Injuries while working

[mohthom]

I always feel like it's just me that manages to injure myself on recordings, and wanted to hear about anyone else as accident prone as me. Normally I do stuff that's just plain hilarious, but (normally on live sound gigs) occasionally do myself some real harm!

Point in case - I dropped a Midas Heritage 3000 (56ch) on my hand at a gig recently and lost all the skin from two fingers. Took a while to get that back!

Any takers?

MohThoM

[Alan H Chang]

Just finished a sound installation at Redwood Baptist (Redwood City, CA) and burned myself with a hot drill bit rod and also burned myself with a soldering iron accidentally at about 800 farenheit over on the same forearm about 1 inches apart. Ouch!

[diapasound]

I once managed to put a Hellerman tool through the palm of my hand. Never again will I leave one of those pointy-side up ;-)

[videoteque]

Guys you should create a company, Living In The Edge Sound or something...

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by diapasound

I once managed to put a Hellerman tool through the palm of my hand. Never again will I leave one of those pointy-side up ;-)

OK, what the hell does that torture device do and who the heck is Hellerman?

That just looks dangerous.

The only really damage I've done to myself that was gig related was get hit by a porta pottie on the way home. It came through my windshield and almost killed me. It was on a windy canyon road leading into Boulder, with a stream running along the road. After getting hit, I was lucky to be in a part where there was actually some dirt between me and the water. Otherwise I would have gone in and been finished off by my heavy gear behind me. As it was, my right hand, wrist and arm were messed up from the windshield and my left leg from the other part that was still attached to the trailer bashing in my door. Nothing a summer of physical therapy couldn't fix.

Edwin

[David Rick]

I frequently bruise the sh*t out of my knees and/or lower legs by trying to step over auditorium seating. Carrying stands to the car is a good way to pinch fingers. Ditto for removing a BNC cable from a one rack space unit racked between two longer pieces. Then there is smacking my head into beams while on cat walks. Can't remember the number of times I've done that. Can't remember much of anything now. (Has anyone here not been clobbered by that beam at Aspen?)

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

Just talking about this is making my back hurt.

[pkautzsch]

Soldered my finger once.
Fingertips between tripod legs nearly on every gig. Getting used to that.

[mrsteaks]

The obvious - my BACK! Lifting even my 6u rack can be hazardous. Yes, I should get help. However, I'm a one man operation, and I hesitate to let just anyone help with the lifting. Know what I mean?

[Jim vanBergen]

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

OK, what the hell does that torture device do and who the heck is Hellerman?Edwin

Hellerman makes tools like the picture and sleeves that can be slipped over lav microphones. Really great for theatre or making violin mounts! Much better than heatshrink IMO.

[boojum]

I am beginning to believe that blood blisters on my fingers from tripods are just a part of this life. Either pinching a finger when folding that darn things up or dropping the center rod onto a finger and flanged pinch-bolt below. Not much else, yet. I am new in this and look forward to all the stuff you guys have experienced. Yeah, right.

[mrsteaks]

Oh, yes - speaking of pinching! I was extending a heavy M&S boom stand when something distracted me and the thing collapsed and pinched the web of skin between my thumb and forefinger. The choir and orchestra learned a few new epitephs that evening...

Then there was the time in 1975 when I was trying to guide the truck in backing down an alley - and I got pinned between the truck and the wall of a building. One inch and I wouldn't be laughing about that one today....

[1979]

Last Saturday at 3:30 am I was putting away 'heavy base' mic stands, which we hang in a wood rack about 10 to 11 feet off the ground. I was trying to do to much at once and one slipped out and cracked me on top of the head. It made my knees buckle, and I saw black for a few seconds but it did'nt knock me out.

The cool part is that I think the base of that mic stand killed all the right brain cells, because I honestly have not felt stressed about anything since.

Cheers

[rmx16]

I droped a two ton chain motor on my foot back in my rigging days Nothing sucks more then getting a female xlr in nuts while rapping cable

Peace
Rob

[Tibbon]

We were cleaning up from the contractors that were putting in the framing in our studio. Some of it was wood frame, and other layers were aluminum. I went to go pick up one of the pieces of scrap aluminum to throw it away, and somehow caught my thumb in one of the keyholes. It made one of the worst cuts that I've ever had.

Of course, in our building and construction we hadn't thought to have a First Aid kit sitting around. We had vodka, duct tape, and some paper towels. It was a decent sized cut that could have probably used stiching up, and it was bleeding like crazy... but work needed completed. That was around 2am, and we worked until around 8am. Something like a 22 hour day of building, cleaning, prepping.

At the same time, I have found I simply LOVE (on occasion) building studios and working with my hands like that.

