Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Real wind chill, real damage

Don’t let anyone kid you. Wind chills can do some damage.
Central canceled Tuesday classes on the basis of 25 to 35-below-zero wind chills this week. Some reaction on Facebook proclaimed them “wimps,” but this kind of stuff is dangerous.
This is a Facebook post from a friend of mine who works as a service technician. Spelling has never been his strong suit, but he can make anything mechanical work better than new. He’s married, has kids, and depends on his hands for his living.
Here’s what he said:

have not ben on a couple of days i frostbit my hands bad no feeling swollen large blisters cant move them very hard to type went to hand specialist today it is going to take 2 weeks before we know the3 damage i could loose my fingers this is not for sure i am thinking positiuve but scar4ed i was at soo ste3 marie working on a waste oil tank at bufflow wild wings with wind chill at -20 degrees for about 4 hours i tooki breaks and checked hands seve3r4alo times i wish this job could have waited my hands have dark spots also they look very discusting i cant open a door or dress myself or buckle seat belt i can eat a sandwitch and drink a bottle of water thanks for prayers

A followup:
    a little better to day i put on my own paints ate with a fork hands still look bad slight feeling in a couple fingers still swelling 2 of my fingers are bending a little more thanks for all of the prayers
Men – and women – work in brutal conditions all the time. But they don’t deserve to lose the way they make their living over something like a waste oil tank. It’s easy to send a good-hearted, skilled man out in the cold and say “we need this today. It’s urgent,” while sitting in a warm room. At least there’s worker’s compensation, that product of that socialist commie Franklin Roosevelt, so my friend doesn’t have to pay his own medical bills. Ask the families of West Virginia coal miners, Pennsylvania steel mill workers and Detroit autoworkers who got hurt on the job how that used to work.
Send prayers his way, if you’re so inclined, or good thoughts and good vibrations. And wear your gloves.

1 comment:

Mimi said...

This is heartbreaking.

Mark... your comments, vis a vis political and other realities were apropos. Thank you for them.