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Rubber snubbers

Lashlander

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
1,226
Location
Kodiak Ak.
A while back a guy I know was tarping down his load with rubber snubbers. He reached to his left, hooked the snubber then pulled it to his right and went to hook the other end. I'm not sure what happened but the hook came undone on the left side. The hook embedded itself into his left eye. There was to much damage to even try to salvage it. I see guys hooking them and yarding on them with both hands towards their faces and it makes me cringe. Just a reminder of how something so simple can change your life. If you use them keep this in mind. :my2c
 

Ford LT-9000

Banned
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
1,484
Location
B.C. Canada
Occupation
Rolling around in the dirt
Yup that is a common problem its happened to me and its gotten me in the face. Be very carefull bungee cords may seem innocent but they are dangerous. I would recommend wearing safety glasses when using bungee cords. It scared the crap out of me since then I'am carefull :eek:
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
Another silent hazard is the dreaded snap binder, or lever binder for chaining equipment. They can leave a mark. I had one raked across my shin so bad last winter when I snapped it loose, I had to sit down and regroup my thoughts.:cussing

On the same note, whenever tightening a ratchet binder, (or for that matter tightening a bolt with a wrench,) I ALWAYS without fail, do it with an open hand. I punched one too many engines, cold-cocked one too many trailer decks, and skinned one too many knuckles to the point of using my new method 100% of the time now.:D
 

Ford LT-9000

Banned
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
1,484
Location
B.C. Canada
Occupation
Rolling around in the dirt
A binder can really re-arrange your face in one swoop I have seen cheater pipes thrown some distance from somebody loosing their grip undoing a binder.
 

Countryboy

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
3,276
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Load Out Tech. / Heavy Equipment Operator / Locomo
A couple years back I bought one of those bungee cords with the threaded casing around the rubber cords. I used it for the sole purpose of holding my work cooler in place in the bed of my truck. I have a plastic bed liner in the back and with the cooler not secured, it tends to just slide all over the place.

One morning, a couple months back, I put my cooler in the back of my truck after I had gotten off work. I set it to the side of the bed as usual, grabbed the end of the bungee cord and pulled it tight so I could hook it to the bed hooks.

I was just about to hook it when it broke in the middle and snapped me square in the chest. That thing hurt like the devil and left a red stripe down my chest for several days. I fear even thinking if that thing had hit me in the face or eye. Even though the hook wasn't present, I can only guess as to the injuries I might've incurred.

I no longer use those thread encased bungee cords as there is no way to inspect the rubber cords. I use the solid rubber ones now but after first sight of a crack or split, I throw it away and buy another.
 

Truckie

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
289
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I to have been whacked a few times with a bungee cord and it hut like the dickens.
Like C CB said before once you see a crack or a split discard of it before it bites you.

Low Boy I know exactly what you mean about those snap binders. I got whacked by one of those a few years ago when I first started using them.
I herd horror stories about these things hitting people and knocking them out and even see a guy that had his jaw broken with one when it snapped back.
I was un chaining a load of scrap I beams and I was on the second to last one when it snapped back and I got hit in the face with a cheater pipe and knocked out. As if that was bad enough when I fell down I fell in a puddle of water face first.
Thank God the over head crane man saw what happened and called for help and came down out of his crane to move me. I was damn lucky someone was there and saw what happened, and also all I did was break my glasses and had a pretty good burse on my face.
I did go to the hospital to get checked out.
 

MKTEF

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
1,013
Location
Norway
Occupation
Production manager
Well my wife worked on a hospital some years ago:
A girl came in.
She had walked the dog.;)
Using that type of long leash with a spring inside and a knob on that stops the rope on outgoing.
Well this leash broke on the chain at the end by the dog.
The spring pulled the rope back.
The end then made a loop, hit her right in the eye. The end contained half of that hook u apply to the dog. Not so heavy, but still.
Eye got totaly exploded, nothing left.
Blind on one eye, after walking the dog.

A truckdriver in the firm i worked for some years ago where unlucky.
On the lowbed trailer they got a tag on axle.
This axle can be folded up back on the trailer while not in use.
On the underside is a couple of bolts that locks it in place.
He had problems with getting theese bolts out, so he used a steel bar hammering the bolts in to the middle of the trailer.:eek:
Bolts mowed, the steel bar got in between the steel plates, that started acting like a siccor.
Steel bar then comes straight up. in the speed of lightning.

He got hit by the end on his chin.
Lost all teeth on that side, chinbone, right eye and part of the scull.
Spent months on hospital untill he recovered, blind on one eye.

Turned out he had forgotten to let the air out of the airbags on the tag axle.
20 000 lbs of lifting power on that axle, pressing on the locking pins.....
Makes the locking bolts real difficult to move.:eek2
 
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