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Post by valhalla on Dec 2, 2016 0:35:45 GMT 1
I can sympathise with the hand wiping, i'm the same age, had carpol tunnel fixed in both hands in the last 3 years, not being a brave person with blood & giblets etc. it wasn't a pleasurable experience watching & feeling the sensations while they did them. i now don't grip air tools tightly, never bang anything with my palms to shift it (spanners etc), i cringe when i see anyone else do it & tell them to stop. right one is 100% success left one is about 75% but at least i can ride my motorbike with some confidence, no pins & needles & can sense how much hard i'm pulling the levers early retirement about 55 & sell up is the answer, divorce cocked that up for me, but maybe 60  You can have mine! If I got shot of her now, I could afford to retire! I could never understand these religions where polygamy was encouraged, one has been quite enough, let alone the expense..........  |
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Post by givusaclue on Dec 2, 2016 15:58:58 GMT 1
I can sympathise with the hand wiping, i'm the same age, had carpol tunnel fixed in both hands in the last 3 years, not being a brave person with blood & giblets etc. it wasn't a pleasurable experience watching & feeling the sensations while they did them. i now don't grip air tools tightly, never bang anything with my palms to shift it (spanners etc), i cringe when i see anyone else do it & tell them to stop. right one is 100% success left one is about 75% but at least i can ride my motorbike with some confidence, no pins & needles & can sense how much hard i'm pulling the levers early retirement about 55 & sell up is the answer, divorce cocked that up for me, but maybe 60 So you are in the market for a new wife? You can have mine! If I got shot of her now, I could afford to retire No thanks, no disrepect, but i'm happily co-habiting with a woman i wish i'd met 30 years ago! a good woman makes life worthwhile a bad one rubs off on your life |
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Post by maxwell on Aug 6, 2017 20:43:28 GMT 1
Thanks remmington, this is a really good discussion.
As studabear said too, every job has it's own set of hazards. I am fortunate enough to offer a professional opinion on this subject. The automotive and construction industry offer two of the highest hazard rates. Injuries are often MUCH MORE LIKELY to be severe or debilitating. (Serious injurious sometimes are a reported to the HSE by law under by RIDDOR).
As Valhalla pointed out sometimes your personal life (even lack of fitness) can also compound work injuries or cause difficulty at work, there is a huge number of variables to consider when assessing what can rightly be classed as a hazard.
As givusaclue said, simple things can often prevent long term injury. It may seem intuitive to grip an impact tool as hard as you can imagining that it will improve it’s performance. Believing your weight behind it will improve it’s power is not technically accurate. Your weight behind the tool will make the motor work harder and in most cases increase the m/s2 value you receive to your body. That isn’t to say that when a fastener is damaged that applying body weight doesn’t help to stop the bit skidding off the fastener head. The point is not to do it all the time.
I’m sure we have ALL heard over the years when we were observed to be struggling over something, “let the tool do the work”. I think I might be as guilty as the next person that when somethings gets difficult I eventually get violent with it but the smart thing to do is find another way! The violent way is great until your body inevitably takes the toll.
HAVS is a really serious syndrome that people don’t think about it until it’s too late. I used to work in construction for over a decade and now I work as a H&S professional. You really couldn’t begin to imagine some of things I’ve seen. Men who struggle to undo their zip to have a pee. Snapping the handle off of a mug because they don’t know how hard they are gripping it and getting terrible burns and lacerations in the process. Seriously!
As an employer it’s even more serious because you are liable for the well being of those to which you owe a duty of care, in some cases that extends further than your employees and can include subcontractors.
Believe it or not the best way to prevent issues like this is to have a competent safety representative appointed within any company to monitor things such as, tool conditions, workers observations, personal observations. This closely leads into Health Surveillance. Some people will often work through a condition or a pain, if things get tough they just crack on and power through! This is where a Safety representative could save someone a lot of pain in later life. Let’s face it… When we all eventually retire we don’t want our bodies to be so buggered that it reduces our enjoyment in life. A good safety rep will either have first hand experience of what poor safety can lead to, which are usually older employees who remember the bad old days when you just had to do it and H&S didn't exist. The other camp are younger people who had H&S drummed into their brain from the get go and have a respect and understanding for why it's important and how it can help people.
I really can’t emphasise how many people suffer terribly from HAVS. It can be minor or it can genuinely diminish your quality of life. Your hands are so important.
The best protection recorded to date is to get tools that firstly have a low m/s2 exposure rate. The second best protection recorded to make a difference to date is to use gloves that have rubber padding to absord “shock impact”.
My reference for any of this information is just my own personal qualifications. I would advise anyone to look into this and take precautions ESPECAILLY those who are still young!!
If anyone has any questions please do ask, especially those who employ… Could save someone a lot of misery.
I know I went on a bit, and even though it's my profession I don't profess to know everything. We should each do our own research and gain knowledge and draw our own conclusions...
Be safe and be smart! Don't do what I did in my younger years and permanently damage part of your body!
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Post by chippie on Aug 7, 2017 8:06:40 GMT 1
Sorry to hear of your medical issues...... I have rheumatoid arthritis in my left knee, hips, cervical and lumbar regions of my spine and recently developed 'trigger finger' in my right hand.....treatable with surgical intervention, but means my hand would be out of action for 6 weeks at least......( good job I'm left handed) On the 'funny' side of life, yes, wiping one's behind can be a bit difficult, whether its because of a hand issue or back mobility...trust me I know....  I've had RA since I was about 30, ultimately it was the reason I was made redundant and havent had ft employment since. I cant really offer any advice on how you progress your situation from a legal perspective, but from a medical one, I'd explore any treatment available if it means a better quality of life from now on...... Good luck... |
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Post by Roverman on Aug 7, 2017 18:22:35 GMT 1
Sorry to hear about your condition, my doctor sent me to see a specialist he said I have radiculopathy in plain English all my nerve ends are rotten  loose the feeling in my hands, drop a lot of things (mostly clangers ) the doctor can hit my knee with his hammer but hit won't move, but the main mechanics problem is arthritis I am riddled with it (all that laying under lorries & plant in damp conditions) keep taking the tablets, But if you wake up in the morning its a great day, I believe at nearly 80 its working on my Jags that keep me going if I had sat in the house watching T V when I retired I wouldn't be here now All the best to you all jagman |
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Post by remmington on Aug 7, 2017 18:42:55 GMT 1
Update.....
1. Right hand thumb, has come round.. Feeling is back!
2. Left hand thumb no change... Still dead...
My doctor is confused? (mis diagnosis maybe?).
He is saying it will come back with the cold weather.
Now he is abusing my over smoking!
"Time will tell" (still have enuf feeling in my thumbs to roll fags, so all is not lost!)
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loose the feeling in my hands, drop a lot of things (mostly clangers