Ouch!

Saw this newsclip the other day. Can you imagine if these boats had twins? KJ


Brazil doctors to aid boat scalping victims

SAO PAULO — Doctors are performing free reconstructive surgeries on people who have been scalped in freak boating accidents in Brazil's Amazon region.
The vice president of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgeons tells the government's Agencia Brasil news service that some 40 volunteer doctors started operating on 60 men, women and children on Friday in Amapa state. Another 120 are awaiting surgery.

Luciano Ornelas Chaves says the accidents occur on small boats used for transport that have engines located in the middle of the vessel.
He says that "When people bend down near the engine to scoop water out of the boat, their hair gets caught in the motor. That's when they lose their scalps and sometimes their ears and other parts of their faces."
Calls to the society went unanswered Friday

You don't have to look all the way to Brazil. Hair and loose clothing wrapped around a turning shaft causes terrible accidents here too. Hair, scalps, even limbs have been destroyed or pulled off, by tractor PTOs, lathes, drill press, and prop shafts. Keep that in mind when crawling around the engine, both ends, belts and pulleys Fwd., prop shaft and coupling Aft.
Steve W.

Steve is spot on.
I know a guy, a life long machinist, owned his own shop, grew up in the trade and lost an arm. It only takes a micro second of inattention.
After the accident he did NOT give up his work

Steve said:

You don't have to look all the way to Brazil. Hair and loose clothing wrapped around a turning shaft causes terrible accidents here too. Hair, scalps, even limbs have been destroyed or pulled off, by tractor PTOs, lathes, drill press, and prop shafts. Keep that in mind when crawling around the engine, both ends, belts and pulleys Fwd., prop shaft and coupling Aft.
Steve W.

Click to expand...

Steve: You're right, you don't have to look far. In 2008 I reached underneath our turning prop shaft. My old T-shirt got caught on the shaft coupler and in an instant I was pulled on to the shaft as my head slammed into the transmission. The T-shirt was ripped off of me in about 1/100 of a second. It happened that fast. From the pictures you can see the burns and bruising that resulted as the T shirt was ripped off. Every time I look in the mirror I have a permanent reminder of how stupid I was and also how lucky I am. I have thought many times if the shirt was in better condition or if I had on coveralls what could have happened. Needless to say we have a changed a few procedures.