Think Safety All the Time!!! You can get hurt so FAST!!!

[Kim Beatley]

Boy do I fee like an idiot... And a lucky one at that.....

Put boat back into the water today after hurricane passed. The boat has a dead port battery; (do now know why, was working fine last weekend.) Started starboard engine and then went down into engine room to connect battery cables, as I do not have a switch that switches between battery banks. Sucesfully started Port engine. Disconnected cables and when I was backing out of engine room, my shirt caught on the alternator belt/pully........

It happened so fast... pulled me up against the engine, my sholder hit the exhaust jackets, (lucky the engine was not real hot yet) and arm hit the spinning alternator pully/belt. It pulled/ripped my shirt off me so fast, I hardly had time to react. If my shirt had not torn away, I would have been seriously hurt.

Ended up with a 3 inch gash/burn on my arm and shirt tangled up in alternator belt. Shirt stopped alternator from turning and belts smoked.

Boy was I lucky!!!!! When you are messing around wtih moving parts.... think....SAFETY!! I did not see that one coming... It happened so fast.

Next week, I am installing kill switches on the engines down in the engine room and will have guards fabricated for pully/belt systems. Will also install switch to be able to use any battery bank with either engine so I will not have to go down into the enginer room to make changes.

Some one upstairs was watching out for me.

[spartonboat1]

Boy do I fee like an idiot... And a lucky one at that.....

Put boat back into the water today after hurricane passed. The boat has a dead port battery; (do now know why, was working fine last weekend.) Started starboard engine and then went down into engine room to connect battery cables, as I do not have a switch that switches between battery banks. Sucesfully started Port engine. Disconnected cables and when I was backing out of engine room, my shirt caught on the alternator belt/pully........

It happened so fast... pulled me up against the engine, my sholder hit the exhaust jackets, (lucky the engine was not real hot yet) and arm hit the spinning alternator pully/belt. It pulled/ripped my shirt off me so fast, I hardly had time to react. If my shirt had not torn away, I would have been seriously hurt.

Ended up with a 3 inch gash/burn on my arm and shirt tangled up in alternator belt. Shirt stopped alternator from turning and belts smoked.

Boy was I lucky!!!!! When you are messing around wtih moving parts.... think....SAFETY!! I did not see that one coming... It happened so fast.

Next week, I am installing kill switches on the engines down in the engine room and will have guards fabricated for pully/belt systems. Will also install switch to be able to use any battery bank with either engine so I will not have to go down into the enginer room to make changes.

Some one upstairs was watching out for me.

Yup, I used work in industry in general and also was a Safety Engineer for a time. Safety First at all times and then some. Have seen some nasty stuff: fires, explosion, lost limbs, severe electrical burns, you name it. Thank god you did not suffer more significant injuries.

One man was changing the LPG tank on his hi-lo, while smoking (a cigarette). He was literally toasted by the explosion. I saw him seconds after he was recovered and I thought he was a beige color (he was Caucasian). Also, I do not recommend punching out a glass covered bulletin board, if you don't like one of the posted messages. The broken glass raises hell with the veins in your wrist. (happened on my shift to one of my emps).

Not in the same vein really, but a swimmer was reported electrocuted (to death that is) in the Clinch Park Marina of Traverse City, MI marina waters. The city may have known (trying to be careful what I say), as someone ran over to warn another swimmer that "that area is hot" electrically! That should have been resolved in an hour, but it has been an issue possible for over a month, since I believe someone else may have been injured. What I write is per a story in the TC Record-Eagle. Make you wonder.

[Boatsb]

It took 3 years to explain to my wife why a ring was dangerous. I will not wear loose clothing or jewelry around machinery which seems to be close to always.

Watch the hair too. It can get pulled and tangled and does not need to be very long.

Glad to hear you came out OK in the end.

[Angela]

WOW, you were very, very lucky.

Ever since that day back in the Fall of some year in the late 90s when my long hair got sucked into the end of a leaf blower while I was blowing the leaves out of my boat, I've always had a very high level of appreciation for that kind of stuff. When I go into the ER or work in the genny, I always pile my hair on top of my head in a tight knot secured with a barrette because I'm afraid of exactly that - my hair getting yanked into an engine belt. I also try to wear as little clothing as possible - bathing suits are good for that (until the engine is hot) since there isn't anything loose. Bathing suits are bad for working in the ER on a hot day when removing rock wool insulation, though.

I have a belt guard on the starboard engine, but when I replaced the altenator on the port engine, the guard wouldn't fit anymore. I miss it. I do like having those guards.

[SereneWarrior]

My sailors used to chuckle when "The Old Man" would talk to them (constantly) about safety. I even had the standard all hands call just before a holiday weekend or leave period to warn them about mowing the lawn in their bare feet, lighting the BBQ with gasoline, etc., etc. Young guys think bad things will just never happen to them and the rest of us not-so-young guys can easily become complacent. I'm just thankful that I never lost any of them to accidents onboard. "The Old Man" may have been a bit of a nag, but if it saved one sailor I'm OK with that label.