MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade

apcowboy

Founder of The Meat Cutter's Club

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Date: Aug 10, 2013

MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

A new man working with Eric, ( steer fry) had a boston butt pull his hand into the saw, NASTY looking. I give the man credit he wants to come back to work tomorrow and work one handed. sounds like the making of a good man, one thing for sure, he got a nice " war wound " to talk about. wonder if that hurt?? __________________ Leon Wildberger Executive Director

jimhenry2000

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Date: Aug 11, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

I lost part of the tip of my middle finger on my right hand to the band saw. It was no fun and I can still re-live it. It happened when I was working production at 2:30 AM. Unlike a knife or slicer cut, the band saw rips and tears your finger from you. The store mgr gave the night crew chief hell for driving me to the hospital rather than making me wait for ambulance. __________________ --- Jimmy the Butcher jhenry@airpower.com www.linkedin.com/in/jameshenry/ www.airpower.com

Pops6927

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Date: Aug 11, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

I've danced with that devil a couple of times - one time splitting pig's feet without the fence, just pushing them thru and the blade caught one and twisted it and put my thumb through it crossways cutting it off at the first digit. Wrapped it up and drove myself to the hospital and got it sewed back on, off work 3 wks. Then, a few years later, was slicing ¼ pork loins and reached for a stack of chops and the back of my little finger hit the blade, very common, but this time it caught my little finger's skin and cut the 1st digit off. My store manager was deathly afraid of blood and so I just HAD to show him my injuiry, y'know, for workman's comp? heh heh, came barrelling out the back cooler door into the back room and stuck my hand in his face and asked if I could get a ride to the hospital (rode with someone else..) - he started screaming, "Ohhhh damn.... ohhhhh (expletive).... get him outta here... or I'm... PLOP..." They almost didn't get my finger numb we were both laughing so hard! They tried to sew it up but it rotted and had to get 2 more operations on it to revise it and then another to remove the knuckle and fuse it. Now, I can't even pick my nose with it, lol! __________________ About Me: http://about.me/pops6927 YAWYE: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/15/yawye Stroke Strategies!: http://www.facebook.com/bypops?sk=wall Email: pops6927@gmail.com

yepiamshawn

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Date: Aug 11, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

This is when I'm super glad to have a wet saw. I've nipped my fingers trimming ball tips twice on a wet saw, knife blade, but without the drag/friction, i don't nearly have to ever worry of being cut or being dragged in the rotating knife of death. I've worked on those dry blades, and nothing is scarier than the moment the bone spins and sucks you in. Give the guy props to be willing to come back to work after a nasty battle wound like that. __________________

cajunpaul

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Date: Aug 11, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

OUCH!!! I HAVE BEEN CUTTING MEAT FOR 30 YEARS AND AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE NEVER CUT MYSELF ON THE SAW. HAD 8 STITCHES ON MY THUMB FOR SHAPRENING A KNIFE WITH THE BLADE COMING BACK TOWARD ME AND ANOTHER 10 STITCHES ON THE SAME THUMB BY FOOLING AROUND WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. HE CUT ME ACCIDENTLY. WENT TO THE HOSPITAL GOT STITCHED UP AND WENT BACK TO WORK. I KNOW HOW MUCH THAT HURT SO I KNOW HOW TOUGH THIS GUY IS IF HE IS WILLING TO GO BACK TO WORK THE NEXT DAY. THEY DON'T MAKE MANY LIKE THAT ANYMORE. __________________

J-Mansell

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Date: Aug 12, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

Ouch!!!! __________________

apcowboy

Founder of The Meat Cutter's Club

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Date: Aug 12, 2013

MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

I got a update on this cutter today and this new picture He goes back to work tomorrow on light duty __________________ Leon Wildberger Executive Director

louiesmeats

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Date: Aug 13, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

Ouch! I've sliced off a small piece of finger on a deli slicer, but have luckily never hit the band saw blade. __________________

apcowboy

Founder of The Meat Cutter's Club

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Date: Aug 13, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade

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	zemco1 wrote 1h, 21m ago:
had a run in with a Hobart slant saw in '88. amputated right index-part of thumb and damage to middle finger. 6 surgeries ,5/12 years on comp. index was re planted, hundreds of hours of rehab but i did return to cut meat.retired last year because i was too beat up after over 40 years

__________________

Leon Wildberger

Executive Director

apcowboy

Founder of The Meat Cutter's Club

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Date: Aug 13, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

