Hector Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 This comes under the heading "Some things we learn from experience we would rather not know". Our riding lawn mower-tractor has a lead-acid battery (like cars) for electric starting. The battery got old and went dead. I bought a new battery. I installed it in the tractor. As a final step I wanted to check the fluid level. I removed the two plastic caps (each one covers three cells), looked at the fluid, it was OK. I put the two caps back on. But pushing them down with my fingers didn't seat them all the way down. Here is where I made the mistake. I tapped the caps down with the handle of a screwdriver, while leaning over and looking at them. Wooops. My eyes start to sting bigtime. I had gotten a fine mist of battery acid into my eyes as I did the tapping down. As soon as the pain started in my eyes I ran into the kitchen where the sink has a spray nozzle. I turned on the water and started spraying it into my eyes. Within about 30 seconds the pain quit. I continued to spray the water into my eyes for 10 minutes. My eyes felt OK, no pain, and I could see okay. I figured that I had not gotten much acid into my eyes and I had started spraying the water very quickly, within 10 seconds of getting the acid in. I phoned my eye doctor and told him about this. He said that if I had done any damage to the eyes then they would still hurt a lot. He said I was very likely okay, but if I had any pain the next morning (now) then phone them and come into the office. I have no pain now, so I won't need to do that. Moral to this story: ALWAYS wear protective goggles when working around lead-acid batteries. If I had done that I would not have gotten acid in my eyes. I knew this rule, but I got careless. I won't get careless again when working around batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Oh, Hector, I am so glad you are ok! Yeah, we all do those silly things when we ought to know better! Usually they aren't devistating and we are just given a wake up call to be careful next time! Good thing you reacted so quickly! Again, glad the "peepers" are okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Yikes! Hector, so glad you're all right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Oh yikes. Yeah, that's one of those things we do and then think, "Why the heck did I do that?!" I'm very glad you're okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miztiki Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Let me add my yikes! Really glad you're ok. Eyes are so important! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 A guy I used to work with had a little saying that covers my acid-in-eyes situation: "WHEN YOUR HEAD IS DUMB YOUR WHOLE BODY SUFFERS!" In this case my head was dumb and my eyes suffered. I knew right away that I had goofed. And I usually try to be careful. Duhhhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordi44 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Glad to hear you're ok. You're not the only one that has done "dumb" things. Last summer, my family forget to tell me we were having a contest to see who could do the most damage in the stupidest way. I was using 2 pans as a double boiler to pasteurize milk (what makes this even worse is, I have a double boiler, but I was trying to save time this way because the db wasn't big enough). Well, of course the pans got stuck, and after dumping the milk, stupid me, I tried to force them apart. When I got the merest opening, it blew up in my face. Steam/boiling water went clear to the ceiling (saw this afterwards). It was an instant "I did it good this time" moments - and I too hit the sprayer on the sink. My eyes turned out ok, but I ended up with bad burns on my face and around my collar bone - I had on a ball cap which I credit for saving my eyes from real damage. Oh well, live and learn I guess. That summer, my brother put a 4" nail through his hand with an autmatic nailing gun (didn't know it until his hand wouldn't move - he'd nailed it to the deck he was working on); my sis-in-laws son cut a finger badly by using a serrated knife to cut off the last bit of watermelon from the rind (seemed reasonable to me); my mother-in-law broke her foot and had trouble all summer with it (she never fessed up as to how). So just be glad it wasn't serious and now you can "laugh" about how stupid you were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Ramsay Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Glad to hear you are OK... I am always looking at motorcycle batteries, and YES, I often do it without eye protection on! I would have never thought about that little spray so I am super glad you mentioned it. Hopefully I will avoid the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth G Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Whoa be careful there Hector. So glad that you are ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Jeez, Hector! Scary! - but good work on the quick thinking so as to avoid serious injury. The worst part would be you couldn't be all over the boards talking to US lot! Very glad you don't need a corneal transplant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 AK dog doc -- In the past I had not seen much use for a spray nozzle on a kitchen faucet. We bought our current house 16 months ago and the kitchen faucet already had the spray nozzle on it. After yesterday's acid incident I really appreciate having that nozzle. It made eye washing ever so much easier. I think I will always have a spray nozzle on the kitchen faucet in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coloradogirl Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Another dumb thing not to do and a lesson well learned by me is. NEVER EVER have Cepacol throat spray and baby oil spray on your night stand next to each other. OOOHHH ANNNNDDDDD Never double your bread recipe and put it in the bread machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 I would advise: Never come in the door carrying a cat on your shoulder when your dog can jump as high as the cat's bottom. If you do, make sure cat's toenails have been cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Owen Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 And I would advise always tell your hubby when your working with two people not one so when he comes into the shop to see you he doesnt grope the wrong persons behind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy525 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Hector, so glad you are ok. Credit your quick thinking for sure! As to the safety rules: got a million, but has anyone ever read Officer Buckle and Gloria? It is a GREAT childrens' book for anyone who loves rules and dogs, or hates rules but loves dogs!! Here's one more: If you hear your sink running over, never run in to turn the water off. WALK carefully. (speaking from experience and my painful you-know-what!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Tammy, I LOVE Officer Buckle and Gloria! We went through two copies of it. My boys would insist that I read all of the safety Post-It notes so it could take us 30 minutes just to get through it. I remember a couple of their particular favorites: -Never bother a big dog while he's eating. -Never put a banana in your ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Glad to hear you didn't suffer any long lasting effects. I am always wearing some type of safety glasses around here. My favourite sunglasses are safety glasses and I bought a real trendy pair of clear safety glasses for those dull days (and riding my bicycle - no bugs in the eyes that way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Oh, been there, done that. Well, not exactly that, but close. I was taking some groundwater samples one very hot day along a busy road. The groundwater sample vials we were using were 40ml and preserved with HCL acid. For some stupid reason (I did know better ) I had the vial close to my face as I was opening it. As it was so hot, the acid had vaporized in the vial and came out as I opened it. A large truck had just passed me and the vapor blew in my face at the same time I was taking a breath. I didn't get it in my eyes - but I did inhale it. OMG, the burning sensation in my lungs. Nothing you can do about that. Luckily it wasn't enough acid to cause permanent damage, just teach me a very painful lesson. Nothing like not being able to breath to drive the lesson home. I now open all vials at waist level! Glad you are okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Anne Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 oooooh ouch! wow, good quick action on your part. I assume you didn't have to trip over Bailey, Sadie or kitty to get to the sink???!! I am sooooo glad you are ok, but ya know seems to me that you should still get your eyes checked out by an Opthamologist anyway, just to be safe. I had a dog some years ago, that had jumped up on a rabbit hutch from a table next to it, which was just about my shoulder level. I didn't want her to jump off so I reached, up to get her and she freaked and her feet went straight out and into my right eye. I thought my eye was punctured because fluid just poured out like someone had dumped a bucket of water on my head... hurt like a --- -- - -----! :eek: My hubby rushed me to the emergency room, and luckily after exam, the Dr, said I had a pretty bad scratch on my eye (not good with eye physiology!) that caused the massive fluid, and I would be ok. That was a very scary injury, I seriously thought I had lost that eye. Anyway... glad you're ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liane Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 pleased your ok heres mine from my childhood: never when board watching the incredible hulk cartoon, stick your ring up your nose. as hours in casualty will no doubt follow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Wow -- some scary, but also some funny stories here. Reading them reminded me of a lesson my wife learned the hard way: never try to cook a whole spaghetti squash in the microwave. KAAABOOOOMM (as it explodes). JoeAnne, that eye injury must have been really scary. My first dog Pattycake got overly excited one time when I was playing with her on the floor. Her paw came straight at my eye, but fortunately I was wearing my glasses and the paw hit the center of the lens which absorbed the force of the blow without hitting my eye. Without the glasses on I could have had a serious injury. That incident made me forever more careful about considering where my eyes are relative to an excited dog's paws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I have one more safety tip: When teaching a six-year old boy to skip rocks on a lake, always run for safety BEFORE he lets the rock fly. Beauty tip: Bangs work well to cover scar on forehead resulting from flying rock. However: Boy who split open mother's head is now incredible baseball player who has thrown a runner out at home from centerfield. Hmmm, scar just adds character to face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 KAAABOOOOMM:eek: hee hee hee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Haha, my Papaw once exploded a baked potato like that squash Hector. The whole house reeked for WEEKS after that debacle. I'm so glad you're OK though. Here's a few: 1. Never try to heat water over a campfire in a plastic bucket. The water does NOT heat before the plastic melts. 2. Not running the heat in your car during freezing weather does NOT conserve gasoline. It might freeze the snot to your face though. 3. Never stand on the back of a garden cart to ride it down the driveway. If you have a passenger in front sitting, when the cart hits the pavement it will stop and launch you 10 feet into the air and onto your head on the pavement. It hurts a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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