ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area The Pains of Electrical Work

Print this for the next safety meeting... http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/ElectriciansErgo.pdf

Or this one: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/HandTools.pdf

There's more here: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/PubOrder.asp

Or, how about shooting yourself accidentally in the leg, while toting an S&W 45 Magnum in your toolbelt when you're working in a 'bad neighborhood'- see connected thread.....

I hope I'm not posting this too late to be of some help to the carpal tunnel sufferers out there, but here goes...

Being a professional guitar player for a number of years, I picked up a really helpful exercise to keep carpal tunnel at bay. The way I understand it, the condition develops when the muscles on one side of a "nerve tube" become stronger than on the other side (specifically when you are performing a repetive motion, such as twisting wire nuts or squeezing a pliers/strippers). This creates pressure on the tube, and in turn the nerve, which is that aching feeling too many of us are familiar with.

Here's what worked for me (and continues to work): On the hand most affected (Right hand for rightys, left for leftys), put all of your fingers together (including your thumb) like your going to make a shadow puppet dog. Now put a rubber band around all the fingers between the top and middle knuckels, then open your hand several times against the pressure of the rubber band. Start with a thin band, then increase the size (and therefor resistance) of the band over a few weeks time. I do this maybe once a day for a few minutes while playing on the computer or watching TV, or when I'm on a long highway drive.

The idea is that you build the muscles opposing the ones you use (and build) during the course of your job.

It worked for me as a guitarist, and it works for me now, even when I'm twisting wire nuts for 10 hours...

Hope this helps someone out there.

Please note: If you already have been diagnosed with CTS, might be a good idea to run this exercise past your doctor and see what he/she thinks before you start.

Good Luck!

You lost me on the shadow-pupet-dog. Can we get a picture of that?

Dave

IMO:

Nearly all "Legacy" Sparkies will complain of Back and/or Knee problems.
It's from the bending, kneeling and the awkward angles encountered when pulling / feeding.

People in their first to third years of Field work will complain of Feet, Legs, Arms and Wrist pains. Eventually they become "use to this" and the problems seem to go away.

When getting into more advanced rolls in the Field / Trade, then additional tolls take place - as mentioned by others in this thread.

Stress increases when taking on Management positions - such as Forepersons, Proj. Mgrs, Superintendents, and such.
This brings on the sleepless nights, the headaches, stomach problems, gray hair, and other fun stuff.

Since my own personal experiences have dealt with all aspects of the trade, I have these ailments:

• Back Pains - from lifting, bending, carrying, etc.,
• Knee Pains - from kneeling and "walking on knees",
• Foot Pains - from walking thousands of miles on the uneven and raunchy surfaces of the typical Construction site, along with working off Ladders for Hours and Hours,
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - from twisting Wirenuts, along with excessive Computer usage and Drawing by hand,
• Deteriorating Eye Sight - from working with HID Lighting, and from the stuff above - which causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
• Stress-Related issues - from doing Foreman, Stupid-visor, P.M., Engineer, Consultant and related tasks too long,
• Gray Hair - from thinking about the above items!
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Trying to make "Memory Jokes" too many times!

Although these ailments are so very crucial, I would not change the Career path at all!

Scott35

Dave:

My camera seems to be in a bad mood this morning. I'll start a new thread this week when I get a chance to get it working (i.e., buy batteries!).

If this helps, just put all of the tips of your fingers on that hand together, then put the rubber band around them, then open them up like an open tiger claw, then back to the original position. It's a lot less complicated than I'm making it seem.

Hope that helps!