Nice save- but shop safety 101- If it falls- let it. Reflex is hard to break, but I know too many people who will never be the same because they tried a save. One auto shop teacher I knew had an overhead engine hoist break, he reflexively tried to catch it and it basically tore his arm off. He kept the arm but it’s totally useless. Another guy at a warehouse I worked at housing auto body parts caught a light little fender. Maybe 2-5lbs best guess. No big deal. Except that sheet metal is like a razor on the edge and it cut his wrist and forarm so deep he severed a tendon (and dropped it anyway.) I’ve seen people catch industrial chemicals, seen people catch tools like torches or heat implements that were hundreds or thousands of degrees- it wasn’t a catch but my father worked with a guy who ran his hand up a leaky hydraulic line and it punched a pinhole through his skin and filled the hand up with fluid and pressure. Full amputation and almost death. Be safe. Avoid uneccesary risks.
It depends, if its something that would have done more damage to him if it had ruptured on impact (such as a hazardous chemical) he was probably safer catching it, since it was so close.
I would agree that it CAN be circumstantial. But anywhere that a situation can occur quickly, and there isn’t time to think, the default rule is always designed to be the safest bet for a scenario. In most industrial settings or those using heavy equipment etc, the default rule is: don’t catch it. You have no idea if the hazzardous material will rupture anyway, spill, or if you do t have the correct PPE to handle it safely and catching it will result in a higher risk or level of exposure. Most humans reflexively try to catch things before they have time to think, and with many things the only hope you have is fast reflexes. So reflexively catching the nerve gas bead from The Rock is probably good- unless you crush it when you catch it- then it’s worse. But reflexively catching a molten hunk of metal is basically always bad. Problem being that you don’t really have enough time on the way down for a comprehensive threat assembly usually, and something like that container....
... could be an empty 5-10lbs and not hurt a healthy young person if it’s a short drop under optimum body range of motion, or could have something in it and weigh 200+lbs, or you could have to reach to grab it, and throw out a muscle or tear soft tissue. Statistically you have a greater chance of being hurt trying to catch something (and can still fail anyway) than letting it fall. Obviously if it’s going to fall ON you, and you can’t gwt out of the way, I’d rather badly injure an arm than a head, but the general rule is- condition yourself to let it fall. It takes practice and repetition to overcome the reflex to catch a thing. But to each their own. No “rule” really covers 100% of theoretical scenarios. That’s just a rule developed based on the outcomes of known and most probably scenarios. Plenty of dudes missing limbs figured they could handle it though, so each may gamble their own limbs as they see fit. I will do my best to keep mine. It’s worked well so far (knock wood.)
That is an extremely graphic example of the same thing I think about when I put coals on peoples' hookahs. If the coal rolls or falls for w/e reason, just watch it so you know where it is and can go get it instead of trying to save it mid-air and have it bounce into a face.
...I'm someone constantly trying to keep my reflexes sharp by tossing my lighter from behind my back and only using my peripherals as guidance to catch it; like it's a crossword puzzle or sudoku. It was very hard turning that switch off at first. Know what made it easy? Burning the shit out of my fingertips >_>
...I'm someone constantly trying to keep my reflexes sharp by tossing my lighter from behind my back and only using my peripherals as guidance to catch it; like it's a crossword puzzle or sudoku. It was very hard turning that switch off at first. Know what made it easy? Burning the shit out of my fingertips >_>