Perhaps we should have an interesting DIY injuries section?

foxhole said:

Stepped up onto a short footstool, but forgot I had installed a shelf near ceiling and hit it on the way up, compressed spine, instant paralysis, though the tin of paint landed right side up and brush on my chest so made no mess. Took four paramedics to get me down stairs.

Click to expand...

Pick some lottery numbers for me please!

Agree angle grinders are lethal.. had a 4inch one gauge a channel in my knuckle once - still have the scar!

The most serious injury I picked up building my current house was using a sliding compound mitre saw.. I'd brought the blade down with the saw slid forward, but needed to pull it backwards slightly to finish this particular cut (it couldn't be done the other way round. I wasn't quite looking at the leading edge of the cut and backed the blade into the end of my thumb where I was gripping the workpiece, cutting an nice clean notch into the nail and bed. It's healed and gone now, but I was most upset that this was the first hour of the first day of a week I'd taken off work specifically to complete some aspects of the house. On site first aid options were limited, I stuck a plaster on it and changed my glove then went to the pharmacy on the way home to get some iodine and non stick dressings. The doc next day cautioned to use iodine for the minimum time as it can hinder healing despite being a good antiseptic, so it pretty much became a "put a plaster on it" job.

Fortunately I'd just changed the blade and had only been cutting relatively clean things, so it was a good neat cut that didn't get infected.. Could have been much worse and I was glad I was only pulling the saw slowly!

After 3 days: