indyld Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 When a couple of professional carpet fitters were round my place a few years ago, they started tacking down the grippers and laying out the very light coloured carpet to trim. I think they seemed to have been in the house 10 mins when one of them had sliced his thumb open with his Stanley and they were asking for a plaster. Quite apart from the fact that you think they'd have a first aid kit in the van, you would also think they'd be a bit more used to handling sharp knives. Luckily, I think he managed not to bleed all over the new carpet. I actually find Leathermen (?) and Gerbers the things I am most likely to injure myself on. They are fiddly to get the right tool out, they are unergonomic in use and badly balanced and awkward to work with. I find I'm 300% more likely to stick a screwdriver through my hand when it's a stupid stubby thing that is actually the wrong size for the screwhead, with a large heavy boxy handle pulling on it. I will then likely drop it, hopefully not from height. This never happens when I'm using a proper screwdriver. I wonder if there are some statistics on the likelihood of minor injury using multi-tools vs. traditional hand tools... I can see the argument that, with that particular task (removing tape on insulated cable) and that particular tool, the method employed was less than desirable. To say something isn't fit for purpose is misleading, as it's purpose is to cut stuff and it did - the OP! What the risk assessment could may is that using such a tool, in such a way, for such a purpose, brings the risk of unwanted incident into the intolerable range and therefore alternatives should be employed. Which seems to be what the OP is doing and all well, unless the NEW method is calculated as being more risky than the first (I dunno, employing a crocodile or using a machete) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I was fitting captive nuts into a rack today and the clips were just a bit too tight, so I used a flat blade screwdriver which slipped and stabbed my right index finger. Plaster 1. I managed to fit a big monitor into the rack on my own, but over enthusiastic screwing at just the wrong angle managed to pop out the captive nut on the last one of 6. I could have taken it out, but figured maybe I could use a twist of gaffer on my finger tip and may, just maybe stick a not to the top of my left index finger and slide it up inside the closed cavity of the rack strip and maybe just use it like a nut, rather than captive nut. It just reached, and I picked up the DeWalt and screwed in the bolt and when it bit, the captive nut soon around inside and sliced through my left finger tip. Plaster 2. Just think what I could have done with the weatherman - which already has the dangerous tag on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 In your defence, Paul, I'd say that cage nuts without the right tools, which I usually don't have, are also statistically high on the minor injuries front. Putting them in, getting them out, etc. Along with using a flat blade screwdriver on a Philips and then using a screw gun to do light duty screwing - always a disaster! Below working on cars, putting racks together has to be one of the most finger slicing activities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I was fitting captive nuts into a rack today...That's all of your post I needed to read before predicting exactly what was to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sully Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 In your defence, Paul, I'd say that cage nuts without the right tools, which I usually don't have, are also statistically high on the minor injuries front. Putting them in, getting them out, etc. Along with using a flat blade screwdriver on a Philips and then using a screw gun to do light duty screwing - always a disaster! Below working on cars, putting racks together has to be one of the most finger slicing activities. I've put in a lot of these and have done the aforementioned slicing a few times. I've used one of the "proper" tools and they're only marginally more useful than an appropriately sized flat blade screwdriver but they are a bit lighter, the cage nuts are the bastard bit, if one is hard going in I normally squeeze the capture blades of the cage very slightly (hopefully without squeezing them too much that they'll just fall out) and then try again and/or try another nut, they're only a penny item. A while back I noticed one of the UK comms suppliers sold nuts that clip easily in the front to just retain it and then splay out as you tighten the bolt against the back of the rail. Not sure I'd put anything heavy on them and they did cost a little more but the blurb made them look like an absolute breeze to install. My google-fu is failing to turn them up unfortunately. David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Just think what I could have done with the weatherman - which already has the dangerous tag on it! But, I love some of the things auto-correct does. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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