safety/idiots and sharp objects

[Mark Story]

With me it was: Delignate + dull band saw blade = (laceration halfway
through first knuckle + surgery) + six week with pin in finger = (second
surgery + seven more weeks on five different IV antibiotics from
ostiomylitis from first surgery) = knarly finger with a saggy tendon and 30%
mobility. Live and learn.


Mark Story. RPT
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]  On Behalf
Of J Patrick Draine
Sent:	Friday, August 03, 2001 6:22 AM
To:	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject:	safety/idiots and sharp objects

Dear List:
A few weeks ago we were giving advice to Terry about replacing a set
of bass strings. Yesterday morning I started a job replacing a set of
bass strings on a Samick grand. The vast majority of my income is
from basic in home tuning, repair & regulation, but when a local high
school's students periodically dump soft drinks onto the pianos' bass
strings, I'll replace a set. Especially when the high school is empty
except for a few janitors and secretaries, and the auditorium is
slightly air conditioned.
Mistake #1: Gee I couldn't find a pair of thin gloves just before I
left for the job.
Mistake #2: I didn't stop at a hardware store and buy some before
getting to the school (thought I might have to go out to the hardware
after I got set up before I "really" got to working).
Mistake #3: Found one (right hand) glove in the car and felt like
"hey that's good enough".
Mistake #4: Due to an all time "high" of dangerous and pointless
idiocy I decide to "save" some of the bass strings by straightening
the coil -- which one can (I don't recommend it) do by slipping a
screwdriver shaft through the coil and yanking on it. The only "good"
reason for my doing that was that I air-headedly thought "hey if I
screw up one of the new strings I could use an old one until I get it
copied". A very poor reason indeed! Really, a total waste of my time,
even under the best circumstances.

So after carrying out this very dubious procedure about a dozen times
SURPRISE! a becket sliced right through the flesh of my left index
finger, opening up a surprisingly large flap of skin, with lots of
blood oozing out. After dripping blood around the school a janitor
helped bandage me up, so I could then spend 3 hours in the emergency
room waiting for a doctor to spend 5 minutes sewing me up.

So ... Thursday afternoon was a complete wash ($75 co-pay for the ER
visit), and today I've elected to "do office work" and wait for a COD
FedEx delivery (the bass strings from Samick). Have to wear a finger
splint to keep the wound from opening up if I bend the finger.

This *was* the first time I've had a work related  ER visit in 23
years, but it was VERY stupid on my part.
Basic safety procedures are VERY important! Being cavalier when
working with very sharp stuff is really dumb!!

Patrick