Learn from our stupidity!

[Dutch guy]

If you sharpen all the knives at work on Thursday night instead of the normal firday, make sure everyone knows you did so.

I worked in a convention center kitchen and the knives would naturally dull over the week because we used them A LOT. The Sues Chef would spend a few hours after shut down Friday night sharpening them all so monday we were all prepared for the fresh edges. He took a three day weekend and two people went to the ER.

Let me guess, no training in knife safety? Even with a "suddenly sharp" blade, how do you get yourself in the ER???

[empath]

Yeah, that comes down to the #1 issue regarding workplace safety:

COMMUNICATION

If you sharpen all the knives at work on Thursday night instead of the normal firday, make sure everyone knows you did so.

Is there a hazard? TELL EVERYONE. Spill some water on the floor? Tell your co-workers and then go get a mop to clean it up. Is a piece of equipment broken? Tell the shift relieving you. et cetera

Let me guess, no training in knife safety?

Even training doesn't prevent lax, complacent human nature from causing problems.

Even with a "suddenly sharp" blade, how do you get yourself in the ER???

You said it yourself - if you expect the blade to be dull, you'll use more force to get the same results. And if the blade is sharp and you're putting all that power behind it...well, an analogy from driving would be 'oversteer'.

I'm more worried about TWO people going, unless the injuries happened simultaneously (or the second didn't hear about the first).

But all that becomes less likely when you get one of THESE on your 'off hand':


Kevlar™ in those, although the one I got mentioned stainless steel worked into the yarn along with "several high-tech formulated compounds" (guess they just didn't wanna pay DuPont for the licensing)

[Lord Hosk]

The first guy was right away in the morning prepping breakfast, the second was just after lunch and no one thought to tell the guy who came in to replace guy in hospital WHY he went to the hospital. Which I suppose was their fault. I was working a carving station so I couldn't tell him.

[Dutch guy]

You said it yourself - if you expect the blade to be dull, you'll use more force to get the same results. And if the blade is sharp and you're putting all that power behind it...well, an analogy from driving would be 'oversteer'.

My point is that if you EXPECT a knife to be dull, your an idiot. It's a knife! They are intended to be sharp. If it turns out to be dull WHEN CUTTING, then use more force at that point. Never just assume you need to put your weight behind it. (And even better, feel the edge before you start cutting. The edge on a used knife is never evenly dulled. It'll have sharp spots and dull spots (often duller nearer the point.)

[MotorWaffle]

If you are vertically gifted and are on a pull-down triceps machine, make sure your hair is well away from any moving parts.

[Wraith]

Americans:

You always have to have insurance for every car you own. Always. Even if you're not driving it. Know what happens if you don't? If you let it lapse for three freaking weeks?

You get to pay the DMV $500.00 to avoid losing your license.


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This message brought to you by the "Learn From Our Stupidity" thread. We experience crappy things, so you don't have to.

[beramode0]

if you ate something spicy and you are a dude go empty your bladder AFTER you've washed your hands THOROUGHLY. Your (insert you name here) Jr. will thank you.

[tamaness]

Use nitrile gloves when dealing with peppers, fresh ginger, or fresh mint (all three have oils in them that burn, especially when applied to sensitive areas, even in minute quantities). Throw them away when done. Ask your medical-career friend (most people know one) to show you how to properly remove gloves without contaminating your hands. There will be less washing required later.

[tanatoes]

Never put your contacts in immediately after petting your cat.

[Dutch guy]

Or, after the experience of one of my former roommates.

NEVER, EVER put your contacts in after handling peppers! (yeah... this incident involved a trip to the ER)

[empath]

Not my stupidity, but...

Remember that ANYTHING you put out onto the Internet CAN BE TRACED ALL THE WAY BACK TO YOU, given enough effort; proxies can be hacked and logs accessed, IPs can be run down.

In most cases it's a) not something you mind being associated with, or 2) not worth the work to trace you, but...

Always remember that you are never TRULY anonymous on the Internet.

[Ptangmatik]

Wear GOOD running trainers when you run. My dad used to wear old trainers with good insoles and now he has serious trouble with his knees

[MatParker116]

When replacing a potwasher who is ill. Be careful what your colleagues place into the sink as knifes are sharp and will happily lacerate your hand.