I know I'd hurt myself doing various other things, but I can't remember any details. Catching finger in the door, dropping amps on me, gashing myself on poorly cut guitar strings, shocking the hell out of myself a few times, hitting my head working under the console. Just the average stupid stuff that happens. Almost killed myself jumping from the top of the vocal booth a few times.

Oh, and I have more soldering burns than I care to think about. Sometimes accompanied by coffee burns (which don't seem that bad compared to a 500F iron). Pinches from stands too!

I've also found that at times I will try to lift far more than I should be able to (12 space SKB shock rack full of equipment, 4x12 cab, etc) and lift incorrectly.

I'm a work hazard waiting to happen.

[Graham Tobias]

what's wrong with this picture?

[dkatz42]

I can tell AC from DC by feel, which means I've obviously experienced that a bit too much (and learned electronics back when vacuum tubes weren't vintage.)

I have a nice scar across the back of my hand from a protruding nail while doing demolition for my studio; it will help me remember the experience.

Probably the scariest was when doing a "festival-style" gig (aka lots of other peoples' equipment) about 25 years back. I went up to the mic to do backing vox and got a white flash of light and found myself standing back several feet (the lack of any bass at that point got others' attention.) So, as the show must go on, I wandered back up, gave myself several inches between my lips and the mic, but a sweat-soaked lock of hair swung down and hit the mic. Bang! At this point I'd had enough with singing and just tried to play my bass while plotting how to kill whoever set up the stage. The lead singer didn't quite understand what was going on, pulled his SM58 off of the stand during the next song, wandered over and put his arm around me. He understood then.

Turns out that whatever asshole owned the bass rig decided to cut off the ground prong, and the PA was probably on a different leg of the three-phase to the building. Or something.

Learned a lot that day.

The most helpful injury came on about my second gig ever; after standing a foot away from my rather ham-fisted drummer's crash cymbal all night, my left ear rang for three days. I decided, even in my addled youth, that this didn't bode well for my future, so I've worn earplugs religiously ever since. Now I'm pushing 50, and building a studio, and can still hear. Whew.

[valleysound]

Originally Posted by Graham Tobias

what's wrong with this picture?

I don't see a bong!

[Graham Tobias]

Originally Posted by valleysound

I don't see a bong!

you vermont engineers.. tisk tisk

[Shabo]

I get a small shock just about everytime I open the outside door to the studio..sometimes i glance at before touching it..

[Remoteness]

Are you walking on carpet?

...'Cause I hope it's a static charge and not a reversed hot and neutral!

That would be WOW and stuff!

[Shabo]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Are you walking on carpet?

...'Cause I hope it's a static charge and not a reversed hot and neutral!

That would be WOW and stuff!

Totally static! I think I get some charge from my car seat...happens on almost every metal door..not as serious as these other posts but very annoying e

[Remoteness]

They make an anti-static spray if you don't want to replace your car seat.
I bet it's worst in the winter and never happens in the summer.

...That's why they don't want you to use a cell phone while pumping gas at a fueling station.
An active cell phone, gas fumes and a static charge can be a serious hazard when the right combination is met.
KA-BOOM!!!

[mohthom]

just like this . . .

YouTube - gas_stations_and_phones

?

MohThoM

[XLR2XLR]

To Graham Tobias :

Please do not tell me that you used you cable cutters to
cut through a live mains cable by accident, I have often thought that would
be an easy thing to do after a mammoth soldering session?

Especially when it's the same colour as the mic cable?

[Graham Tobias]

Originally Posted by XLR2XLR

To Graham Tobias :

Please do not tell me that you used you cable cutters to
cut through a live mains cable by accident, I have often thought that would
be an easy thing to do after a mammoth soldering session?

Especially when it's the same colour as the mic cable?

No I did not. That would be a very unfortunate mistake though my cutters are fairly insulated.

[Nick_1234]

back when the sun was around more often I was tapin' down some cable for an outdoor gig. I lifted my head up without thought and hit it on a metal box, I dunno what it was there for but it was, maybe for the sole purpose of my injury.

It ended up bleeding a fair amount accompanied by some woosiness, thats probably the worst.

Respect.

[neurosound]

Staples left in a road case lid after the previous user has ripped the black masking off without removing the staples. Ripped right through the webbing between my thumb and fore finger. When your on the road, this type of injury take weeks to heal!

John

[Remoteness]

Ouch!

[Fm_Guy]

Nothing compares to this injury. It's actually a PSA Commercial. I must say they get quite bold with these things.


YouTube - Chef Workplace Safety PSA - Remix

[travisgarrison]

Originally Posted by Graham Tobias

you vermont engineers.. tisk tisk

Hey!!