it happens way to fast

[youngoperator]

just a reminder on how fast an accident can happen

i was spreading gravel with a tandom dump truck finished my spread, stopped at the hoe to load my self back up did everything normal when i stopped, got out walked around back and saw a big frozen chunk of dirt holdin the tail gate open gravel and stones where falling out of the box still even though the box was fully down so i decided to go find a bar to knock this chuck of frozen dirt out, as i started walking back i lost my footing on a stone that fell out of the box and i fell against the tail gate a put my hand on the side it to hold myself well that chunk of frozen dirt gave way and BANG the tail gate slams shut, the i felt my middle finger hurrt im thinking oh great i pinched it im just goin to lose my nail...i look down and :Banghead the tip of my middle finger is gone. i got my brother to drive me to the hospital which was over an hour away and the doc fixed it all up

so guys and gals becareful out there things happen so quickly....im all fixed up now wont get into detials on the finger lol but its healing quick the doc says .....stay safe everyone

 

[Dozerboy]

Sorry to hear that. Its surprising how complacent we can get with everyday things that can be very dangerous. Its been awhile since I had any wake up calls hopefully this will do me for a while.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Glad you are OK now.

You are right, it can happen in a heartbeat. I knew a guy about 10 years ago did the same thing, and he lost the tips of 3 fingers. When he holds his hand up now the tips of his fingers form a straight line, all the same length as the pinkie.

I picked up the 3 pieces and sent them to the hospital with him, but the doc said they were too small and mangled to put back on.

 

[milling_drum]

Was driving a Mack tri-axle years ago in NC, was being loaded with muck from a muddy swampy area behind a new plaza being built.

The owner of the company is loading the truck and knows what hes doing pretty much, loads it real heavy to the back, where we are dumping is only 4 miles down US 17, not much DOT or state troopers around to flag us for the trailer of muddy water left on the road.

I get to the dump site, back up to the previous pile, pop the tail gate pins and start putting the body up....and up...and nothing is comming out the pack yet......let off accelerator, start ease post handle back towards neutral........front of truck is lifting...up...now its going up fast and the post control is already in the down position but the cab is 15 feet up in the air....WTF????????????

Shut engine off, open door, climb to battery box and jump down. Walk to the back of the truck and see its resting on the load dumped behind it. Tailgate pins are both up but tailgate did not release...

Thankfully a couple of other people are dumping in the same place and saw it all, they have walked over and are trying to figure out what went on, they give me a shovel and I get to shoveling the load off...The other trucks working with us pass the message to the site I'm stuck in the air, no biggie, dig it out and be careful. No problem, I think.

50 minutes of digging down toward the tailgate, truck still in the air, nothing. those same fellas have returned and have a pick with them plus myself with the shovel trying to pop this tailgate open, its not moving. Theres quite a bit of mud in the bottom corners with water seeping down, I keep at it digging inside the body...corners especially.

Finally we get two rock picks and start prying on the tailgate really hard, ..all of a sudden the gate pops open with this sucking/whoosh sound, the body starts comming down as the truck starts to fall...BANNNNGGGG...truck and body hit the ground almost together and bounce nearly 3 ft off the ground. The three of us standing there with our mouths open aghast at what we just saw....

No damage, no one hurt. No broken cab glass, Mack are tough I guess. Silly me should have gotten back up in the truck when I got close to the bottom of the tailgate shoveling out the body and fired the truck back up to fill the post with Hydraulic oil, thats why it came down so hard...DUH!

Safety first because; it does happen so fast.