# Do you have an emergence plan? I don't.



## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

I was out in the shop after I got out of work and I got to thinking. That's a scary thought in itself. Anyway, I was thinking what would happen if I got hurt out here. My shop is a detached building outback. My wife and son are in the house watching TV, cooking dinner, playing video games, whatever. What if I got hurt and needed help? How could I let them know? I could install an intercom system but what if I was on the floor bleeding and couldn't reach it? Or I fell and couldn't get up. I am extremely careful and I realize I am alone out there by myself but I wonder, what if…. What are your plans just in case?


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

I meant Emergency


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## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

You definiately need " LIFE ALERT', you know "I've fallen and I can't get up"


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

I always have my cell on me….. Now, if I can get to it and use it is a different matter.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Lots of people make sure to have their cell phone in a "pocket" on their belt.

Not a bad idea…...

If you're not in a position to hit a speed dial button on a cell phone … you're in pretty big trouble :-(


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## DullChiselDoug (Oct 5, 2009)

It's a great thought Don. Hmmm, maybe keep the cell phone in your pocket?


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

Doh, I always have my cell. But if I cut off al of my fingers? I guess I could dial with my nose.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

If you cut off all ten of your fingers …. well … let's just say … it's a good time to figure out how much of a man you really are ;-)


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I can imagine a lot of nasty injuries in the shop, but very few shop related injuries that would completely incapacitate me…unless I was doing something stupid like using my neck as a push stick etc…Barring freak accidents or "regular" stuff like heart attacks etc, the majority of shop injuries will involve the extremities, which, although serious, shouldn't immediately prevent me from seeking help.
I keep a small tube of eye anesthetic at home that I "stole" from the ER where I work; having had an eye injury once I know that it is very difficult to drive with one eye while your other eye is spasming from pain. I also have a blood pressure cuff that I keep at home; makes a great, easy tourniquet if I was to have a serious cut/amputation.


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## sandhill (Aug 28, 2007)

You could set up a panic button/s in locations around the shop and wire into a sound device. I have considered doing this in my new shop.


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

That was one of the things I was thinking about, a heart attack or an aneurism or even a really bad splinter. I'm such a baby


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## DeputyDawg (Jul 18, 2007)

I have always been safety conscious and made up Triangle signs that say. BE SAFE THINK TWICE
I laid them out in a triangle with the BE SAFE In the top and THINK on the left side coming up from the bottom to the top And TWICE coming from the top just under the BE SAFE downward to the bottom. So the message is to
BE SAFE THINK TWICE. It take a micro millionth of a second to have a thought wave so take two.
My wife is handicapped so she is not able to respond so I have a RED Light that I can activate from the shop to turn on plus an a video intercom so she can see what I'm doing anytime she wants. 
I'm not able to go to the shop and take a nap but I just hope I don't ever have to use it. But it's nice to know when dinner is done.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

*Don*:

Interesting LINK


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

LOL Neil, if you cut off all ten of your fingers, you're probably not holding the board correctly…and it's probably too late to buy a Sawstop…


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## smndrummer (Dec 24, 2011)

"unless I was doing something stupid like using my neck as a push stick". HA! That made me laugh pretty hard. Funny thing is, when I was an EMT, it wouldn't surprise me when people did stuff like that. Unfortunately for me, I was conditioned by my grandpa Chuck to ignore most all injuries when I'm working around heavy equipment. He used to say "that splinter won't hurt as bad as losing your hand on the saw your operating" So, I usually don't even realize I'm bleeding until the wife yells at me for smearing blood on my shirt… or the countertops… or the cat. I do realize why she gets upset… My emergency plan involves my cell phone. It's usually playing music too, so I know right where to find it. I don't worry about heart attacks yet as I'm a young guy.
- Rich


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## DamnYankee (May 21, 2011)

I have an emergency plan to some degree. I have some combat first aid kits (I've been military for 27+) that are equipped with very large pressure bandages, stuff for eye injuries, and even sucking chest wounds around my shop (though with the difficulties I have finding one of the one thousand pencils I have in the shop, I'm not sure I could find the first aid kits). You do have me thinking now about how to let someone know to come help if say I am unable to get to either my cell (I'm usually playing music with it son not in my pocket) or the land line phone I have in my shop (cordless actually, but its the house phone).


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

So true Rich! The ER may be stressful, but never boring…you stop asking "why" after awhile.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

This is a valid concern. Since my shop is in the basement and my wife is usually upstairs, I assume I could yell out if necessary.

Last summer, my wife had to be away from home for several weeks. I was particularly worried about emergencies when she was gone. I made a point of keeping a cell phone in my pocket with the numbers of a couple of friends on the speed dial.


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

What about one of those wireless doorbells? They have range extenders, kind of make your own alert, could be just like my mom's Med-alert except only it only alert's the house, so if no one is home…. better have a cell phone. My sister in law used to use one to get my brothers attention when he was down in his basement workshop.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I spend a lot of time ensuring our jobsites at work have a response plan, mine in my own shop is a little weak…

Shop is in the loft of the barn, so about 800 feet from the house. I do have a phone wired in, as well as a cordless with an intercom system, complete first aid kit (enough for 12 people), blanket, fire extinguisher, and bandaids at both ends of the shop.

Still, as you say, if something happened to me, I would probably miss dinner too.
My wife might check on me after a few hours, might be too late by then.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I have my cell phone with speed dial and a fire extinguisher at the door.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

First aid kit in the shop. Fire extinguishers….

Um you just cut yourself in half with a saw, well you really weren't being careful then, were you?
You cut off all 10 fingers? Probably shoulda stopped faster lol.

