Protect You Eyes
03-20-2006, 04:52 AM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Protect You Eyes
We talk about safety on the track a lot here, but something we don't talk about often is being safe working on the car. I just left the eye doctor for what I thought was pink eye. It actually turned out to be a small piece of metal lodged in my left eye. To say that it was painful would be a mild understatement, so I just want to put out a reminder to be careful working on your cars this summer because getting sidelined for something like this sucks bad, especially when a pair of $5 safety glasses would have prevented it. This has cost me a full day of working on my car yesterday and half a day of work today and I've got another appointment tomorrow to make sure it's not infected.
03-20-2006, 11:57 AM
#3
Former Vendor
Been there done that. I was out in CA working on a customer car in his garage, the night before the event. Got some steel in my eye. Spent the next day in the hotel keeping out of the sun, when I should have been running his car in the famous cork screw. Then I got back to MPLS and went straight to the emergency room. Got my steel out (800 bucks) Then the next 12 days I went to 8 different sessions of grinding out the rust spots ($450). 20/20 again but the back of my helment says "steel in my eye no MRI" . I hear they should take a X-ray before this worst case situation.
Randy
Lession learned, now I just have to rember not to cut my fingers.
Randy
Lession learned, now I just have to rember not to cut my fingers.
03-20-2006, 12:44 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Hope that you are on the road to recovery.
I haven't pounded the pulpit here in a while but I used to and
I would get more flack than expected from other people in C4 Tech
and General.
It slayed me when I checked out car/bike guy reality shows - is that
how the majority of real enthusiasts take precautions when they are in
the shop? What a bad message to send out to young people who are
new to the hobby and starting out on their own projects.
On the one show of this sort that I do look forward to, 'Build or Bust'
there have been several trauma incidents - last week, one of the
employees nearly lost his thumb in a vertical mill. I see people running
the lathe with only glasses (sun or safety?), drilling parts they are
holding with their hand and welding with exposed skin.
Like Lancer033 and Randy@DRM warn, a few moments can lead to some
big expenses, a lot of down time and perhaps a revised script for the
rest of your life.
Besides glasses for eye-protection, I'd add that there should be a full
face shield - preferably with flared sides to direct grinding dust away
from the head.
Other equipment should include a face mask suitable for the dust
hazard, leather gloves, an apron, toe protection, neck, arm and chest
coverage for welders. It doesn't end there. All cheap insurance.
.
I haven't pounded the pulpit here in a while but I used to and
I would get more flack than expected from other people in C4 Tech
and General.
It slayed me when I checked out car/bike guy reality shows - is that
how the majority of real enthusiasts take precautions when they are in
the shop? What a bad message to send out to young people who are
new to the hobby and starting out on their own projects.
On the one show of this sort that I do look forward to, 'Build or Bust'
there have been several trauma incidents - last week, one of the
employees nearly lost his thumb in a vertical mill. I see people running
the lathe with only glasses (sun or safety?), drilling parts they are
holding with their hand and welding with exposed skin.
Like Lancer033 and Randy@DRM warn, a few moments can lead to some
big expenses, a lot of down time and perhaps a revised script for the
rest of your life.
Besides glasses for eye-protection, I'd add that there should be a full
face shield - preferably with flared sides to direct grinding dust away
from the head.
Other equipment should include a face mask suitable for the dust
hazard, leather gloves, an apron, toe protection, neck, arm and chest
coverage for welders. It doesn't end there. All cheap insurance.
.
03-20-2006, 02:23 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Thanks all
to follow up with the full story, last weekend I was installing the trailer hitch and while drilling the 1" access hole in the frame, I got a chunk of metal in my eye. That was painful enough, and I thought it was gone after a few days, but I guess 1 last little piece stayed in there and Saturday night it decided it was time to come out. I spent Sunday laying in bed with my eyes closed debating on going to the Emergency room or gutting it out until Monday morning. At the time I didn't know what was going on, and based on the color of my eye, I thought it was just pink eye. Fortunately, the 1st doc I saw this morning didn't think it was pink eye because of the pain, lack of discharge from my eyes and the fact that I had been working under my car so he sent me to optometry where they were able to find the small piece of metal still in there. My vision is a little worse in that eye, but for me "bad vision" is only 20/20. I was still able to read the 20/13 line with both eyes open, and they think I'll be back to normal in a few days. They got me on 2 different eye drops for the next week or so and I'm going back in tomorrow for another check up.
to follow up with the full story, last weekend I was installing the trailer hitch and while drilling the 1" access hole in the frame, I got a chunk of metal in my eye. That was painful enough, and I thought it was gone after a few days, but I guess 1 last little piece stayed in there and Saturday night it decided it was time to come out. I spent Sunday laying in bed with my eyes closed debating on going to the Emergency room or gutting it out until Monday morning. At the time I didn't know what was going on, and based on the color of my eye, I thought it was just pink eye. Fortunately, the 1st doc I saw this morning didn't think it was pink eye because of the pain, lack of discharge from my eyes and the fact that I had been working under my car so he sent me to optometry where they were able to find the small piece of metal still in there. My vision is a little worse in that eye, but for me "bad vision" is only 20/20. I was still able to read the 20/13 line with both eyes open, and they think I'll be back to normal in a few days. They got me on 2 different eye drops for the next week or so and I'm going back in tomorrow for another check up.
Last edited by Lancer033; 03-20-2006 at 02:25 PM.
03-20-2006, 02:37 PM
#6
Racer
Member Since: May 2003
Location: Jonesboro Ga
Posts: 305
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As a Doc I second the above recommendations to use eye protection whenever doing anything that could spray metal or fluid over your face
, Even some of the seeminly safe things can cause problems, I had a pump up sprayer blow a spray tube off into my face caused bleeding behind the cornea . Was unable to see out of that eye for almost a week. Now vision in that eye is normal but will have an increased risk of glaucoma in that eye. lets all remember to be safe when working on our cars, and keep reminding each other of ways to be safer.
THANX for the reminder.
, Even some of the seeminly safe things can cause problems, I had a pump up sprayer blow a spray tube off into my face caused bleeding behind the cornea . Was unable to see out of that eye for almost a week. Now vision in that eye is normal but will have an increased risk of glaucoma in that eye. lets all remember to be safe when working on our cars, and keep reminding each other of ways to be safer.
THANX for the reminder.
