A tractor, a chain, and one less eye.

[DerbyDad03]

I was getting my haircut last night and my barber told me of an accident his uncle recently had.

He was out in the woods pulling some logs with a chain attached to his tractor. Apparently when he tossed the chain in the direction of the tractor, it landed across the battery or some electrical connections and starting sparking. As he moved towards the tractor to remove the chain, the battery exploded.

He was dressed in coveralls and a long sleeve shirt, so the acid burns were minor, but a piece of the battery case hit him the eye. The tractor was disabled so he had to walk about 15 minutes with a bleeding eye to get to his house.

He called 911 along the way and the ambulance met him at the house. They were unable to save his eye and he now has a prosthetic. My barber said that they used digital imaging to take a picture of his good eye and then created a "lens" for the prosthetic so that it matches his other eye perfectly. Everything moves normally so people can't tell that it's not his real eye.

[gonjah]

Tractors! The government should ban them!

[notbob]

How can ppl miss an eye on a crutch?

[Jon Danniken]

[snip]

This doesn't surprise me; lead acid batteries can also explode when charging them, sometimes even just blowing the "caps" off will cause the sulfuric acid to shoot out of them.

Think of a lead acid battery as a very tightly wound spring, with all that entails, and you can begin to appreciate the need for safety around them.

The man in this story is lucky he only lost one eye.

Jon

[Dean Hoffman]

Some snipped. Hmmm. This sounds like a fishin' story. The batteries on all the tractors I've seen were in cases. There is usually a cover over the battery box. This goes back to tractors manufactured in the 1940s with six volt systems. The only possibly exposed electrical connection is at the starter solenoid. Those are typically at the rear of the engine just like on a car. Chains don't throw well either for that matter. Is your barber's name Aesop?

[DerbyDad03]

volt systems.

Nope, and he's not just my barber. He does contracting jobs on the side and we've worked together a few times. We'll be pouring a new stoop at my house next month. I have no reason to think he'd lie to me, but obviously you are free to do so.

[trader4]

th six volt systems.

First he says that "usually" tractors have a battery cover. Then he says the only "possible" way to short it out is via the starter terminal? There are all kinds of tractors. If you take a look at one at the highway authority garage that they use to cut grass, it's very likely relatively new, intact, with the battery covered. But if you're talking about some old farm tractor, I've certainly seem plenty of them in all kinds of shape, parts, covers, safeties etc missing.

It sounds like a freak accident, but certainly possible. And it's not an internet story. The barber should know if his uncle no longer has one eye.

[DerbyDad03]

with six volt systems.

Thanks for the support.

[dennisgauge]

Yup, and tractor owners have *NEVER* gotten lazy and didn't bother to put the cover back on after dealing with a corroded battery cable, or a jump start, or, or, or....

Those steel battery boxes have *NEVER* rusted away over the last 70 years, due to close contact with battery acid...

I've seen plenty of old tractors with batteries fully exposed to the world, held in a convenient location by rubber tarp straps.

[Frank]

Farming accidents are very common. It is one of our most dangerous professions. I know a farmer whose young son fell off tractor riding with dad and dad ran over and killed him. Grief nearly killed the dad.

Several years ago, I was at the PA state fair and a rep from Pioneer Seed was there. My former employer, DuPont had just bought them out and I mentioned it to the rep. He told other retired coworker and I that DuPont was killing them with their safety program. DuPont having started in the gun powder business was extremely safety conscious.

I had to always wear safety glasses in the lab. I wear old pairs now when cutting the grass or using machinery. If tractor driver wore them, his sight may have been saved.

[yrag.neslo]

When I worked at a Sears auto center we had someone come in who knew everything. One day, he was checking the water in a customer's battery (with the customer watching) and to see better, he pulled out his cigarette lighter to get a better look.

Once the battery blew up, he got in his car and left. The customer had to be led into the wash station to clean his eyes and everything else.

We never saw him again after that.

[gonjah]

everything. One day, he was checking the water in a customer's battery (with the customer watching) and to see better, he pulled out his cigarette lighter to get a better look.

led into the wash station to clean his eyes and everything else.

One blew up on me when I was about 19 or so. I was hooking up jumpers on the "dead" battery when it blew apart on me from the spark. Apparently there was still plenty of life in it. Fortunately I was wearing glasses and was close to a sink. Scared the crap out of me.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Frank:

Yet another reason not to get vision-corrective surgery.... -)

[gonjah]

Not only that but; my wife had laser surgery and she still wears glasses....

What's the point?

[Ed Pawlowski]

I've been wearing glasses for 60 years. That is one reason I've not considered the laser job. Besides, I've had some protection all those years and it has been handy.

[Ralph Mowery]

What has that to do with safty glasses ? They do make them as just plain lenses. I wore them for years at work. Also for some jobs around the house. Goggles for the weedeater.

[krw]

Why does she still wear glasses? Did they screw it up or was her issue age related? I know several who were relieved of glasses after a lifetime. OTOH, older folks will have to have glasses, though the correction can move them from expensive glasses to readers (cheaters). Presbyopia screws up the focusing mechanism so correction is either needed up close or at distance.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Many eye injuries occur at unsuspected time. Something blown in the eye by a gust of wind, a pebble tossed by a passing car, an exploding flashlight battery, etc. Sure, we know to use safety glasses when doing certain chores, but do you put them on when you fry bacon? Grill burgers? Probably not, but some time put them on and see how much stiff is collected on them. That stuff goes into your eye with no protection.

Over the years, my glasses took a couple of dings that possibly would have been serious eye injury if I had good vision and wore nothing. .

[krw]

No, most of that stuff goes near your eye if you're not wearing glasses. ...or are you saying that everyone who doesn't wear glasses is blind? The fact is that getting things in the eye is a common occurrence, even when wearing glasses. The eye usually washes this stuff out before you even realize it's in there. You may feel the larger stuff as it takes a few seconds to clear. For larger stuff, the eye reflexes are quite fast.

Mine have taken a few big dings, too, and if I were wearing them at the time I would have definitely been seriously injured (they fell off a 20' ladder onto concrete ;-).

[gonjah]

She says she sees better and can drive w/o glasses but she's always wearing them.

Apparently the surgery worked, it's just not a cure all.

My eyes are not that bad but I can't pass a driving test anymore. Also, I get headaches from squinting if I don't wear glasses. I use reading glasses for close up. I can't use bifocals well enough for work.