What's the wildest / craziest / most dangerous, or fun thing that has happened while at work?

Nearly 20 years ago while working in an iron foundry a new hire caught their hand in a grinding wheel. These wheels probably weighed in the neighborhood of 75lbs and were 4 inches wide. Parts came down a shaker table and we’d grab them and use the wheels to remove flashing and rough spots.

One day it was tractor weights. Large slabs of iron 2 feet by 3 feet used to counterbalance farm equipment. You needed to use a winch with an L shaped handle to lift the plates. You’d slide the L into the grab handle and lift the plate about belly level oriented flat out and use your body to bump it against the wheel. Because of the size and odd way we had to handle them they were tippy. The wheels might catch a piece and the whole thing would buck. New guy didn’t follow instructions of “never, ever, for a second put one of your hands flat against the weight”.

The plate bucked and he was supporting himself with his hand on the plate. He slid forward and lost some digits. The three of us also working the table saw it and moved to grab the guy because we knew what he’d do.

The shaker lines were elevated above the floor about 3 feet for our safety. As you finished parts you’d load them in giant steel buckets and forklifts would come by and pick them up. Off the platforms it was a racetrack. Lifts would be flying by sometimes loaded with a ton of iron in a bucket and you had to walk out using effectively traffic lights. If the lights were yellow you stayed put until they switched over.

Well the kid took off at a sprint to get somewhere to help himself. He was saved by his AC helmet which caught the end of its line and jerked him sideways and back down. We grabbed him and held him until someone could hit the alarm and stop the forklifts.

The story doesn’t have a happy ending, but it could have been much worse. If he had made it down to the floor and started running through the lift areas at a full tilt he could have been tined or crushed.

There were incidents of people walking under the bull ladle like idiots and getting molten iron dripped near them. People would crush or clip the ends of fingers off. If you were one of the old guys (dudes in their late 20s or early 30s) you’ve already had surgery on your wrists, elbows, or shoulders from the stress the work put on you. I still can’t believe jobs like this exist. I’d never let my kid work in a place like that now.