Saw thrusts wood through man's hand

Jimmy Innes was following correct procedures when the accident happened. Photo / Supplied, Facebook

A construction worker got a painful shock this week when a piece of wood went through his hand.

Cheyne Construction and Development owner Lee Cheyne posted a bloody photograph of employee Jimmy Innes' swollen hand on Facebook.

The photo shows a piece of timber embedded about 10cm through the side of his right palm with blood dripping around the open wound.

"A table saw threw it out at his hand! It's buried 4 inches right through to the other side of his palm, almost out the other side," Cheyne wrote on the social networking site.

"The piece of timber is square on the end and is thicker than an iPhone. Poor bugger."

The mixed martial arts fighter was taken to Middlemore Hospital where plastic surgeon Zak Moaveni operated on him.

Friend Willie Beggs said the accident was unusual because Innes was following correct procedures. "The bandsaw just flicked it out," Beggs said.

"I texted him yesterday because this guy does not drink alcohol or take drugs, not even prescribed stuff, so I said 'you have got to take pain relief this time'. He said he would."

In another unusual accident reported this month boat racing competitor Stephen Appleby had his stomach torn open by an anchor, leaving him with intestines spilling out.

Late last year a man in his 50s received serious groin injuries when an axe-head flew off its handle during a wood chopping competition at the Christchurch A&P show.