In reality though, most shop injuries will not incapacitate you, just make you bleed alot. Unless you pass out at the sight of blood or go into shock really easily.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Even aneurisms and heart attacks have warning signs. If you don't feel good, listen to your body and get some help. 1+ on fire extinguishers and first aid kits. 
If I am working on a ladder my wife always worries. She will hear a bang, and come out to see if I am okay. I always tell her "Be worried if I stop making noise."


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I wear my Bluetooth single ear-hook and have voice speed dial with a single button push (that could be a finger, knuckle, corner of the table, etc.). I also have two extinguishers, one at the door and one at the far end of the shop.

I am thinking about adding a loose hanging tourniquet at an easy location to get to. One never knows if you have only seconds to respond before passing out. Have not done that yet, but really cannot think of a reason not to.


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## ScottN (Jan 24, 2011)

What if you accidentally cut off all your limbs…and nose? Then what?


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

When I was home farming with my dad I had an accident in a filed that was 4 miles from home. I was loading the harrows onto back of implement, ONE bounced BACK as I threw ui up onto the equipment, the Tooth WENT THREW my hand ! I got onto the tractor, drove 4 miles home, showed them what happened then passed OUT when mom poured peroxide on the wound to clean it.
What I am saying a person is capable of doing some heroic things while in shock. 
I have no emergency plan ! (My shop is 15 ft from house.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Waht about keeping one of those air horns in the shop. "Honey if you hear this .. ERRRRRRR … dial 911 and come a runnin"


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## Pdub (Sep 10, 2009)

My shop is detached and in the back yard. I keep my cell in my pocket and house # is on speed dial. That's how they contact me when they are too busy (secret word for lazy) or its too cold to walk out to the shop. It works pretty good unless I am leaning against a running tool and can't feel it vibrate.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

Good topic. Ever since I got knocked on my ass from kick back on the TS I initiated a cell phone policy in the shop.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

When I poured the cement for the garage floor I made it slop toward the door to the house. So if I cut off an arm the blood will run under the door into the kitchen and my wife will see it. It may not be the best plan, but at least it's a plan…

(The greatest woodworking show mankind has ever known is now online!)


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

StumpyNubs,
That "Plan" will only work if you are a Hemophiliac or on blood thinners…..


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

I Googled "wireless intercoms" and most need a shared electrical outlet, not an option. The others I saw the user rating said the voice quality was crap. I guess voice quality wouldn't matter much if I was lying on the floor SCREAMING.


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## woodsmithshop (Sep 10, 2008)

my shop is metal siding, my cell phone won't work in the shop.


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

TC, I'm squeamish and the sight of blood, particularly mine, makes me pass out. I guess I'm a goner unless it flows under the door and someone sees it.


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

woodsmith, You're screwed, dude.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

Don't tell the wife that stumpy, if you do cut off an arm, she'll know you got blood on her kitchen floor on purpose…


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I think a video system with a monitor in the house might do the job.


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## BilltheDiver (Jul 2, 2010)

I like the air horn idea!


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

Two full time 24 hour a day nurses on station in the house next door less than 50 meters away. All I have to do is alert them. That might be a problem given the right set of circumstances. Makes me think, "What would I do?"

Thought provoking topic, I like it.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

Sometimes when I'm running the CNC on something that will take a while I point a video baby monitor at it and I watch it from the house. Maybe you can do something like that?


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Never clean you shop completely up.
I'm not in the best of health. I fell once in the shop. My cell phone was on a table I couldn't reach. I couldn't get up or try to crawl because I was hurting too bad if I moved much. That's when I figured it out. Wood scraps make good pillows if you have nothing else. I lay there long enough that I dozed off. I was sleeping pretty good when my wife came to check on me.


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## 228861 (Feb 23, 2009)

Well what if she's color blind? she might think you spilled paint.--I cut the tips off two fingers on the joiner and it didn't even hurt,so i yelled at one of my coworkers at which time he started freeking out,so I said just said calm down and take me to the hospital. then I said "How am I gonna play my guitar with that!-So I sold the guitar for 3500 and bought a HAPFO AP 5000 COPY LATHE. -move on!


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## rum (Apr 28, 2011)

Hah, now you're making me all paranoid. My shop is currently an attached garage so I suppose its scream really loud.. the insulation is decent though so it may be problematic… Hmm…

Art - I like your style!.

canadianchips: you're on it ranching/farming is way more dangerous. When I was a kid I stepped on a nail all the way through the top of my foot. Was wearing gumboots and squish squish squisshed my way (about a 1/4 mile) back up to the house


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## Lynden (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm single and retired. I'm at home alone most of the time. I have a Gardian Alert pendant that I carry in my pocket. Push the button and it dials 911 directly-no base station, no call center and no monthly fees. There is also a Freedom Alert pendant which has more calling options before defalting to 911.

https://www.guardianalert-911.com/

https://www.freedomalert-911.com/


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## wolflrv (Nov 28, 2011)

Sorry guys..but the only thing i can think of while reading this thread is monty python…"It's only a flesh wound!







!

Seriously though…I carry the cell phone, first aid kits, fire extinguisher and think safety and more safety in every area of the shop. Although I haven't had any major injuries in the shop itself, I did take a bad tumble down the icy deck steps heading to the shop. Wife was in the house and didn't hear me hollerin' at all. Cell phone got her out there in a hurry. New rubber skid mats installed on deck and steps the same day. I also don't usually get on ladders without a spotter anymore…too old and bad knees make for danger on ladders…I have a younger guy I hire to do some things now…no use getting stupid and hurt bad.


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

wolflrv,
I was thinking the same thing!

Reading this thread has me thinking, I'm only prepared for a fire. Any injury to myself and I'm screwed. I suppose humans do regrow organically and a shop doesn't…


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