipping and falling with the foot wedged between cobra suspension parts...broke three bones in the ankle. It was 90 degrees to the leg facing forward. ( It looked so wrong ) Twisted it back into the right position and went to hospital. It gave me three months off work to play with the Cobra. Funny thing it didn't hurt. Another weird thing... I was tidying up so "I didn't trip and break my neck" Lesson.....don't clean up.

[hogster]

Doing a main bearing change on a landcruiser once, lying under the car trying to put the main caps back on.

Put the main cap in position but couldn't reach the bolt, so I slowly took my hand of the bearing cap - it didn't move. I still didn't trust it. wriggled it with my fingers - it didn't move.

So I rolled to the side and turned back just in time for the falling bearing cap to turn half a turn and punch a hole into my cheek bone with the machined edge.

Worst part of it was knowing how stupid it all was......Doofus

[trularin]

I have the same problem as Gregg, I dripped all over the car.

My wife took stock in Johnson&Johnson.

Lucky, my blood is that thin easy to wipe up stuff.

[Zedn]

This has turned out to be an entertaining thread.

Here is a pic i took. Doesnt look that bad in the pic. But the left side of my nail that is sticking out is over the top of the skin. No skin is missing.

[Clois Harlan]

I have had so many mishaps that I can't remember which was worse. Stopped going to the doctor for cuts and such (I just use a little super glue unless there is bone exposed). Thanks for reminding me that I am due for another tectnus shot this year. Stuff happens ---cut off tools ouch! I still remember that one. Fortunatly, no permanent disfigurement.

Clois

[Merv and Sharon]

What a list! And we are all skilled too! Imagine what amateurs could do ... My only Cobra injury was with the engine-less car and rolling it around the garage ... and over my toes. Hardly hurt at all. My wife loved the moment however.

[Baz]

Tonight I am going to injure my liver and a few brain cells. Check out my latest entry on Boxhead's 'Ride Height with 17" wheels" thread. I'm depressed.

Baz

[Blair]

Originally Posted by 750hp

I couldn't sit down for a while after Customs bent me over.

Hahahaahaa

Man don't I know that feeling! Well said 750hp

[acecob]

Back in the days of a mehanic I had my little cousin as an apprentice
he was doing something leaning into the boot of a car, a cabbie pulled up outside the workshop, there was a little downhill slope on the driveway he got out and the cab started rolling into the workshop, abo,my apprentice wasn't looking then I saw these two cars come together, I nearly died thought his legs were snapped in half so I ran over and pushed the cars apart, he looked at me and just walked away not a mark.

I could tell story about a bloke doing a clutch on a Escort Van working with car stands, he shook the car so hard trying to put the box back in the whole car droppeed on him lol but i don't have time now......... no It wasn't me neither

[OZVENOM]

An un named cobra owner trying to change a front spring popped the ball joint with his hand trying to hold the lower arm up . and found that holding compressed 600 lb spring is not possible and ended up loosing 1/2 of one finger and 1/4 of another .
A simple mistake with devastating results.
I learnt the same thing as a teenager working on the same type of suspension and sitting spread eagled on the drive nearly lost my willy and his two mates . That really got my attention. gaining experience can be painfull but you normally learn from it. do it once is experience do it twice is just plain stupidity.

oz

[Wazza]

nearly lost my willy and his two mates .

Creedence Clearwater even did a song about them....Willy and the Poor Boys !!

[jcraigau]

No one ever told me about the force that those front ends explode with when you get down to the last couple of turns. Surprised the hell out of me and ripped the spanner out of my hand shooting it across the garage floor. Luckily it missed everything and all I got was a graze on one knuckle as it bounced off the garage floor...

The other side I was prepared for and was sitting on the cross member with the bottom plate facing down, as it got to the end all it made was a dull thud as it decompressed against the brick I had it on. Hopefully there won't be a next time!

[wetdog]

2 weeks ago I was cutting a piece of aluminum for the lower oil cooler ...had thee piece in the vice and was cutting it with a air shear , it was cutting like butter until the last 1/16 of an inch it hung up ....yep it finally broke through and I ended up slicing up my wrist. No stiches but I will ,and should have had my gloves on when working with sheet metal, the garage floor looked like an episode of CSI ...WD

[Mrs flatchat]

Nearly lost me left hand under a slab mill --long story -- you won't understand.
Bottom line is, you can sit back and sip Lattes and tell every one how economical it was by hiring a Qualified trades person to do the job properly.
They have liability insurance, they're qualified, they (specialists) have the gear, WPH&S etc etc. (when you find the right one) Get organised --you'll be better off in the long run
And for those that have a bit of bark off there digits -- its just a scratch, stop crying and get back to work-- ya pussies

Mr P

[Zedn]

They have liability insurance, they're qualified, they (specialists) have the gear, WPH&S etc etc. (when you find the right one) Get organised --you'll be better off in the long run

I was doing an OHS audit on a building site today in Sydney. They are a reasonably large building company and it was a $5m project.

