Author Topic: Rotovator Accident (Read 13190 times)

Fork · « **on:** March 18, 2011, 17:15:21 »

Just a reminder to take care with any mechanical equipment you use on the allotment...but mainly rotovators.

One of the chaps had an accident on our site this afternoon.He put his machine into reverse and while walking backwards,fell over and the machine carried on over his leg......he will be lucky to keep it!

I wont go into the gory details but the air ambulance was involved.

So be careful out there!

GRACELAND · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2011, 17:17:19 »

nasty and a good reminder to keep safe on the gardens and plots

cornykev · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2011, 17:17:32 »

Sorry to hear this Fork, made me cringe a bit. :o :(

OllieC · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2011, 17:36:23 »

Ewww - that's gonna sting. Hope he recovers as well as possible, as quickly as possible. Dangerous thing this gardening lark.

Lottiman · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:24:19 »

Poor bloke it makes you cringe , take care everybody.

Unwashed · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:27:42 »

Oh wow, that's really awful.

Mr Smith · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:38:00 »

I had a similar experience last year when I lost half of the knuckle of my thumb, on my own made allotment shredder, at least it was a 5hp briggs that did the damage, :)

tonybloke · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:51:43 »

modern equipment should have a 'dead-man's handle' type thing. ( you let go, machine stops)

another good reason for risk assessments on allotments.

hope the chap doesn't lose his leg, I bet he said a few profanities!

hippydave · « **Reply #8 on:** March 18, 2011, 19:46:06 »

When i put the howard in reverse i have to hold it in gear as soon as i let go the thing rolls forward so it dosnt eat you.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #9 on:** March 18, 2011, 19:58:51 »

Sounds horrible. What make is it? Remind us never to buy one!

saddad · « **Reply #10 on:** March 19, 2011, 10:32:33 »

Hope we have better news today... :)

Fork · « **Reply #11 on:** March 19, 2011, 17:08:44 »

Much better news today.The chap was operated on,his broken bones plated and pinned and the muscle damage sorted....He can move his toes so the prognosis is quite good :)

lewic · « **Reply #12 on:** March 19, 2011, 17:21:04 »

Oh yuk.. there should have been some safety device as Tonybloke says. I'd be suing the @rse of the manufacturer! Good news that he is on the mend.

Fork · « **Reply #13 on:** March 19, 2011, 17:26:03 »

I dont know the full story yet....I dont know why the rotovator kept going when he fell over.

Squash64 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 19, 2011, 17:26:37 »

That's awful, thank goodness he is getting better.

My sister in law's uncle was killed while using a rotovator in Sicily last year. Nobody is sure what happened because he was on his own at the time. There were photos in the local newspaper, blood everywhere. :(

kt. · « **Reply #15 on:** March 19, 2011, 20:38:10 »

Quote from: tonybloke on March 18, 2011, 18:51:43

modern equipment should have a 'dead-man's handle' type thing. ( you let go, machine stops)

another good reason for risk assessments on allotments.

I used my mantis today. It is 2 years old and does have a dead mans handle. As soon as the pressure is eased on the button it stops, plus you have to press 2 separate buttons to get it started.

Risk assessments on plots would be an absolute minefield for sure. Hence the get out clause "the council accept no liability for blah blah blah... on the site." We have a guy in our town who used to have a plot years ago. He stepped on a rake head causing the handle to bounce up onto his head with such force it left him severely brain-damaged and a shadow of his former self.

Mr Smith · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2011, 18:41:37 »

I will go along about being careful with garden machinery I took the top of my thumb off above the knuckle last year and had it strapped up for six weeks, it was all my own fault, I will leave the details out because I was that 'thingy', :-[

shirlton · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2011, 18:49:08 »

Just asked Tone and his has'nt got a reverse. Glad the chaps ok.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 23, 2011, 15:23:16 »

Hmm... I'll check mine next time I get it out.... Howards are supposed to have an interlock to prevent reverse and rotor, but it's easily removed..... My small Howard (a 200) doesn't have a reverse gear anyway, but the 400 does, but it's pretty hard to accidentally engage a gear (it can be a bugger to get into gear deliberately sometimes) .... Given how often I'm alone when I'm rotovating (or indeed doing anything on the plot) that would be a death sentance for me.....

Best wishes to the injured guy....

cornykev · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2011, 19:55:26 »

Good news, well it could have been a lot worse. :o

News:

Author Topic: Rotovator Accident (Read 13190 times)