Types of injuries while working, driving or using your bus?

[Busted Knuckle]

Well of course the usual bumps, scrapes, cuts, and bruises! Banged head, twisted ankle, blowed out knees, out of socket shoulder, severely whacked the "funny bone" (not to darn funny either!), and ........
Well of course BUSTED KNUCKLES! LOL!
  BK 

[JackConrad]

    As others have mentioned, mostly minor cuts, bruises and an occasional burn when grinding, cutting and welding (reminder to self: Self, if you smell smoke while welding, stop IMMEDIATELY and check clothing)  Also a few strained muscles from thinking I am still in my twenties (NOT!!).  Jack 

[grantgoold]

This is a good starting list. How about some humorus injury stories??? What about anything that worries you or you would like to have some basic information about?

I would also be interested in the types of injuries or illnesses encountered while traveling and staying at various places... anything?

Thanks

Grant

[paulcjhastings]

Here's one that could have been easily avoided and wasn't that funny to me at the time. In a Setra there is a fresh water tank, for the galley, mounted at the rear behind the lavatory. The bottom bracket is bolted on, no problem there. However the upper bracket is welded on before the rear of the bus is skinned, therefore the welds are on the back side of said bracket. It was very difficult to get a die grinder to the weld on the right side, and nigh impossible to get it to the left side.

So like any other industrious busnut I cut the weld I could reach and started work hardening the weld on the other side so I could get it to break loose, still no problem. Well, this wasn't going as fast as I would like, so like a good busnut I went and got a crowbar to stick in the end of the tubing so I could apply more force. So picture if you will a busnut with one foot propped against the back wall of the bus pulling with all of his might, everyone knows what has to happen next.

The weld on the left side failed catastrophically, well, at least from my point of view. It really wouldn't have been that bad, if a certain busnut hadn't removed some of the floor panels  So imagine if you will a busnut holding a crowbar with a bracket attached to it, stumbling backwards trying to avoid stepping in the voids left by his own stupidity. Well needless to say I was unable to avoid all of the holes, so take the picture of a guy stumbling backwards and add to it the same guy putting one foot into a gaping chasm of his own making... OUCH.

After a few minutes of contemplating whether I should get up, or hit myself in the head with the crowbar in my right hand to finish myself off. I decided on the more challenging course of action, hence you are able to be entertained by my pain and suffering. It took a loooooong time for the bruising on the uppermost portion of my right leg to fade, and a couple of months before I could sit comfortably.

What can we learn from these misadventures? Probably nothing, but I'm very good at putting the floor panels back in when I no longer need access  

[Dreamscape]

That deserves to be put in BCM and maybe a medal of some sort!

Wow that made my lower extremities tremble.....

[Len Silva]

No real injuries besides the usual cut and bruises and smashed fingers.  I sure have hurt my pride a few times though.

[Paladin]

To my shame I managed a doozie.

I slipped just a fraction with an angle grinder and cut my right wrist to just near the bone cutting the nerve,muscles and all of the flexor tendons but I missed the artery. I ended up in reconstructive surgery at midnight lasting two hours for repair after a four hour wait with no pain meds. I got a neat cast on my arm and a really huge medical bill which is more than the entire bus cost me thus far.
After working with tools for 35 plus years I finally managed to really hurt myself.

Yes, I have recovered and have most of the sensation back as well as most function but it's still stiff and painful at times but I'm very paranoid now and careful. Live and learn but I'm not hanging up my tools.

[johns4104s]

Should you not take great care in blocking the body, it will and has come down on some people. If you do not block the wheels of a 4104 that still has the FCC air brake that works then when the air goes down the brakes come off and it can roll, that has happend to a lot of people.I have seen jacks under the wheel side of an axle, wheel off and just the jack?? You need to block the axle.
These greyhounds are not something to take lightly, they are very dangerous to work on and breed of there own. I have had a 4104 for many years now I have to start all over again to learn the 9.

John

[grantgoold]

Good stories, keep them coming! I am sure that a few of you can provide some humor yet serious stories as well!

Thanks

Grant

[H3Jim]

While working on my roof to add panels, antennas etc, I have a step ladder that I lean up against the side of the access hole.  The ladder is just slightly taller than the ceiling in the bus, but can still lean at a small angle.  While standing on the roof, headed down, I had just put both feet on the ladder when the ladder slipped and was no longer tall enough to be leaning on the inside of the access hole.

I generally have pretty quick reflexes, but before I could blink, bam, I was on the floor of the bus.  Very sore shoulder and side where my arm and ribs had interfered with my sudden drop.  Scrapes and nasty bruises on my legs where the ladder had entwined itself around my legs as I dropped.  I don't know how I didn't break something.  Bruised ego too. That lesson has stayed with me for a while.  I haven't even needed to repeat it as sometimes I need to for other dumb things....

[johnjem]

When i was putting new skin on the sides i put a broken drill bit into the hand!!ouch, i was drilling a hole for 1/4 rivet,drill bit broke and threw the drill to the left where my hand was and this whole time i was pushing hard to drill the hole!!