What everyday objects can pose a danger to our health and safety?

[Garth]

An old lady in my neighborhood once put a wet cat in a microwave in order to dry the cat. The cat exploded. It was big news in our neighborhood. I was amazed at how many sickos there are. So many people thought it was funny

Perhaps you are thinking about this myth: Microwaved poodles, McCoffee spills – and other phoney lawsuits.

Apparently a cup of coffee is also a dangerous object....

Garth

 

[DaveC426913]

...i woud try to slap it down on the desk.

aaaaaaaaannnnd there's the other shoe...


(wherein we learn that it is not the pencil that is the dangerous item in this scenario. The danger lies in the chair-pencil interface )

 

[thomasxc]

lol.../

 

[stickythighs]

The cat wouldn't have exploded. It would have died, but the old lady must not have stuck around for the cooking. Being microwaved is a slow, painful way to die. The cat would have let out many loud, long painful screams over the approximately 10 minutes it takes to kill a cat in a microwave.

Teens plead guilty to microwaving cat

All sources said that this cat exploded.

 

[~christina~]

How heavy was this pencil? And how high did you throw it??

 

[~christina~]

The cat wouldn't have exploded. It would have died, but the old lady must not have stuck around for the cooking. Being microwaved is a slow, painful way to die. The cat would have let out many loud, long painful screams over the approximately 10 minutes it takes to kill a cat in a microwave.

Teens plead guilty to microwaving cat

This is so sad..I looked it up after and found this story.

I don't believe the story that the todler did this. If they first mention that they did not have the money to pay for medical bills or even to have the cat, what is the chance that they did not place it in there themselves?

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4709733&affil=wtnh

 

[hypatia]

I sprained my ankle early this morning on a slippery rawhide chewie, which somebodies dog left on the step down to the laundry room.

 

[ThomStev222]

I know it can be funny to make light of getting a tie caught in a shredder, but today, I read more than a couple of stories where pets were injured badly by shredders. Common sense would have kept that from happen. I mean why can't people just unplug the shredder when they aren't using it? If you aren't going to do that, then at least get a shredder that will automatically shut off when a hand, finger, or paw is near it, you can found out more by going http://www.fellowes.com/Fellowes/site/safesense/default.aspx" .

Paper shredders. Never wear a tie around those things. A person's head will never fit down the little slot, but most people panic anyway. The panic attack can result in serious neck strain.

Legos, especially on the stairs ... especially if walking barefoot down the stairs with a cup of coffee.

Complex math problems. They're always fun until someone loses an i.

 

[ThomStev222]

An old lady in my neighborhood once put a wet cat in a microwave in order to dry the cat. The cat exploded. It was big news in our neighborhood. I was amazed at how many sickos there are. So many people thought it was funny

Theres evil people in the world. Sadly, I heard of the story last year, that was worst than a cat in the microwave. But I don't want to go into it. Cruelty to humans or animals should not be tolerated.

 

[turbo]

Very dry oak firewood looks innocent enough until you go to shove a stick of it in the stove and it hangs up on something. I've picked enough splinters out of my hands to start a lumberyard. A sharp knife with a fine point and a bottle of Isopropyl alcohol are standard tools for that.

 

[BobG]

I know it can be funny to make light of getting a tie caught in a shredder, but today, I read more than a couple of stories where pets were injured badly by shredders. Common sense would have kept that from happen. I mean why can't people just unplug the shredder when they aren't using it? If you aren't going to do that, then at least get a shredder that will automatically shut off when a hand, finger, or paw is near it, you can found out more by going http://www.fellowes.com/Fellowes/site/safesense/default.aspx" .

Or by going here. I never really thought of what happens when people or animals with smaller appendages play near shredders.

I have noticed the new shredders at work have a clear plastic cover creating a slot to insert the paper into. You can't get any closer to the blades than about 6 inches unless you intentionally lift the plastic cover. Which probably makes 1"x1" post-it notes an office hazard, as well. Some people never think of just sticking them to a full-size sheet of paper (or between two full-size sheets of paper if they keep getting caught).

 

[DaveC426913]

Or by going here. I never really thought of what happens when people or animals with smaller appendages play near shredders.

You know, I am normally immune to stories such as this, but this one actually made my stomach flip.

 

[Artman]

Incandescent light bulbs. They get very hot to the touch, if you cover a lighted bulb with a piece of cloth or paper it can catch fire, they can break off in the socket, they are sharp when broken, they create an electrical hazard when they break off in the socket, if you drop one they can shatter all over the place. Also, if you inject one with gasoline, and then turn it on, it'll explode (saw it in a movie, so it must be true ). Deadly little buggers.

 

[Borek]

Does it make sense to implement systems dealing with specific pollutants that cost billions a year and potentially save 1 person per decade? Does it make sense to implement medical procedures that are irrationally costly?

I should ban myself for necroposting, but I remember this discussion and I just found these pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_of_life

http://www.cdc.gov/owcd/eet/CostEffect2/fixed/PrintAll.html

I was reading some article in Polish press and found information that CDC uses value of something like $7M per life when doing cost effectiveness analysis. At the moment I can't find this particular number, but at least it is obvious they apply exactly the kind of thinking I was referring to back in 2008.