What is the proper etiquette for preparing someone in the event of dropping something on their head?
This goes back to some time ago. I was golfing with my brother. He teed off and didnt like where his ball went so he started walking down the fairway to look for it. He signalled to me to tee-off so I did. I hit a very wicked and very low slice. I yelled the warning to indicate an incoming ball, "FOUR". But as you guessed it the ball went - Yep, right into my brothers side, about appendix high. Now, if he hadnt tried to get out of the way of the ball he would have been OK. He actually jumped into the path of the slicing ball in his attempt to avoid it. Three weeks later his appendix ruptures and he blames me to this day (for the nice scar on his side). I did feel a little responsible. A little.
Anyway. I currently do a lot of electrical work about 30 feet in the air and sometimes directly over peoples heads. I have dropped small objects and never have hit anyone yet. I try to warn the folks working under me. I let them know that I hardly ever drop anything and its even more rare that anyone gets killed from my dropping anything. That usually gets a laugh or two. Today I nearly dropped a 40 pound disconnect that I was attempting to mount to the overhead bus-duct. There wasnt anyone near me at the time. But I got to thinking, what would I have said to someone if they had been under me and I had actually dropped the disconnect.
Do you say nothing and hope the object misses the person?
Do you yell “heads up!!” which usually causes said person to look up therby creating a situation where said person catches the disconnect in the face?
Do you yell “duck”?
OOPS?
Take cover?
Help me prepare for the inevitable. What would you do if something you dropped was about to impale someone?
But, I’d usually bellow, “DUCK!!” for most things about to impact with folk. And they’d probably turn round and yell back “QUACK!!” before gettin’ beaned, knowing th’ crowd I usually hang round with.
Speaking from the tower work I did in my younger days, I always yelled “CLEAR!” This was standard shorthand in our little family business for “Get the *^@% out of the way, #!*' goin’ down!” It was generally understood to mean that you should dive under something solid.
Of course, my brother neglected to yell “CLEAR” when he dropped a gin-pole (a 10-foot length of heavy pipe with a winch attached) among us. We forgave him when he climbed down nursing an almost-completely severed finger–the pole hit him first. (The doc stitched the finger back in place, and today he’s got full function and sensitivity in it, BTW.)
There’s a kind of a whoop that the guys let out, around here, when something’s coming at you. Black guys, white guys, same ol’ whoop. You’d have to hear it, I guess.
BUT even so none of these guys makes a habit of working beneath the boom lift. I guess it can’t be avoided in your case?
“Heads”- I have dropped an object which will probably injure you slightly if it falls on you. Stand still and cover your head.
“CLEAR!” I have dropped an object which will severely injure or kill you if it falls on you. Run.
