Confined Space. Close-up failure!

**Bushmiller** · 7th October 2023, 10:37 PM

In my industrial line of work we have many confined spaces, which require a close up inspection before being returned to service. My usual banter is to ask if the work crew has left anybody inside and, of course, to check the paperwork to ensure everybody has signed off the Confined Space permit. I often point out that I have little interest in whether they have got all their tools out as that is their problem ( not with the turbines and generators as that would be my problem) and so I should be aware of such issues.

We are in the middle of a kitchen renovation and yesterday I realised that my cordless impact driver was missing. I searched high and low and then, more out of frustration I decided to check out a utility cupboard:

P1090103 copy (2).JPG

It is a bit difficult to see and appears good,

P1090104.jpg

but with the use of a torch light the cavity above the cupboard revealed this:

P1090109.jpg

One impact driver completely trapped in an inaccessible void!

We are at the stage where most of the carcasses are in place on the scribed kickboards and firmly fixed in place. The overhead cupboard has reveals and trim in place. The gap above the utility cupboard is a little less than 50mm. I was unable to get my hand into the gap and certainly the impact driver is much too fat to withdraw through that gap. The utility cupboard has no base plate and is partially glued to the floor so a vacuum cleaner can be easily wheeled in. The overhead cupboards were fixed with great care to accommodate an old house with walls that were not true. I had no intention of pulling everything apart! So, what to do? To replace the tool is about $300

This next pic shows the side of the utility cupboard, which butts on to a small benchtop. Eventually there will be a splash back that , fortunately, wraps around the ends of the bench as well as the back.

P1090110.jpg

I decided to cut into the VJ sheeting to access the cavity behind and, as it will be covered by the splash back, the only criteria was to make it flat:

P1090112.jpg P1090113.jpg

As you can see there was about 200mm between the bench area wall and the utility carcass. I used a piece of fencing wire (a bit of No.10 for the inquisitive among you) and dragged the driver to the front of the cupboard. I then made sure the wire was through the belt clip in case I dropped it and lowered it to the hole that was cut with a jigsaw:

P1090114.jpg

And the drill was retrieved:

P1090119.jpg

Then a backing piece was put in place with Liquid Nails and screws to provide a platform to secure a patch.

P1090120.jpg

And finally the patch was secured flat and ready to be hidden by the splash back.

P1090121.jpg

Disaster averted.

Whew!

Regards
Paul

**ajw** · 8th October 2023, 07:59 AM

Nice recovery, and just in time.

**Mobyturns** · 8th October 2023, 09:53 AM

Oops .... Nice recovery. In the next reno, when they strip the splash back, tradies will be scratching their heads wondering just what was stashed in that wall at one time???

Bit like the time our long time mechanic rang home to ask our son to check under the bonnet of his Prado for a rather expensive piece of test gear.

Yep, it's here ...... and we were happy to return it because they were a small family run business that offered exceptional customer and mechanical service.

**mic-d** · 9th October 2023, 12:48 PM

I have a chisel and a hammer in a plaster wall somewhere in Brisbane

**Chesand** · 10th October 2023, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by mic-d

I have a chisel and a hammer in a plaster wall somewhere in Brisbane

They are not completely lost then.

**Bushmiller** · 10th October 2023, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Chesand

They are not completely lost then.

A bit like the grapes: Just out of reach.

Regards
Paul

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 11th October 2023, 07:00 PM

I know someone whose lost more phones that way than any other.

Except, perhaps, for leaving them (with other tools) in the bottom of Swampy A/Cs during installation... and forgetting about them until after turning on the water for initial testing...

On the plus side, during various reno's I've scored a plethora of 'lost' hammers, screw-drivers and jimmy bars.

**Handyjack** · 12th October 2023, 08:46 PM

I was looking at the coil and fan of a ducted air con system. When it was time to pack up, I had a screwdriver I did not start with.

Helping to install an exam light on to a bracket in a ceiling space I used a screwdriver to help hold the nuts while the bolt was being tightened. Job took longer than expected, and yep, left the screwdriver in the ceiling.

I have lost tools and found others, but never concealed a tool in a project.

**Mr Brush** · 13th October 2023, 05:20 AM

Surely the Law of Conservation of Mass (Antoine Lavoisier, 1789) should mean that we find useful items equal to the mass of items we lose???? There is that.

**BobL** · 13th October 2023, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Surely the Law of Conservation of Mass (Antoine Lavoisier, 1789) should mean that we find useful items equal to the mass of items we lose???? There is that.

On average I agree with this but I reckon there are micro black holes around into which some things disappear and are never recovered. My "go-to finder" was Amanda who could find most things I had lost in the house and in later years I became her finder. After Amanda passed I lost a few things, including her Will, which I urgently needed to sort out a few things. and I panicked a bit but my daughter in law came over and found it in 10 minutes. The Will had slipped off and under a bed in the spare room I don't even recalll going into. My DIL also found s spare set of keys I had misplaced. These days I am more careful to place important things like Wallet/phone/keys etc always in the same place.

In the shed I have been cleaning up Amanda's stuff/bench and in the process found a few of my own tools. The extra space obtained has already been cluttered with Amanda's stuff I have removed from the house. Still lots of sorting our to do.

**chambezio** · 13th October 2023, 09:55 AM

I have lost count of the number of times I would be in the middle of an activity to work on something in the shed and find I couldn't see a component/tool to carry om with. It is often half an hour or more of me searching for something I had in my hand only moments earlier. In desperation I will go to the house and ask SWMBO to come out and find (description of part I can't find) When I describe it to her she will look around, and usually quite quickly, say this thing and hold it up. This scenario gets old very quickly and has the ability to diminish any enthusiasm I may have had.

and its getting more frequent

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