Since this topic was posted and I couldn't sleep. I guess I'll add my fall story too. I fell off a two story clay terracotta tile roof in Miramar, Florida back in 1999. I wasn't wearing any harness or fall protection. Back then I thought I was invincible. HA!
The groundsman didn't show up to the job that day. It was Saturday, and I paid him on Friday, the night before and I guess he tied one on pretty heavy at the bar and so he called me to tell me he couldn't make it. With no notice I couldn't find my back up helper and I had already rescheduled this job twice so I went alone.
It was a gloomy day and the sky was threatening to rain but in South Florida this is normal and so I rolled out and set up, connected my water and got out the chem gun and laddders,etc. and setup the tarps, then went up to do the roof, I sprayed a lot from the ladder but the roof was pretty cut up and I ended up walking some of it.
About that time the clouds had rolled in and it started to lightly rain. I was about three fourths of the way done when the thunder started. First, far in the distance and then rapidly closer until it was right overhead. It started to pour down and thunder like hell. I was pizzed off as a I was so close to being done but I decided safety was of more importance and had made the decision to get down from the roof and wait in the truck until it passed. I was in a hurry and not paying attention for just a moment and thats when it happened, my foot caught on a roof vent and I momentarily lost my footing and as I scrambled to get myself straighted out I ended stepping on the hose and whoosh! that was it, I slammed my body on a dormer ridge and it hit me right at the ribline and I felt a nauseating crack-pop feeling and knew I broke something. As I hit I also started to slide and that was just as another burst off rain fell out of the sky and well that was all she wrote I was slipping and sliding down toward the roof edge. I said a momentary prayer as I slid off the roofs edge. I attempted to grab the gutter but with gloves on, my hands slipped off and I headed VERY RAPIDLY to the ground from 2-1/2 stories up in the air. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty, I found out much later after lots of x-rays, MRI, etc. that I broke two of my ribs and ruptured my spleen and had a pretty good concussion.
Believe it or not, I did manage to actually eventually shut off my pump and motor and actually was able to gimp around and roll up my equipment on my own since the HO wasn't at home that day and I ALONE, was in the fenced back yard by a lake and nobody saw me fall. I drove home and thought I would leave my equipment safe, then drive to the hospital but when I got home I was hurting so bad I thought I would just sit on the couch and rest a while before I went.
I ended up falling asleep ! And when I awoke (thank god I woke up), my body had set up and my ribs had started to swell and I could NOT get off the couch, literally. I was in so MUCH PAIN I could not move. I literally laid there for a couple of days before I was finally found by neighbor who took me to the hospital (thank god I left the front door unlocked). At the hospital, the doctors said I would have to have emergency surgery to remove the spleen due to internal bleeding but said since I hadn't died in the first 48 hrs. I may not absolutely need to have it removed. I was then, and still am, as stubborn as an old mule.
I didn't let them do it and took my chances with the choice of bleeding out or taking the organ. The doctors let me decide, they said it could have gone either way, it was my choice to see if my body healed itself or not, I sure glad it wasn't the other way around or my fall could have proved fatal. Any way I am glad to be here today. I wear fall protection whenever possible NOW and won't do a job that I am not comfortable with or any two story roof work alone. I am MUCH more careful today and respect the law of gravity more now than ever.
I guess the moral of the story is that I am alive a few years more after a pretty serious fall and that I have learned a few things since about the contract cleaning business and roof cleaning so for whatever its worth here's my .02 cents worth of hard luck advice for whoever will take time to read it:
1.
Remember you are MORTAL, accidents do happen, NOT just to other people, but they can and do happen to people just like me and you.
2.
Be careful and use fall protection and lifelines etc. when your up on the ladders and roofs WHENEVER POSSIBLE and always have an emergency plan in place, JUST in case you NEED it.
3.
If you ever do have to work alone, let someone know what your up to so you have a back up buddy plan, just in case.
4.
And, for you you younger guys out there, get the job done but be safe about it and I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH, use the proper fall protection equipment and be aware that you, yes YOU, really will LIVE into and hopefully PAST your 40's and you will need your body in good shape for your later years.
Finally, if I can offer one last piece of advice.
It hurts as you age and your body remembers, even if your mind forgets.
And David of Reef Pressure Cleaning, I am glad you didn't get severely injured. Thank god you are ok. Take care David. My prayers go to you for a speedy recovery.
All the BEST!
