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Hey guys - just a quick blurb from me here that I think is really important to address. I know I'm not the only dumb fool who often hurts himself on the job out there!
I was working on ye olde Festiva today, trying to get it all finished up before I head off to university on Saturday and start actually doing something with my life again. One of my final tasks was to get my side moldings thrown on. Whilst preparing my side moldings for installation, I was quite careless while filleting the old adhesive off (razor blade and a box-cutter) and ended up putting a one inch (2.5 cm) gash through my right palm, between the so-called lifelines. 4-5 stitches later, and I find myself finally regaining feeling and nerve control of my 4th/5th fingers almost 6 hours later. Careless, stupid, and lesson learned.
The reason I'm sharing this is to constantly remind people of how important it is to not be careless whilst working on their Festivas or anything else. Take the time to prepare the car, prepare your workplace, and prepare yourself to avoid injury. I was fortunate that my father is a GP in a private clinic/practice nearby, and was available to stitch me up immediately without any problems or need to head to emerg. Maybe next time I won't be so lucky, so I'm planning to start taking much better care while working.
I've always kept a small first-aid kit in my spare-tire well - just as a general principle - it really helped me out today. Another backpacker-sized one in the glove box, come to think of it. Driving a standard with a gashed up right hand is far from an easy task, but it would have been much harder without any medical supplies handy to get me there in the first place. Even worse had I had something fly into my eye or cause a serious chemical burn to my abdomen. Fortunately I've never suffered either of these.
But there's no need to react to something you can pro-act. I'd like to stress the importance of proper eye/foot/hand/mouth/ear/other protection when working. It all matters, every step of the way. Sparks are dangerous, metal shrapnel from power/air projects is very dangerous, and heavy solvents and chemicals are dangerous. Even thinking about your environment around you is important - picking up your garbage/recycling, collecting and disposing your fluids, and keeping your workplace and tools clean and free of debris. Not only will this make things safer for you, but also for vegetation and wildlife around you. I'm guilty of this all the time - mainly oily/slippery socket ratchets for example.
In less-than-serious situations, we often overlook our own safety in favour of convenience, justifying closing our eyes, or taking our time as a substitute for professional safety and care on the job. Saving 5 seconds on your job isn't worth potentially losing an eye, a finger, or even a day's work. So next time you find yourself working on your next Festiva project or repair, please think about my hand gash, hopefully a scar in the next couple weeks. Disconnect your negative battery terminal, be very careful around chemicals and particles, and do every single step carefully to ensure the safety of you and others while working.
I was working on ye olde Festiva today, trying to get it all finished up before I head off to university on Saturday and start actually doing something with my life again. One of my final tasks was to get my side moldings thrown on. Whilst preparing my side moldings for installation, I was quite careless while filleting the old adhesive off (razor blade and a box-cutter) and ended up putting a one inch (2.5 cm) gash through my right palm, between the so-called lifelines. 4-5 stitches later, and I find myself finally regaining feeling and nerve control of my 4th/5th fingers almost 6 hours later. Careless, stupid, and lesson learned.
The reason I'm sharing this is to constantly remind people of how important it is to not be careless whilst working on their Festivas or anything else. Take the time to prepare the car, prepare your workplace, and prepare yourself to avoid injury. I was fortunate that my father is a GP in a private clinic/practice nearby, and was available to stitch me up immediately without any problems or need to head to emerg. Maybe next time I won't be so lucky, so I'm planning to start taking much better care while working.
I've always kept a small first-aid kit in my spare-tire well - just as a general principle - it really helped me out today. Another backpacker-sized one in the glove box, come to think of it. Driving a standard with a gashed up right hand is far from an easy task, but it would have been much harder without any medical supplies handy to get me there in the first place. Even worse had I had something fly into my eye or cause a serious chemical burn to my abdomen. Fortunately I've never suffered either of these.
But there's no need to react to something you can pro-act. I'd like to stress the importance of proper eye/foot/hand/mouth/ear/other protection when working. It all matters, every step of the way. Sparks are dangerous, metal shrapnel from power/air projects is very dangerous, and heavy solvents and chemicals are dangerous. Even thinking about your environment around you is important - picking up your garbage/recycling, collecting and disposing your fluids, and keeping your workplace and tools clean and free of debris. Not only will this make things safer for you, but also for vegetation and wildlife around you. I'm guilty of this all the time - mainly oily/slippery socket ratchets for example.
In less-than-serious situations, we often overlook our own safety in favour of convenience, justifying closing our eyes, or taking our time as a substitute for professional safety and care on the job. Saving 5 seconds on your job isn't worth potentially losing an eye, a finger, or even a day's work. So next time you find yourself working on your next Festiva project or repair, please think about my hand gash, hopefully a scar in the next couple weeks. Disconnect your negative battery terminal, be very careful around chemicals and particles, and do every single step carefully to ensure the safety of you and others while working.
im sorry for telling you to use a razor blade to get that molding junk off.... didnt i tell you to be careful? lol... 
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