Had to file an accident report on myself today
 

So I was walking around the grid work (up high) on one of our stages today at about 9:00 Am regarding a pulley failure (40-50 year old pulley that nobody has used in decades, not a big deal). Anyway, lots of overhead stuff and I'm walking on steel catwalk that it is a grid, meaning that I can see down to the stage floor 80 feet below. I don't do it a lot, so I'm trying to not focus on looking down at the open grid work, and just walk. And while it's flagged I run my forehead right into a pipe flange. I hit it hard enough, it knocked me on my butt. I don't think I blacked out, but I'm not sure. I just remember a co-worker in my face saying "Hugh, are you OK, talk to me". I was with a few co-workers and they insisted on taking me to the Studio Medical Department. They checked me out and thought I was OK and released me.

At about noon, I was at El Pollo Loco having lunch and I got a really bad migrane on the same side of my head. I called the Boss and said I was feeling like crap and said I was going to go home for the afternoon. The Boss said "where are you right now". I told him and he said "Stay where you are, I'm sending someone over to pick you up". They sent two Teamsters over to pick me up and take me to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank. The doctor concluded that I was fine and suggested that I go home and rest. One Teamster drove me home in my car, with another Teamster who was in a follow vehicle to take them back to the studio. That was two hours ago. A contract RN called 15 minutes ago and is coming over to check on me at about 5PM.

Yeah, I work for one of those big, bad, uncaring companies called Disney.

To the thread title, I have to fill out an accident report on myself in the morning. Question # 3 "What would you do to avoid a similar incident". Watch where the eff I'm walking. Maybe recommend bump helmets.

Will you have to interview yourself?

I can see it now, sit on one side of a table and ask a question and go to the other side and answer the question.

I'm surprised a hard hat wasn't required. Whenever I wear a hard hat where bumping one's head is a possibility (like in a tunnel), I bump my head more often, since I can't see up beyond the hard hat visor very well. Of course, it doesn't hurt when I do bump my head, so it's OK.

i'm glad that you're ok.
the last time i read this sentence, "They sent two Teamsters over to pick me up..." the story had a much less happy ending for the protagonist.

I knocked myself out years ago....

I was inspecting the underside of a newly placed bridge deck, much of the form work, walers, hardware was still on the work platform beneath the deck...

I was all safed up... hard hat, etc...

It was also an area where you could not walk fully upright..

I stepped on a nail... the pain of which caused me to jump... to get off the nail....

Well I jumped full blast into the underside of he bridge deck...and then dropped like a sack of potatoes...

I too woke up to a co-worker asking "Tim, are you alright?"

A nasty puncture wound, a concussion, and a really stiff neck..... all in occurred in the span of a few seconds..

Since that event I have been on a mission to have the carpenters either bend a nail over in the scrap.... or remove it completely..

Foam padding on pipe. Remove pipe from walking area. "Danger Ahead" hanging tape on either side of pipe. Move catwalk. Don't let the safety guy up there. :)


Could have been worse you could have been knocked off the walkway. Glad your ok

Were two Teamsters cheaper than an ambulance?

Seems like they might have cost more.

Hollywood Teamsters Local 399 are not what you'd think of Teamsters. They understand that their next paycheck comes from a vibrant Hollywood economy. Most of them would bend over backwards to help someone.

Gearya

Overhead costs of the Studio. They get, in this case, paid anyway. I think an ambulance might have been $1,000, the Teamsters maybe a few hundred, and they get paid anyway whether transporting me home or just hanging around.

Glad you got checked out and are OK, Hugh.

I've banged my head many a time while walking and looking down - usually a low hanging Oak or Bay Tree limb. Man that smarts!!!

You also feel a little foolish but hey......it happens to the best of us!

Ya didn't hurt the pipe flange didja?

I hope your injury isn't too serious, Hugh. Hits to the noggin can be serious stuff.

I am glad you are ok. 80 feet is a long fall, glad that didn't happen.

Glad you're checking out ok Hugh. It's really cool that they looked out for you like that. I laughed out loud reading that last bit. Well played sir. :)

We had a rash of guys hitting themselves with a....post driver! Not sure how that happens but it was happening every week it seemed. Safety Flashes went out. Policies changed...because some guys don't know how to drive a fence post.


Anyone on that catwalk will now be required to wear a hard hat. Not saying anything bad against you, Hugh. Glad you're ok.

RN came by, said I'm fine. Tylenol. Thanks everyone, I feel kind of stupid.

I don't think that is how the safety officer is supposed to identify an unsafe situation. Did it leave a mark? Ice on your melon will help.
Now that there is funny.

Sorry to hear. Head injuries are never to be taken lightly. One thing I was thinking about; I know that you are a ball cap guy, which is smart in SoCal especially if you don't have hair on the top of the dome. My brother is balding and always wears a cap out in the sun. I should wear one more.

I do notice, though, that I bump my head more when I'm wearing a cap with a visor. Somehow it cuts enough of that *right above your face* field of vision out so that I walk into things. Maybe one suggestion for preventing accidents is for people to remove visor caps when walking on catwalks way up high?

Bump hats are cheap. We use baseball hats with plastic bump inserts. I think the inserts run about $5 each