OT: Butch reminded me of this story...was Eucalyptus, Cats and Carpets

[Guest guest]

>> the roof and finish cleaning the danged gutters out. Gonna tie

a rope

> around my neck and hook it onto the chimney so it can break my

fall if I slip off....

 

>Bricklayer's Story

This is a bricklayer's accident report that was printed in the

newsletter of the English equivalent of the Workers' Compensation

Board.

 

Dear Sir:

 

I am writing in response to your request for additional information

in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put " Poor Planning " as

the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I

trust the following details will be sufficient.

 

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was

working alone on the roof of a new six story building. When I

completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when

weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs. Rather than carry the

bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a

pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth

floor.

 

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the

barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and

untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the

240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that

my weight is 135 lbs.

 

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I

lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless

to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

 

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now

proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains

the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as

listed in Section 3, accident reporting form.

 

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping

until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the

pulley which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence.

Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was

able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain

I was now beginning to experience.

 

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit

the ground-and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the

weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I

refer you again to my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid

descent down the side of the building.

 

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This

accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe

lacerations of my legs and lower body.

 

Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel

seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the

pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

 

I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks,

in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories

above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go

of the rope.

[Guest guest]

R " OFLMAO! What a HOOT

 

K

 

 

On 10/6/07, cortaderia_1999 <cortaderia_1999 wrote:

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--

Cheers!

Kathleen Petrides

The Woobey Queen

Http://www.woobeyworld.com