My version of the Sad Safety Reminder

[erniecarpet@...]

Holy cow, Don, glad you are back.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Livingston, Montana

---

Vote for your city's best dining and nightlife. City's Best 2008.

[Don Bradner]

On 6/10/2008 at 7:15 PM jim riordan wrote:

>Better falling then fallen on!
>jim riordan

True, but better does not necessarily mean good! On Sunday, before there had
been any discussion here of the cause of Jim's death, I took an ambulance trip
due to a 'Bird maintenance fall, and just got out of the hospital a couple of
hours ago. I'll describe the stupid thing I was doing, but not so much in the
vein of "don't do this" but rather consider that there are a lot of ways to hurt
yourself when working around a 20+ton vehicle that is nearly 12 feet high.
Common sense would have prevented my injury, and I consider myself to have
fairly good common sense; just easy to let it lapse.

First the injury pictures:

http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/before.jpg
http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after1.jpg
http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after2.jpg

What I was doing: replacing the drip line around the top of the bus after
re-caulking. I was on a tall step ladder, positioned parallel to the bus, and on
a stubborn screw I pushed hard with the power screwdriver to get it to turn. Had
the predictable effect of pushing the ladder right out from under me

The reason that it took them three days to release me is that it was a compound
fracture, with about 4 inches of bone out of the skin. Makes infection a high
risk, so they wanted to keep me pumped full of antibiotics.

[Ryan Wright]

On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 5:32 PM, David Brady wrote:
> Get well soon Don, and please everyone, be careful out there.
> We don't want any more stories.

Oh, but we'll get them. It's an unfortunate fact of life. My
company takes extraordinarily extreme measures to ensure safety, to
the point where you sometimes scratch your head and go, "Wow. That's
really paranoid and silly." Yet, people still get hurt. I consider it
a small price to pay for the ability to live my life outside a big,
padded safety bubble.

Don, that looks like it really hurt!! Glad to hear it wasn't your
neck, my friend. Get well. As I was leaning over the roof of my bus a
couple of weeks back installing fans in the top of the refrigerator
vent compartment, I thought about how much it would hurt if I fell
over that goat rail. Now I know what that looks like. Yeeoowch!

-Ryan

[David Brady]

Get well soon Don, and please everyone, be careful out there.

We don't want any more stories.



David Brady

'02 LXi, NC



Don Bradner wrote:

On 6/10/2008 at 7:15 PM jim riordan wrote:



>Better falling then fallen on!

>jim riordan



True, but better does not necessarily mean good! On Sunday, before
there had been any discussion here of the cause of Jim's death, I took
an ambulance trip due to a 'Bird maintenance fall, and just got out of
the hospital a couple of hours ago. I'll describe the stupid thing I
was doing, but not so much in the vein of "don't do this" but rather
consider that there are a lot of ways to hurt yourself when working
around a 20+ton vehicle that is nearly 12 feet high. Common sense would
have prevented my injury, and I consider myself to have fairly good
common sense; just easy to let it lapse.



First the injury pictures:



http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/before.jpg

http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after1.jpg

http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after2.jpg



What I was doing: replacing the drip line around the top of the bus
after re-caulking. I was on a tall step ladder, positioned parallel to
the bus, and on a stubborn screw I pushed hard with the power
screwdriver to get it to turn. Had the predictable effect of pushing
the ladder right out from under me



The reason that it took them three days to release me is that it was a
compound fracture, with about 4 inches of bone out of the skin. Makes
infection a high risk, so they wanted to keep me pumped full of
antibiotics.

No virus found in this incoming message.

Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.2.0/1495 - Release Date: 6/10/2008 5:11 PM

[bumpersbird]

Godspeed in your recovery Don.
I see from the x-rays it's your right ankle. No driving anytime soon.
That stinks. But on the upstroke you'll know when the weather will
change, you now have a built in barometer. Sorry I'm not making fun
here. In my 51 years I've been,bent,broken,braced,screwed,plastered,and
have almost 4 LBS. of titanium in my hip and am looking forward to some
more with the new knee I need. Dad told me I should get into R & D,
Wreck & Destroy, I'm one of those prople whom can get hurt just by
waking up in the morning. On one 49 day stay in the hospital I learned
to speak French. So a little advise on how to pass the recovery time.
Do something you would not have done if things were normal. Whatever it
may be but do it. Time will pass quickly and you'll be all the better
for it. Oh yea, don't forget to tell the little woman how much you love
her. She's probably not a happy camper just about now.
I hope your not offended by me getting a little personal, it's just
that I've been there far more than most folks.
Kurt Horvath
95 PT-42 WLWB
10AC

[Don Bradner]

We call it payback. 6 years ago she tumbled down the steps of our SOB and
snapped her right arm just below the shoulder ball. I suspect her single piece
of hardware outweighs mine by quite a bit!

