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Ken Fitzgerald
08-15-2016, 12:05 AM
Some 12 years ago or so, my vision got to the point where I needed reading glasses and then eventually I needed them all the time. Yesterday that turned out to be a real blessing! As I am always doing something that would require safety glasses, though they are more expensive, that's all I buy anymore and I wear the from the moment I awaken until I put them on my nightstand before turning out the light when I go to sleep.

Yesterday, I was spraying some 2-4-D to knock back some of the weeds growing in the lawn. When I got done, I still had 1/2 a tank of mixture, so I bled off the pressure. Afraid of having a lot of the mixture spray out needlessly, I turned the pump handle to release the pressure. I turned it too far and a big high pressure spray squirted the liquid up into my face. It did as I wanted release the pressure. Luckily, I had my safety glasses on when it happened. I confirmed the pressure was released, placed the tank sprayer in my shed, closed the door and went into the house. I quickly washed my face with soap rinsing it several times. Then I grabbed some clean clothes and showered.

Morale of the story....wear safety glasses or/or goggles and be careful!

Frederick Skelly
08-15-2016, 6:21 AM
Glad you're ok Ken!

Rich Riddle
08-15-2016, 6:39 AM
Luckily you're not a weed.

Lee Schierer
08-15-2016, 8:04 AM
I'm glad you are okay. I agree that safety glasses are a good idea. When I need to bleed off pressure in my pump sprayer, I can either lift the safety valve or flip the sprayer upside down so that the pickup tube is no longer in the liquid and then depress the spray control handle until all the pressure is bled off.

George Bokros
08-15-2016, 8:08 AM
Some years ago my father-in-law was using a weed wacker with a brush blade clearing some brush and saplings. He hit hidden rock and the tip of the blade was broken off and hit him in the eye causing him to loose that eye.

Glad you are ok Ken.

Jerry Thompson
08-15-2016, 8:21 AM
In addition to my prescription eye glasses, which are safety glasses, I always wear a full face shield when using a router. A piece of router bit hitting one in the head could well be curtains.

John K Jordan
08-15-2016, 8:38 AM
Yesterday, I was spraying some 2-4-D ...
Morale of the story....wear safety glasses or/or goggles and be careful!

Yikes, getting 2-4-d in the eye would not sound good to me! I'm very glad you are not now telling about what happens if it did!

I've taken to wearing a full-face respirator when spraying certain chemicals around the farm here, or a half respirator (with filters for volatiles) plus safety glasses for others. Funny (not really) how we sometimes don't think of these things when younger. I can't believe the commercial and utility people I see operating chainsaws, weed whackers, mowers, and blowers with NO safety glasses or hearing protection.

BTW, I found a new use for the full-face respirator a few years ago. I came home to the sight of smoke from down the hill from my farm. Some guy had accidentally set the woods on fire and it was coming up the hill. I jumped on the tractor to cut a fire break and took the respirator with me. When smoke blew my way it was perfect to keep it out of my eyes! I'll use one now when burning brush for when the wind changes.

JKJ

Erik Loza
08-15-2016, 11:17 AM
Some years ago my father-in-law was using a weed wacker with a brush blade clearing some brush and saplings. He hit hidden rock and the tip of the blade was broken off and hit him in the eye causing him to loose that eye.

I was cleaning the rust off some bolts with the wire wheel on my benchtop grinder once when a piece of wire flew off and stuck in my check, like a dart. I was wearing safety glasses but it could have been a lot worse if I hadn't been and it was a little higher.

Erik

John K Jordan
08-15-2016, 3:34 PM
I was cleaning the rust off some bolts with the wire wheel on my benchtop grinder once when a piece of wire flew off and stuck in my check, like a dart. I was wearing safety glasses but it could have been a lot worse if I hadn't been and it was a little higher.

Erik


Wire brushes are the absolute worst, unless maybe you have a wheel come apart. I keep a full face shield hanging by the grinder. I still get wire darts in my arms and elsewhere but that I can take. Same with wire brushes on an angle grinder or even a Dremel or to a lesser extent, an electric drill. A wire brush will also take flesh off in a blink.

JKJ

Michael Weber
08-15-2016, 7:17 PM
Maybe you won't need to shave anymore:rolleyes:

Ken Fitzgerald
08-15-2016, 7:18 PM
Maybe you won't need to shave anymore:rolleyes:

I hope you prove to be correct!:D

Ole Anderson
08-15-2016, 8:43 PM
Years ago as a young new homeowner, I was nailing furring strips into the poured concrete basement wall, wearing just my prescription glasses. Head of the hardened nail broke off and hit me square in one of the lenses (glass then, not plastic), actually punching a hole in it and getting tiny fragments into my eye. No permanent damage, but you can believe I wore safety glasses or a full face shield after that. Just tonight I was laying on my side grinding off a frozen bolt under my son's Jeep and used the full face shield to good advantage.