I watched a guy using a metal cutoff saw to cut pipes for the fire system. He was using a drop saw with a cut off wheel and had no safety glasses. To protect his eyes he was operating the drop saw whilst turning his head and looking behind him . Seems he valued his eyes more than his hands! Not all companies have WPH&S in place.

[hodson]

Like most on this thread, I have many experiences, scars etc to remind me of the many scrapes that I have endured over the years. All of which have instilled the experience that I think I have today. The thing that frightens me is that I have spent many years accumulating this experience from real accidents and when I try to pass on this wisdom to my apprentices (fitters & machinists) they just look at me with glassed eyes and I believe they think that "I'm just a silly old man telling stories".
I'm also a safety auditor as well as an expert witness for the Coroner and Qld WPH&S. I see many workplaces and speak with many experienced tradesmen and they all seem to have the same problem. It seems when you are 19 you are 10ft tall & bullet proof, when you turn 30 you are a bit wiser but still trying to prove you are tougher than the 19 year olds so still takes risks, when you turn 40 you are really starting to learn but still think you are tougher than 19 year olds so still takes risks (because you can because you are experienced now) and then you turn 50, you suddenly realise that your not 19 anymore and accidents hurt a lot. You decide that it would be a good thing if you tried to pass on this experience to younger workers/apprentices etc. This is when reality hits you and you realise that you are just a silly old man telling war stories.
The moral of this story is that the majority of the young will only ever learn from their own experiences.
So just forget about being silly old men telling stories and go drive your Cobra's like young people try to but only silly old men have the experience to do.

Regards
Colin

[Zedn]

Interesting Colin, Sounds like we are in a similar game.

As for age.. did i mention i am under 30? (well for another couple of months).

Unfortunately i have just as much trouble with the old guys that are set in there ways as i do the young risk takers.

I think this thread has been benificial in reminding us that accidents happen and they happen quickly. Take care!

Regards
Liam.

[PoppyMod]

Here's my tale of woe...
Hi, I just new this subject would surface on day, and it did. Read on....
One fine spring day a few years ago, I'm getting my other ride (1967 EType Jag) road worthy. So, I'm changing the coolant. I have on my favorite sweat shirt (Verizon), from wince I retired in 2003 (after 35 years, and at 55 years young). I'm on the driver's side reaching across to touch the upper rad hose feeling for heat, thus the "T" stat is opening. While doing this I have to reach across the top mounted Alternator, which, took a liking to my dangling sweat shirt sleeve....Well what do you think happened next?
Well, the next thing I knew, I was in a battle for my arm with the alternator pully whic was trying to reel me in by the attached sleeve. Before I could pull myself free, the fins had dug the flesh from my are exposing the forearm muscle tissue. My Wife was out doing her real-estate thang, so there I was, bleeding, in slight shock, but thinking, I did win the tug-of-war with the pulley. It only ate the lower half of my sleeve! So, I gathered my thoughts looked at the fore-arm damaged and thought "this is far more serious for a band-aid application, so quite calmly, I drove the Jag back into the garage, Grab the keys to the caddy and proceeded to drive to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. Don't you know, I got every red light and even, was stuck behind a school bus for part of the way. My worse nightmare I was going into shock! But, I made it to to the E-room, walked up the the Triage nurse and gave her my story, seeing the blood dripping down my arm from beneath my tee shirt wrapped forearm, she sent me right back for a "look-see" . So, up walks a young resident, who takes a look at the exposed muscular forearm and says "you need a more experienced attendee" I immediately thought of the passage from JAWS! You know that passage, I think we need a bigger....! Well 33 stitches latter an a few months of follow-up, I'm good as new. To this day, 5-6 years later, I still have the scared reminder of a very stupid thing I did. Now I am armed (no pun) with a new mantra: "safety first", no baggy clothes, no jewelery, etc. when I work on my junk. BTW, the yellow tail in my avatar was the culprit!

[BJ's Snake]

Originally Posted by Zedn

Interesting Colin, Sounds like we are in a similar game.

As for age.. did i mention i am under 30? (well for another couple of months).

Unfortunately i have just as much trouble with the old guys that are set in there ways as i do the young risk takers.

I think this thread has been benificial in reminding us that accidents happen and they happen quickly. Take care!

Regards
Liam.

Don't knock us old guys set in our ways young fella.
There are more accidents now than before because of OH&S imo. Alot of the new so called guns have become so compalacent about safety that common sense has gone out the back door.
Just my 2cents
Cheers