The story of the 80' oak and 19MM socket injury reminds me of a Field Day
injury we had some years back (names and callsigns intentionally eliminated.
They know who they are and don't want to hear or think about this again!)
Though we only needed to throw a rope over a 40' tree, "we" had a crossbow with
lugnut taped to the end -- the "arrow" (or "bolt") attached to a fishing line.
Somehow the line hung up somewhere, the arrow reached the end of the line,
stretched the line, and began its return trip to earth, hitting one of our
people who was just spectating from nearby, not the "archer," just above the
eye. It bled profusely but a Band-Aid closed it back up, no stitches were
required. Very fortunate indeed that the eye was not lost.
Lessons learned:
1.. Be very, very careful, more careful than we were. Everyone other than
the shooter should stand way, way, back. Even then, you might want to stand
behind something and, like (not) looking at the sun, avoid watching the
operation, because if they see it your eyes have become targets.
2.. Don't use overkill -- that is, don't use a higher velocity object thrower
if something lower velocity will do.
3.. Wear protective eyeglasses, hardhat, etc. if for some reason you have to
be near such an operation. We do, at least to some extent, give consideration
to eye protection and head protection and steel-toe boots too, but I've often
contemplated the injury done if a wrench or nut or bolt falls on the point on
top of your shoulder -- I wonder if anyone in the "drop zone" should have
something like football shoulder pads, in addition to the protections we
already consider standard. It seems like the shoulders are the main
"horizontal surfaces" we've left unprotected. I doubt that shoulders get hit
very often but when they do, ouch!
73 - Rich, KE3Q
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