On 6/12/2008 at 12:36 AM bumpersbird wrote:

>Oh yea, don't forget to tell the little woman how much you love
>her. She's probably not a happy camper just about now.
>I hope your not offended by me getting a little personal, it's just
>that I've been there far more than most folks.
>Kurt Horvath
>95 PT-42 WLWB
>10AC

[Leroy Eckert]

Old people are not supposed to be running up a ladder, but I do also. When I do it I attach the upper part of the ladder with a bungee cord to the base of an awning or the awning hook. Can't do that everywhere, but it reduces the risk some.
Hope the recovery is rapid and glad to here is was not worse.
Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40 Royale
Dahlonega, GA
Smoke N Mirrors

Don Bradner wrote:

We call it payback. 6 years ago she tumbled down the steps of our SOB and snapped her right arm just below the shoulder ball. I
suspect her single piece of hardware outweighs mine by quite a bit!

On 6/12/2008 at 12:36 AM bumpersbird wrote:

>Oh yea, don't forget to tell the little woman how much you love
>her. She's probably not a happy camper just about now.
>I hope your not offended by me getting a little personal, it's just
>that I've been there far more than most folks.
>Kurt Horvath
>95 PT-42 WLWB
>10AC

[Fred Hulse]

Don

We are sorry to hear about your fall,

We hope it heals quickly.

Guess you get to slow down a bit.

Fred & Jeanne Hulse
Morristown Arizona
1997 Wanderlodge WLWB41

[Pete Masterson]

FWIW, I use a "Little Giant" ladder (actually a clone from Walmart for 1/4 the price) -- it has a wide base, and firmly locks in the open position. While I don't doubt that it would be possible to knock it out from under myself -- it's one of the most stable free standing ladders I've ever used. 

I've reached an age where a tumble could do some serious damage -- but I've fortunately managed to never break any bones. Some 35 years ago, I did manage to stab myself in the nose while cutting a wire for a low voltage light system I was installing for my mother... fortunately, it only took two stitches along with a serious chunk of my pride.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jun 11, 2008, at 6:11 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

Old people are not supposed to be running up a ladder, but I do also. When I do it I attach the upper part of the ladder with a bungee cord to the base of an awning or the awning hook. Can't do that everywhere, but it reduces the risk some.
Hope the recovery is rapid and glad to here is was not worse.
Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40 Royale
Dahlonega, GA
Smoke N Mirrors

Don Bradner <"bluethunder@arcatapet.com"> wrote:

We call it payback. 6 years ago she tumbled down the steps of our SOB and snapped her right arm just below the shoulder ball. I suspect her single piece of hardware outweighs mine by quite a bit!

[ronmarabito2002]

Glad you are still with us. I sure hope we don't get any more bad
news. Heal fast.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Don Bradner"
wrote:
>
> On 6/10/2008 at 7:15 PM jim riordan wrote:
>
> >Better falling then fallen on!
> >jim riordan
>
> True, but better does not necessarily mean good! On Sunday, before
there had been any discussion here of the cause of Jim's death, I took
an ambulance trip due to a 'Bird maintenance fall, and just got out of
the hospital a couple of hours ago. I'll describe the stupid thing I
was doing, but not so much in the vein of "don't do this" but rather
consider that there are a lot of ways to hurt yourself when working
around a 20+ton vehicle that is nearly 12 feet high. Common sense
would have prevented my injury, and I consider myself to have fairly
good common sense; just easy to let it lapse.
>
> First the injury pictures:
>
> http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/before.jpg
> http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after1.jpg
> http://www.arcatapet.net/xray/after2.jpg
>
> What I was doing: replacing the drip line around the top of the bus
after re-caulking. I was on a tall step ladder, positioned parallel to
the bus, and on a stubborn screw I pushed hard with the power
screwdriver to get it to turn. Had the predictable effect of pushing
the ladder right out from under me
>
> The reason that it took them three days to release me is that it was
a compound fracture, with about 4 inches of bone out of the skin.
Makes infection a high risk, so they wanted to keep me pumped full of
antibiotics.
>