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Posted By: e57 Some of the old timers might call this lazy! - 06/19/04 12:35 AM
It's Ergonomics for the Electrical Trade, from Cal/OSHA. Scroll down, to spot the guy sitting on the bucket. I preffer a rolling office chair myself!

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/ElectriciansErgo.pdf



[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 06-18-2004).]
I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the drawings of the construction worker doing warm-up exercises: Can you imagine going to work at 6 AM and finding the whole crew standing out there in the mud doing hip stretches? [Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Joking aside, I've heard tons and tons of stories from guys who've severly damaged their back in this trade. Even if I do nothing else, I remember to lift with my legs.

-John
I'm one of those guys, had major back surgery. I fell off of a ladder. It was a 2 day surgery, 4 incisions front to back. Now I sport lots of titanium hardware, rods, screws, cages and a fused spine. I was off work for four years. Now I take loads of pain killers, muscle relaxors, anti-depressants, nerve meds and steroids. The doctor says hold out as long as you can before the next surgery. Take care of yourselves and don't rush!!
Posted By: e57 Re: Some of the old timers might call this lazy! - 06/19/04 07:33 AM
Delectric- I threw a serious topic up in joking way. Maybe a bad move. I try to keep a light heart about things, and sometimes they come out the wrong way.

I've had a few falls myself, and have been fortunate enough not to have had major surgery. Although, I wake up in pain in the middle of the night sometimes. Got to crawl around on the floor until the pain goes away, then try to go back to sleep a few hours later. The fall that got me, was from someone knocking the 4' ladder I was on. I came down on my back, on the window sill. Rolled out, then down to the scaffold the next floor down, where a plasterer grabbed me. If he hadn't, I would have tumbled through the next 4 floors of scaffolding! My bags emptied out, and my hammer hit a woman in the shoulder on the sidewalk below.

The link was from a safety class I gave from the "office chair" today. My boss HATES it! It shows up on jobs where I'll be there for a while. I use it when I have to do alot of plug work. And, when I'm not using it, I let the guys use it. I screwed a tool pouch, and coffee cup holder to it. When I can, I put most of my tools on a cart. I have a pouch mounted to my 6' too. I can't wear bags anymore! The only tools I carry on person are a tape, voltick, a ten in one screw driver, and some light-wieght Knipex lineman's. Everything else is too heavy. As for "rushing", I don't speak that language anymore! [Linked Image]

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"Can you imagine going to work at 6 AM and finding the whole crew standing out there in the mud doing hip stretches?"

While stationed, in Japan, while I was in the Marines. There were alot of Job Sites run by the locals, on Base. And, every morning they would do just that! They would stand in a formation, run through stretches, Ti Chi, etc. with amplified mood music, and a guy leading it on a bull horn. I kid you not! At the time it was real funny, cause we'd be doing the same thing Marine style across the street.
Another interesting thing, they could throw up a 4 story, 40,000 sq' building, start to finish in three months! These weren't cheap buildings either, DOD Spec. military barracks. Saw them do apt. buildings all around town the same way. The way they do it, is they show up with an army of guys. 5 times more than you would see in the states. Imagine showing up for a job with 50 Electricians.



[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 06-19-2004).]
I agree the warm up exercises were a bit funny, but due to my own back problems I stretch my back every morning to avoid more pain.

I'm 35 years old and I can't work in the field for more than a day without throwing my back out. When I do work in the field, my right knee pops every time I stand up from kneeling to a receptacle. My neck and shoulders have sharp pains from working overhead. I'm not trying to gain pity from anyone, but hopefully warn others that you need to be careful, especially when lifting heavy objects. I used to never ask for help, I preferred to look like superman carrying items other couldn't. Now I feel like a super idiot for doing so.

[This message has been edited by Electric Eagle (edited 06-19-2004).]
I also agree with the warm up excercise I am 61 still in contracting love it!. If you go to China the first thing you see in the morning is thousands of people of all ages and sex warming up in the street at 6.00am preparing for work. Preparing for the day ahead. Sports people do it before they go on the field so why do we as trades people just get straight out of bed and drve 50 or 100 miles and start work with nothing more than a cigy or a cup of coffee?
The CalOSHA Jobsite Yoga pamphlet and pdf are expected to be out soon.




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 06-19-2004).]
i have friend who believes in expercise...his excercise is going to funerals, and hospitals to visit his friends and or families of those that do exercise....
I don't think I'd be laugh-free watching a bunch of nail bangers with hard hats and nail pouches doing Tai Chi in the front yard, but I'm with Electric Eagle on this one - I do my own stretches before work so I can function through the day, and more importantly so I don't "lock up" when I slow down in the evening.

I might participate if they had one of those -s-w-i-m-s-u-i-t- err, uh "fitness professionals" from TV in the skimpy outfits leading the pack! [Linked Image]
Morning warm-up exercises have become mandatory on big industrial construction sites in Alberta over the past year.

Everybody does about 10 minutes of warm-up in the morning, then it's recommended they be done throughout the day after coffee and lunch breaks.

Yes, it does look funny to see some tub-o'-guts crane driver trying to touch his toes for the first time in 20 years, but nobody cuts him any slack. Drive around the site I'm on at 8 in the morning and you'll see 4500 tradespeople, all doing warm-ups. A scene to behold it is.

Regards,
Brian
Hey e57, I know you were just kidding around. I was just saying how easy it is to get hurt and in the dumbest ways. Seriously though be careful.
Posted By: e57 Re: Some of the old timers might call this lazy! - 06/22/04 11:49 PM
It seems I'm at my dumbest on friday afternoons. Long standing joke with myself... "How do I know it's friday? I lopped off a limb, or stuck a screwdriver though my own palm." I say that to myself, as I go for the napkin and some phase tape, as quick bandaid.
Dont laugh , Im currently on 2 projects that the GC makes everyone do streching before they can report to their floor. I see more and more of it. Its getting to the point that its going to be added to my estimates.
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