A rant about safety on last week's show

Guys, I enjoyed watching the crib fishing and the quality gills you were on. I just couldn’t get passed the near disaster Joel Nelson almost had.

As minor as it looked, having the blades of the auger just feet away along side you is asking for an ER trip. I gripe at guys about this all the time. Cover the blades or 2 times your height of separation. I have witnessed too many guys slipping, lean over, or reach back and catch those blades and cut a trip short. Joel, it’s not my intent to rip on ya. But when you slightly lost your balance with that big gill, it appears that your about to fall over into the auger blade. Glad it didn’t happen, but people do need to realize how easy those types of accidents happen

Good point Randy. Safety being a big part of my job, I tend to watch for safety issues in everyday life. I am not afraid to let somebody know they are doing something that my cause great bodily harm to themselves or others.

Last year I put mine back on the rack on the atv w/o covering the blades… once again, looking to move and in a little hurry walked into those blades passing by the atv. Tore through the jacket and my sweat shirt inside it. Glad it stopped there.

Good point Randy

Yes, things can happen in a hurry. Friend of mine slipped and fell on the ice and sliced the tendon in his thumb on the blade of a mora hand auger. Blood everywhere, thumb flopping around like a broken wing on a pheasant. 150 mile trip to the ER, and surgery to re-attach the tendon, months of recuperation. He did not have a blade guard, but purchased one after that incident.

Here comes OSHA!

Yes and carry a good first aid kit. It seems like half of the guys out there don’t.

Wow! Pretty soon we won’t be able to leave the house without getting injured. Geez! I am all for safety at work and home. But we are losing sight of common sense. Just drilling in the ice is dangerous. What if the auger blows up- don’t use gas. What if the ice cracks and we fall in- don’t fish unless the ice is 10ft thick. So many what ifs! Where do you draw the line. Like I said I’m all about safety but we are losing sight of common sense.

dairycat wrote:

Wow! Pretty soon we won’t be able to leave the house without getting injured. Geez! I am all for safety at work and home. But we are losing sight of common sense. Just drilling in the ice is dangerous. What if the auger blows up- don’t use gas. What if the ice cracks and we fall in- don’t fish unless the ice is 10ft thick. So many what ifs! Where do you draw the line. Like I said I’m all about safety but we are losing sight of common sense.

Yeah, but its so easy to do this the safe way…

dairycat wrote:

Wow! Pretty soon we won’t be able to leave the house without getting injured. Geez!

At least according to my wife, I’m actually just as likely to injure myself without leaving the house. I disagree…I’m likely to injure myself just about anywhere.

Dairycat, you draw the line on things that are easily avoidable. I’m not trying to rip Joel on this. When I have guys out, safety is always a concern of the things that can be controlled. Freak accidents happen, and sad events when they do. But if this gets the attention of people to just think …oopps, I better cover the blades, accidents can be avoided. How many times has each of us injured ourself and thought later how stupaid it was. I’ll be the first to admit that I have on many occasions.

I’m just wondering when we get to draw THE line. Like I said I’m all for safety. But I’m sick of people pointing out the obvious. Everyone can do that on any situation. Just saying! Pretty soon we will just jump in a bubble and all be all warm and fuzzy AND safe. COMMON SENSE

Its 10pm I better get to bed. Its not safe to get less than 8 hours of sleep…. And on and on. Just be smart that makes everyone safe. No need to point out he obvious! Good Night

Dairycat
you seem to be beaming with common sense. Too bad you can’t bottle it and sell it, you would be a millionaire over night.

I heard dairycat was sleeping last night and fell out of bed onto his uncovered auger….

dairycat wrote:

I’m just wondering when we get to draw THE line. Like I said I’m all for safety. But I’m sick of people pointing out the obvious. Everyone can do that on any situation. Just saying! Pretty soon we will just jump in a bubble and all be all warm and fuzzy AND safe. COMMON SENSE

I thought we were already in a bubble and common sense isn’t that common anymore.

Dariycat
don’t read the fishing is dangerous thread, it will put you over the edge.

Everybody gets to draw their own line… some people get hurt easier, some people expire earlier and some don’t do anything at all, for fear of getting near “THE” line.

Pointing out the obvious things is what you need to do. My dad always told me the most dangerous gun is an unloaded one. You assume it’s safe and pretty soon the time you think is unloaded it’s not. Randy has every right to point this out and good for him. Joel will read this and think about it now every time he puts the auger down. They go on some long remote sled rides to places far from any hospital. I think about this with having dogs and kids around also.

I learned that a gun itself is not dangerous…

Lots of good points here, but I see Randy’s this as being something that he wouldn’t allow. No harm in pointing something out that could have potential to be serious. I use my auger, I cover it as soon as I am finished with it. Do with your auger what you want to do.

So now we’re mocking people for giving safety tips? Classy…

Good tip Randy. Even if it seems like it should be obvious… a reminder never hurts!

Good point Randy I fished all day on Saturday and never covered my auger blades once. The thought never crossed my mind. I even slipped on some bare ice but didn’t fall. I will think twice next time. Thank you.

Others are affected by what you do cover it up avoid a problem

Thanks for the safety tip. I feel the same way, always cover the auger blade when not cutting holes. I cringe when I see people with kids or dogs and a uncovered auger blade. Not only will it protect you but it protects your blades.

Do not rip on the guy for calling out a safety issue. As a Safety Professional I have to say thank you….we all need people looking out for one another. To the others, I always say how does it feel to be defendant number 2.

That was a great post Randy. A few years ago I left my auger by friends truck with the guard off and he backed over the edge of the auger and put a 3 inch gash in his sidewall. Needless to say changing a tire in 0 degree weather on the lake is not very fun or cheap. After I drill holes the auger goes back in the truck or if I am on the wheeler the guard goes back on right away.

Good post Randy and thanks for reminding us all.

If Joel had contacted that auger blade it would be classified as a rookie mistake. The problem here is that rookie mistakes are usually followed by I didn’t know or realize that. These guys aren’t rookies, they are professionals in every sense, therefore they should know to protect themselves from the blades at all times. I commend Randy for pointing this out. Dairycat I also agree with your big picture view of things, but not in this instance. Those auger blades don’t care who you are, they will slice without mercy. In my old job the question was once asked , who on a scene is the safety officer? The correct answer is, we all are. I would hope on these shows that there is no stigma about anyone either in front of the camera or any one behind it from pointing out an unsafe situation.

I learned about this on Lake Winnebago 21 years ago.Lost my balance while sitting on a bucket.Put my left hand down,and got bit by someone’s auger.Happened in the blink of an eye.18 stitches to fix that one.I just wrapped up my hand good and kept fishing.

I look at exposed blades not being used just like leaving the T-handle in the chuck(lathe).