Neurotoxic poison

Artistree · Dec 19, 2010

I was feeding a chipper with some 6" sections of a plum tree cut down on the boundary of a market garden. As I picked up a section I felt a puncture through my glove. Didn't pay any attention to it until about an hour later I couldn't move my fingers. After another hour I couldn't move my hand and arm motion was painful. I ended up in Hospital for a week on various medications and tests which showed no foreign bodies. Straight to hand therapy to try and regain strength and movement. Three months later I was a Hand surgeon who identified nerve damage, solution was to have nerve branches in my arm cut under nerve block to see if they would regrow.

Three and a half years later I have about 15% use of my right (dominant) hand.
No more tree work. Everything I use now has to be adapted to be used with intrinsic grip (pushing your fingers together sideways).

Use your PPE and take note of any scratches or infections you pick up.

Shaun Bowler · Dec 19, 2010

What happens in New Zealand when you can no longer work due to a "work" related injury?
Was your injury caused by some chemical that was used at the "market."

beowulf343 · Dec 19, 2010

Artistree said:
As I picked up a section I felt a puncture through my glove.

Use your PPE and take note of any scratches or infections you pick up.

I'm not exactly sure why you are admonishing us to use ppe. Looks like you were using it (on your hands at least) and it still didn't protect you.

Artistree · Dec 19, 2010

In NZ you pay a levy to the government to cover against accidents and injuries. This covers medical expenses like hospital, surgery, physio and compensation for lost earnings. It was great to start with but as time goes by the assistance diminishes as I am finding out.

As for PPE my chaps stopped the wood from tearing open my legs and my gloves kept out the rose thorns!

Taxmantoo · Dec 19, 2010

Do you know what it was?

Around here there's a common neurotoxin that's meant to kill flies in cattle barns, some people illegally poison raccoons with it, the coons don't get far before their hearts stop. I've never heard of any human injury from handling that stuff, but I wouldn't volunteer to eat a pound of it.