Almost lost a finger at the Marathon refinery in Texas City last June

I was working on a feed preheat exchanger bundle, and the crane operator swung the load too fast. The tag line wrapped around my glove and yanked my hand into the bundle before I could pull back. Took me 2 months to get full grip back after the stitches came out. How many of you have switched to using those quick-release glove straps after a close call?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollym821mo ago

That "yanked my hand into the bundle" part gave me chills because it's exactly the kind of thing that happens when people rush. I've noticed this huge pattern in everyday life where everyone acts like speed is more important than safety. You see it at grocery stores when people cut corners with their shopping carts, on the road when drivers tailgate you, even at home when someone tries to grab a hot pan without a mitt. That quick-release glove strap thing is smart, but the real fix is slowing down and actually THINKING before you move. My brother-in-law works construction and says the same thing, guys always bragging about how fast they finished a job but never talking about the close calls. It's like we're all racing against some imaginary clock that's going to kill us eventually.

phoenix_adams601mo ago

Oh come ON, rushing is what gets things DONE in this world. Construction crews that take their sweet time cost everybody money and nobody gets hurt if they know what they're doing.