Freak accident

[HansonSigns]

We were sent this as a link - it's from DNJ.Com

http://www.dnj.com/article/20110113/NEWS01/110113013

A sign worker attempting to take down a Kroger sign was severely injured in a freak accident Thursday afternoon.

The Jarvis Sign worker, whose name hasn’t been released, was using a cutting torch and a boom to remove bolts from the Kroger sign at Northfield Boulevard when one of the hot bolts fell and melted through a hydraulic hose on the boom, according to Murfreesboro Assistant Fire Chief Allen Swader.

That caused pressurized hydraulic fluid to shoot out of the hose, according to Swader, and into the path of the worker’s torch, in turn setting the worker and the Kroger sign on fire.

“The man was on fire and jumped out of the boom, injuring his legs and breaking his ankles in the process,” Swader said. “His back and lower body were severly burned.”

The sign, which was almost completely burned, stands more than 20 feet high. The worker’s boom was approximately 18 feet in the air when he jumped out of it.

A worker at a nearby dry cleaning business saw the event unfold and called 911, according to Swader.

The owner of that dry cleaner, Jim Batcheler, told The DNJ the man was limping after he jumped and even asked how badly he had been burned.

“He asked me if his back was burned up,” Batcheler said. “I told him it was, but it could have been a whole lot worse. His back was red and blistered but it wasn’t charred.”

The man was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville via ambulance after being treated by emergency workers at the scene.

— Mark Bell, 615-278-5153

[Erik Sine]

That is crazy. Hope the worker is okay.

[Guest Signtiffic]

WOW..... that was certainly preventable.... I really hope the guy is alright. Sounds like he'll recover. That poor company is going to have a ton of insurance hoops to jump through.

[Sesco]

That's like 3 blocks from where I used to live. Crazy. I wonder if he had his harness on and had to take it off to jump out while he was on fire.

-Lance

[PhillipM]

That happened to me once when I was welding. Sparks and slag fell down in the hole for the controls and caught a plastic coffee can lid and some paper towels on fire which in turn burnt a hole in the controls. "Phil! Your're on fire!" is a phrase I'll never forget! Thank God I had just bought a new leather welding coat. The flaming oil sprayed all over my back and on the side of my welding hood but I never caught fire. I was about 15' up and thought about jumping but thought a moment that I owned the truck and didn't want it to burn up and had the presence of mind to tell one of the guys on the ground to shut off the truck and pitch up the fire extinguisher. When he killed the engine the oil quit spraying everywhere and the fire extinguished itself I told him to hit the override valve shutting off oil flow to the bucket and allowing him to stow the lift on the truck. Back then I smoked and I remember sitting on the curb with the shakes chain smoking feeling the oil in my hair and wondering why I didn't turn into a torch!

Now I weld out of the truck with electric controls when possible and cover the hole to the controls with an aluminum plate in the other two when I have to weld out of them. As a housekeeping issue I make sure there isn't debris in the control enclosure either. Had it not been for the rubbish, there probably wouldn't have been a fire.

Not being there I can't really speak for what happened, but I'll bet he left it running spraying flaming oil till the pump ran out of hydraulic oil. I'm sure after jumping that far onto asphalt he couldn't have cared less.

[gpitts]

This is listed as "Freak Accident" - but I see from some of the readers that it is an entirely "Preventable Accident" and so I'm passing this article on to our safety person!

[Brian]

Had same thing happen to me. I was welding when some dry leaves down in the controls caught fire. Lori handed me the fire ext. and I got it put out before rupturing the hoses. It will really scare the crap out of you.

[PhillipM]

This is listed as "Freak Accident" - but I see from some of the readers that it is an entirely "Preventable Accident" and so I'm passing this article on to our safety person!

With a torch I try to keep the work at arms length and if possible be above what I'm cutting so the sparks don't fall on me or my equipment and have someone on fire watch.

[Erik Sine]

Sounds like this is quite common place if never experienced until the first episode or sign of danger.