Hand Injuries Cancel The title field is required!

1. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   5/9/2013 3:05 PM

   I have a situation that an employee gotten injured on the job. Without giving to many details on the forum, my question is , Has anyone including you or your employees have their hand/thumb/ fingers injured from a steering wheel on a vehicle? The employee swerved to avoid a collision with distracted golfers coming at him. In doing so, the employee's vehicle right front tire struck a solid object, thus spinning the wheel.
   
   Tell me this has happened to someone else?

   
   
   
   
2. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   5/9/2013 3:05 PM

   I've never had an injury but I have seen the steering wheel spin very fast where it could have injured a hand had it not been removed from the wheel. The front wheels can get caught and turn the steering wheel very violently.

   
   
   
   
3. Keith Pegg

   

   0 posts
   
   5/9/2013 4:05 PM

   52 years in the business and have never seen that?
   
   Keith

   
   
   
   
4. Jack Tripp

   

   3 posts
   
   5/9/2013 4:05 PM

   Run into a curb at high speed with one wheel and if you only have one hand the steering wheel it is going to jerk or spin the steering wheel very quickly.

   
   
   
   
5. Richard Lavine

   

   3 posts
   
   5/9/2013 5:05 PM

   I know of this happening to someone many years ago. I've also had the wheel ripped from my hand as it spun, so yes, it can and does happen.

   
   
   
   
6. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   5/9/2013 5:05 PM

   I saw a beverage cart operator get beat up pretty good in that circumstance one time. I've had some near misses myself

   
   
   
   
7. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   5/10/2013 7:05 AM

   I have had bruises not from carts but from tractors doing construction work when the tire would hit a clump or go into a groove. It happens fast and is why insurance companies do not recomend knobs on sterring wheels anymore.
   
   A proper two handed grip on the steering wheel helps prevent injuries because your hands are in a position to get out of the way faster but we get careless over time.

   
   
   
   
8. Donald Szymkowicz

   

   0 posts
   
   5/10/2013 7:05 AM

   I did it to myself, looking around instead of where I was going. Just nicked a trunk of a tree and it spun the wheel. Just a sprain and learned not have thumbs inside the grip.

   
   
   
   
9. Fleegel Timothy

   
   5/10/2013 9:05 AM

   Happened to me a few years ago. Never went to get it checked out, but it was sore for a while.

   
   
   
   
10. Ronald Conard

    

    4 posts
    
    5/10/2013 11:05 AM

    The 'necks here know enough about this that when mud bogging they keep their thumbs to the outside of the steering wheel.
    
    Absolutely it can happen.

    
    
    
    
11. Kenneth Ingram

    

    18 posts
    
    5/10/2013 3:05 PM

    Happened to our campus irrigation tech last year. Great guy, super employee, no kid- 50's, used to work for a golf course irrigation installer, been driving equipment for 30 years. Moving over for pedestrians and the club car front right tire rubbed a brick wall, spun the steering wheel and broke his wrist. 911 call and everything, surgery, etc. It can happen innocently enough. Kenneth Ingram, UMD.

    
    
    
    
12. Sandy Clark

    

    0 posts
    
    5/10/2013 4:05 PM

    Something like that happened to one of our beverage cart girls a couple of years ago. Pretty sure she was on her cell phone or texting when she hit a curb. She was in a cast and then a brace for several weeks.

    
    
    
    
13. James Smith

    

    112 posts
    
    6/17/2013 12:06 PM

    As others have stated it can and does happen. Odd how we are never taught the proper way to use a steering wheel though.
    
    On the same subject but off base
    How many on here know that when driving a car you are supposed to turn the wheel with both hands while they never cross the wheel. in other words, your left may not go any higher then 11 oclock or lower then 7 oclock whith the right staying between the 1 oclock and 5 oclock positions. I saw this on a tv show one day and the reason this is in due to todays vehicles having airbags in the steering wheel. if your arm is outside of these areas when the airbag is set off it will most likely cause your arm or hand to be forced into your face breaking either your nose or facial bones and possibly your arm or wrist.
    