FROM BANDSAW BOB, BANDSAW BOB . COM I always hate to see, or hear of, somebody getting injured on a bandsaw. I've seen far too many over the years, but it still makes me cringe every time. I won’t tell any horror stories, everybody knows what a dangerous business this is, even a small mistake has a price. Unfortunately, potential injuries always were, and always will be, a part of the meat industry. Major props to the guy that took the hit and wants to jump back in. Fearless ! Bandsaws, or bone-saws , as they are called in some parts of the country, are designed to quickly cut through flesh and bone. Cow, pig, man or sheep , the saw don’t know the difference. Production quotas are high, everyone is in a hurry but you still have to be cautious. There is no such thing as working too safe. Here are a couple of safety tips from an old bandsaw repair guy, ALWAYS use a sharp blade ! Dull blades are dangerous, you wouldn't use a dull knife, or shave with a dull razor, would you ? Same principal. Check the following parts on your saw TABLE FILLER - if it’s worn or broken, replace it. Large gaps will pull meat through, making it feel like the product is being pulled from your hands. UPPER and LOWER GUIDES - worn guides will cause the blade to twist, causing wedge cuts. Trying to “ fix “ the cut midway through can cause your hands to slip off the product and into the moving blade. General rule of thumb - with the saw OFF if you can fit your fingernail into the guide next to the blade it’s worn out. MEAT CARRIAGE ROLLER BEARINGS - you don’t want the carriage to jamb or slow down while your hands are moving toward the blade. Keep clean and oiled, if they don’t roll or roll rough, replace them. Usually these all get changed as a set, if one is bad, how good could the others be ? MEAT THICKNESS GAUGE or fence - should slide back and forth freely, LOCK in position, and be adjustable with the knob. There should be no slop or give to the gauge plate. For BIRO and older HOBART ( with knob ) check the worm gear is not worn and that the worm gear fully engages into the grooves on the slide rod. BIROs Check the springs and the gauge plate pin ( the rod the cotter pin is in ) it should not be worn or have grooves at either end where it goes through release handle ( the part you squeeze with your palm ) older HOBARTs hook your thumb over the plate and squeeze the knob with your fingers it should SNAP back if it doesn’t it could give under pressure get it fixed ASAP ! for newer HOBARTs ( thumb pressure locking lever ) should have good pressure same as above squeeze and release it should SNAP back and lock gauge plate in place if not it could slip while in use fix it ASAP BUTCHER BOY make sure lock stud ( square head bolt ) is tight and fits securely into ratchet lock and end catch ( U shaped part ) is tightly bolted down. MAKE SURE MEAT CARRIAGE AND STATIONARY TABLE ARE LEVEL WITH EACH OTHER if the carriage is lower a bone could catch the platter causing your hands to slip off the product towards the blade. A FEW OTHER OBSERVATIONS Over the years I've noticed more injuries on certain products FROZEN COW FEET Always split them in half between the toes, then lay them flat to cut smaller. Some of the nastiest injuries I've ever seen are from trying to cut them full round, they always pull out of your hand. PIGS FEET fresh or frozen same as above only more slippery. BONE IN PORK LOIN / FROZEN OX TAIL some cutters go too fast for the saw causing bounce off the blade or get into a rhythm of repetitive cutting ex: 18 cuts 18 cuts 18 cuts gets a smaller piece doesn't notice 15 16 17 oops ! I CAN GET ONE MORE PIECE if you even think this STOP ! use the end cut pusher plate that’s what it’s there for or at least it should be just under the carriage bracket If you don’t know where it is find it. If you don’t have one get one. If more cutters used it there would be a lot less injuries. Safety guards are there for a reason, use them. SOME FAMOUS EXCUSES for not doing it the right way “ That’s the way I’ve always done it. “ “ It won’t happen to me, I’m careful “ “ It never happened before.” Or my favorite “ Yeah, I know, but . . . “ Sorry to be so long winded, and I hope everyone already knew everything I just said, but if all this prevents just one meatcutter from just one injury, then it’s all worth it. There is no such thing as too much safety. Nobody is accident proof. Thanks for listening and safe cutting everyone Bandsaw Bob P.S. The Hobart slant saw mentioned above was a dangerous machine, it caused a lot of serious injuries. If anyone out there still uses one think twice if that doesn't work think 3 x’s. __________________ Leon Wildberger Executive Director

jsummers

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Date: Aug 13, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

I "bumped" into a band saw blade one time. No serious injury, no stitches or anything but I'll never forget that feeling! __________________ Southern Indiana Butcher Supply Band Saw Blades Butcher And Boning Knives

camorrisiii

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Date: Aug 14, 2013

RE: MAN, It's Hell when your finger meets saw blade	Permalink

Poor guy, I know that had to hurt, he is very lucky that they could sew that back on. I remember the first time I got cut on the saw, it took the fingerprint off of my left middle finger, but luckily I didn't hit the bone, it took almost two months to heal. When it happened I felt it all over my body, it felt like being electrocuted. The worst pain I've ever experienced. I give the young man props for wanting to go back to work the next day, I hope he has a full and speedy recovery. __________________ Having fun and getting paid for it!