[EikoandMog]

Use nitrile gloves when dealing with peppers, fresh ginger, or fresh mint (all three have oils in them that burn, especially when applied to sensitive areas, even in minute quantities). Throw them away when done. Ask your medical-career friend (most people know one) to show you how to properly remove gloves without contaminating your hands. There will be less washing required later.

Or just ask a Chemistry student.

Speaking of which, do NOT leave two assignments until the day before. You'll get neither of them done in time.

[Lord Hosk]

So I was having some trouble getting rid of some kinda program that was just eating my ram. (had to reboot every 3 hours or so) so I spent all day doing a back up of all my files. I install the basics, none-IE browser, none-M.S. video player, None-MS audio player...

Open the web browser... without any bookmarks

How am I suppose to browse the web without the purple Y, the blue F, the wizards logo, the smiley bear the blue on blue arrow...

Make sure to save your bookmarks!

[Ptangmatik]

NEVER assume that a hob is switched off, always at least make a quick visual check of the controls. I lost 3 fingerprints for a while when I leaned on one talking to my brother

[Wraith]

So I was having some trouble getting rid of some kinda program that was just eating my ram. (had to reboot every 3 hours or so) so I spent all day doing a back up of all my files. I install the basics, none-IE browser, none-M.S. video player, None-MS audio player...

Open the web browser... without any bookmarks

How am I suppose to browse the web without the purple Y, the blue F, the wizards logo, the smiley bear the blue on blue arrow...

Make sure to save your bookmarks!

What non-IE browser are you using? Chrome has bookmark sync. You add your Google account and your bookmarks automatically back up to it and synchronize to any other computer you put Chrome on.

[Keab42]

FF has something similar now as well...

[Mowinckel]

It turns out that non-stupid people, when starting the learn to juggle knives, start with dull ones.
Cowards... and the scars look good on me.

[tanatoes]

One from my wife: When you realize that you turned on the wrong burner on your electric stove and have mistakenly been heating an empty plate instead of your skillet do NOT simply try to move that plate with your bare hand.

[Wraith]

It turns out that non-stupid people, when starting the learn to juggle knives, start with dull ones.
Cowards... and the scars look good on me.

Rubber knives?

[Ptangmatik]

When trying to create props out of plastic toys, use a stanley knife for precision, not a pruning saw. If you forgot to plan and a pruning saw is the only sharp object you can lay your hands on, GIVE UP rather than make the prop. For reference, this is similar to what the one I found:


one tooth went deep enough into my hand to leave a short but broad scar

Looking at the back of my hands reminds me of another: When your friend goes, "Oh God!" and you respond,
"What happened?"
"Oh hell, I just hit this punching bag and that hard plastic bit took the skin off the back of my fricking hand!"

This is NOT the moment to indulge your scientific curiosity.


My hands are a fucking mess. It's weird to think of all the shit I do to them, but then my hands are the things I do stuff with.

[MinniChi]

When working with molten suger, make sure you A) have a glass of cold water next to you at all times, or B) work next to your sink that has cold running water.
Molten sugar is the Napalm of the kitchen.

Also, when trying to lift something stuck to your cutting board, don't run your super sharp knife underneath and keep your other hand on the counter next to your cutting board.

[beramode0]

While assembling something, do not try to force the pieces together. They often make it so that the pieces fit nicely without the use of force, so if you are using all your strength to put a piece in it means you are using a wrong piece, and that you are going to break it. However, if you are building something from IKEA it IS supposed to not fit together like the piece of s*** it is.

[Geoff_B]

Could you please send that missive to Bandai? I've had one or two Gundam kits that got stretched to breaking point due to pieces not quite fitting together.

Also on that subject, when un-bagging the sprues make sure there are no pieces that have fallen off and are sitting at the bottom of the bag. I threw the bags away immediately as I had no further use for them before finding out later on that some of the pieces had indeed fallen off. One of which should have been used at the first step on the first page, and I was now over halfway through. Cue frantic carefully trying to separate every piece all the way back to the start. I managed it but one of the pieces snapped. Cue plastic cement to put it back together.

TL:DR check everything BEFORE starting!