    Many of times I have simply turned with one hand on the wheel not ever thinking about what would happen if someone ran into me while turning. the object is to keep your arm from getting hit by the air bag if it does go off.

    
    
    
    
14. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    6/17/2013 1:06 PM

    James Smith said: As others have stated it can and does happen. Odd how we are never taught the proper way to use a steering wheel though.
    
    On the same subject but off base
    How many on here know that when driving a car you are supposed to turn the wheel with both hands while they never cross the wheel. in other words, your left may not go any higher then 11 oclock or lower then 7 oclock whith the right staying between the 1 oclock and 5 oclock positions. I saw this on a tv show one day and the reason this is in due to todays vehicles having airbags in the steering wheel. if your arm is outside of these areas when the airbag is set off it will most likely cause your arm or hand to be forced into your face breaking either your nose or facial bones and possibly your arm or wrist.
    
    Many of times I have simply turned with one hand on the wheel not ever thinking about what would happen if someone ran into me while turning. the object is to keep your arm from getting hit by the air bag if it does go off.

    
    
    We learned this from our son who just got his license and took drivers ed last summer. It's all 3 and 9 o'clock, not 10 and 2. It's about the only thing I think he learned, my hair is getting grayer by the minute, at least he has gone 17 days without an accident. It is kind of nice not having to go pick him up at band practice, although the time spent worrying.....now I know what I did to my parents.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
15. Larry Allan

    

    0 posts
    
    6/18/2013 4:06 AM

    My boy is doing it to me as well Mel, but he's on a motorcycle so even more scary. At least he is riding a three wheeler

    
    
    
    
16. Timothy Walker

    

    0 posts
    
    6/18/2013 3:06 PM

    Larry Allan said: My boy is doing it to me as well Mel, but he's on a motorcycle so even more scary. At least he is riding a three wheeler

    
    
    I heard teddy z got hurt on a tricycle once

    
    
    
    
17. Larry Allan

    

    0 posts
    
    6/18/2013 4:06 PM

    What's even worse is it had training wheels
    I wonder what ever happened to the lad?

    
    
    
    
18. Timothy Walker

    

    0 posts
    
    6/19/2013 4:06 PM

    He's pasturing in Pennsylvania on a 4 wheeler with pads on the side in case he falls off haha! Since I've moved to NY I havent heard from teddy. He got a raw deal from the local Jacobsen dealer and disappeared after that.
    
    Hope all is well up north.

    
    
    
    
19. Curtis Nickerson

    

    0 posts
    
    6/22/2013 3:06 PM

    Years ago me and a buddy were playing NASCAR racing toward the cart barn (rubbings racing) long story short his front tire caught the corner of the door spun the wheel breaking his thumb and tore a bunch of tendons and ligaments.... So yes it happens

    
    
    
    
20. Douglas Eggert

    

    1 posts
    
    6/24/2013 2:06 PM

    FYI:
    
    Injured employee came back to work last week at 100%. 45 days after initial injury. 22 stitches.
    
    No restrictions.

    
    
    
    
21. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    6/24/2013 2:06 PM

    Douglas would that be normal for your employer? Glad they are back and hopefully no problems down the road.
    
    I know here with our employer, they will have them come back on restricted duty and they or we have to find something else for them to do.
    
    When I worked for a county in NJ they couldn't come back unless they were 100% with no restrictions.
    
    I can see the benefit of both, but we had a guy in NJ break a wrist playing softball, wasn't workman's comp, but we couldn't let him work until the doctor released him. We would have liked him there even just to mow green banks, but there was a fairness issue partly, and they probably worried that he could claim an issue down the road if he wasn't fully released, if he couldn't change cups he couldn't come back. Funny thing was we never had him change cups. His wife was the maddest of all, at him, he had to burn 6 weeks of sick time.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
22. Douglas Eggert

    

    1 posts
    
    6/24/2013 7:06 PM

    He came back about day 30, light duty. Biggest issue was the area that the injured area was slow to close due to opening and closing motion of the hand.
    
    The feeling of touch and sensation returned about day 20. 100% flex action and strength returned with therapy around day 30.
    
    We do have a requirement of light duty if the work allows per park policy. Dr approval is required.
    
    Freak accident.....