This time of year I always remember one particular customer who left me with a very lasting memory. A few years ago I happened to be at our order desk between Christmas and New Years and a customer who I did not recognize came into our show room. He was a well dressed older gentleman who approached the counter and asked for my help. “I was wondering if you could sharpen these router bits for me” he asked, I said “not a problem”. He then handed them across the counter and I noticed that under his winter trench coat his right hand and arm were completely bandaged and his arm was in a sling. I could see that any movement was uncomfortable for him and even his voice was cracked with an occasional jab of pain. “My goodness “ I said , “ what did you do to yourself??”. He took a breath and then told me what had happened.
“ It was Christmas Eve and I was having a small reception for my staff before they went home to enjoy their holiday. After they had left and I was just about to leave myself but the phone rang and it was one of my customers. He was in a panic about one particular job that we had been working on . His customer had changed the requirement and really needed it it as fast as he could get it. I went out to my shop to check on it and noticed that it only needed a small bit of work and we could take care of him. Not wanting to bother any of my staff who were either at home or going home, I decided to finish it myself. It had been years since I had run any of the machines but thought how hard could it be even after all these years. I was using a hand router to do a very simple corner relief on the piece and it would be done and ready. I picked up the router, turned it on, and placed it down on the piece. I suppose that being somewhat out of practice, I put it down the wrong way and it grabbed the piece and then the router ( all 18000rpm of it) flipped up out of my hands and came back down, still spinning, and proceeded to run its way from my hand up my arm. In one instant I was doing something so minuscule that turned into an emergency trip to the hospital. I have major tendon and nerve damage and will require months of physio.”
Then he said something that I will never forget .
”You know what the worst part of this was – Having to tell my wife to come to the emergency department and explain what I had done!!!”
In the tool business we make our living sharpening and making new tools but seeing this man, just trying to take care of his customers, made me stop and think about just how fast an accident can occur and how innocent it can all seem – just before it happens. I hope this story will stay with you, to, never forget that your own safety is more important than any job will ever be.
