# Twenty Years Since I Killed my Knees



## cdub260 (Aug 31, 2020)

Many long time Controlbooth members have heard this story before but many of our newer members have not. I'm retelling it now in the hope that at least a few of our younger members will learn from the mistakes I made when I was at what I call the magical age of twenty-five; old enough to know better, but still young enough to feel immortal.

Twenty years ago I survived a fall that really should have killed me. I'm posting this in the hope that my experience will highlight the importance of proper training, the use the proper personal protective equipment or PPE and following safety procedures when working at height.

September 1st. of 2000, I was striking lights from the Irvine Bowl, the amphitheatre that houses the Pageant of the Masters. I did several things wrong that night. First off was that I was not using a fall arrest harness, so I had nothing to catch me if I fell. My second mistake was that I was carrying my lights down the truss rather than lowering them with a rope. Third, I was in a hurry to finish. As a matter of fact the only safety procedure that I did follow that night was that I wasn't working alone. I had someone else with me acting as a bottom man while I did the climbing, which makes the failure to use a rope just that much more stupid. But even there, I had violated this rule on any number of occasions in my previous eleven years in the industry.

I was in the process of carrying my last light down the truss and I was anxious to finish the job and get to the crew party. I was nearly half way down the truss when I missed my grip. I'm not sure exactly how far I fell, but it was somewhere between ten and fifteen feet. The way the fall started I really should have hit the ground head first. I've never been sure exactly how I did it, but I somehow managed to straighten myself out so that I hit the concrete steps feet first.

In short, I got lucky. That fall should have killed me. As it stands, I injured both of my knees and pinched a nerve in my back. The pinched nerve went undiagnosed for four years; four years in which I was in constant pain. There again, it was pure blind luck that lead to discovering the pinched nerve. Nearly four years after my fall, I somehow managed to un-pinch it. While the pain is no longer a constant in my life, it's still a frequent visitor. I'm in the gym 3 to 5 days a week dealing with pain issues and take anti-inflammatories far more often than I'd like. While I'm currently furloughed due to Covid-19, I'm hoping to be back to doing the same work next year. The primary difference between now and twenty years ago is that now I have learned to use the proper PPE for this and other aspects of my job, to follow proper procedures and most importantly, never, ever be in a hurry. My life isn't worth the minute or two I might save.

I'm lucky that I walked away from that fall with a lifetime of knee problems when I really should have died. This wasn't the only time that luck has saved me from serious injury or death, but you can't depend on luck. Luck will only take you so far, then it'll get you or someone else killed. Learn from my mistakes and don't make them yourself. Learn and follow proper safety procedures. Learn to use the proper PPE for a given activity, then use it properly. And finally, always take the necessary time to do the job right.

Follow safe practices and learn from my mistakes. It just may save your life someday.


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## Ben Stiegler (Aug 31, 2020)

Thank you for that. I've survived more moments of personal stupidity (mostly mine) than I deserved, perhaps ... as well as a rapidly descending 30# 12" Leko that neatly crimped its barrel around a seat back 18" from my head while I was directing a strike in college. In the 70s we never heard of fall protection, safety chains, no solo work at height. There was no safety training. We just got lucky too much of the time and got overconfident.

take care, all.


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## TimMc (Aug 31, 2020)

Yeah, Ben, I remember the 'suck it up and just get it done' era. Miracle more folks weren't maimed or killed, but enough were that nowadays we're expected to know better and to do better.


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## What Rigger? (Sep 1, 2020)

@cdub260 thanks for that share/reminder. On a less severe note, it's always a good idea to act like your body has to last your whole life. In your 20's you don't "need" things like good shoes and knee pads if you're crawling around like a carpenter. But your skateboarding and mountain bike hobbies are taking their toll slowly. You can always justify buying super bomber knee pads if they do double duty between the job site and skatepark. Don't let 'em forget you're punk rock


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## TimMc (Sep 1, 2020)

Was that the pic used for the line art in Harry's "Arena Rigging" with the caption "new rigger's first day". The lampoon was for taking every piece of personal gear out on a beam...


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## cdub260 (Sep 1, 2020)

Twenty years ago today.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 1, 2020)

cdub260 said:


> Twenty years ago today.


Sargent Pepper taught the band to play. . . 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## What Rigger? (Sep 1, 2020)

TimMc said:


> Was that the pic used for the line art in Harry's "Arena Rigging" with the caption "new rigger's first day". The lampoon was for taking every piece of personal gear out on a beam...


This is the bare minimum gear requirement under SPRAT cert's for a "Level 2 Working Lead", so that I can not only self rescue, but rescue anyone up in the air with me in a majority of circumstances. The glorious thing about rope access is: we don't wait for 911, it's too problematic. We just train rescues on an ongoing basis. I can get about 80% of common situations recued without coming down to get gear first. On top of that, I can configure what I'm carrying to build straight haul systems from the ground, and with minimal assist from a ground rigger (and 2 other homies in the air) have a three axis cross haul system up and running in less than 20 minutes.

Level 3's get to take more gear up, because their job is pretty much to only do rescue. They handle the 20% of common scenarios that us L2's don't have mastered, yet. 
Those guys n' gals can get you out of a jam that stumps every urban rescue/fire department- bet the mortgage. 

But my sweet leopard print kneepads are my own jam, because bursitis is a real bummer up on the wall of a building or something else gigantor. I keep my helmet off in photos because it makes me look like I have a safety yellow mushroom on top of my huge melon.


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## gafftaper (Sep 7, 2020)

cdub260 said:


> Many long time Controlbooth members have heard this story before but many of our newer members have not. I'm retelling it now in the hope that at least a few of our younger members will learn from the mistakes I made when I was at what I call the magical age of twenty-five; old enough to know better, but still young enough to feel immortal.
> 
> Twenty years ago I survived a fall that really should have killed me. I'm posting this in the hope that my experience will highlight the importance of proper training, the use the proper personal protective equipment or PPE and following safety procedures when working at height.
> 
> ...



Thanks for sharing and so glad you survived to tell the story to us!


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## Playajackal (Sep 9, 2020)

Thanks for telling this story. When teaching my Theater Tech classes, I always stress the importance of taking the trouble to be safe and that shortcuts will eventually end in a disaster. I'd like to share your story with them if that's all right.


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## cdub260 (Sep 27, 2020)

Playajackal said:


> Thanks for telling this story. When teaching my Theater Tech classes, I always stress the importance of taking the trouble to be safe and that shortcuts will eventually end in a disaster. I'd like to share your story with them if that's all right.



I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. It's been a very busy month.

Feel free to share the story with your students. Hopefully they'll learn from my mistakes rather than making their own.


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## Playajackal (Sep 27, 2020)

cdub260 said:


> I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. It's been a very busy month.
> 
> Feel free to share the story with your students. Hopefully they'll learn from my mistakes rather than making their own.


No problem, I totally understand. Thanks.


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