Tree cutting accident

[RandyT]

Be careful out their guys when working around trees. Neighbor and customer of mine was air lifted to a trauma center after having a widow maker hit him in the head while cutting firewood. Don't know many details at this point.

 

[WinterDeere]

Sorry to hear that. I hope he's okay.

Given the demographics of this forum, I'd guess a lot of us fell trees. I do about a dozen per year myself, and some are in less than ideal circumstances. So, stuff like this is always of interest.

Please post back with whatever details you learn, down the road.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I’m always wearing a hard hat as a sawyer

 

[sea2summit]

First thing I taught my children when they were knee high walking in the woods was to look up. Prayers out, hope he’s okay.

 

[CalG]

Ive got TWO broken limbs hanging 50 feet up 100 foot tall maples. The aftermath of this past late winter storm. The broken branches are about the size of my calf. Hundreds of pounds just held by a split or two. Every time the wind blows I look up with hope that one or the other might have come down. Not yet though. I am getting to feel it's going to take another heavy wet/icey snow storm to bring them down.
In the meanwhile, I look up and hurry past whenever I need to be out in that part of the yard.

I've quit mowing there. It's so shady, grass doesn't really grow, weeds and moss mostly, not worth the risk.

Sending good vibes to the injured fellow!

Widowmakers.... Labels don't get applied for no good reason.

 

[CalG]

I’m always wearing a hard hat as a sawyer

Very often smaller branches come out of our maple trees during a breeze. It always amazes me how the but ends can penetrate the ground to a depth that makes pulling them out a major chore.

A hard hat would be found somewhere around the lungs if one of those hit top down.

 

[etpm]

Ive got TWO broken limbs hanging 50 feet up 100 foot tall maples. The aftermath of this past late winter storm. The broken branches are about the size of my calf. Hundreds of pounds just held by a split or two. Every time the wind blows I look up with hope that one or the other might have come down. Not yet though. I am getting to feel it's going to take another heavy wet/icey snow storm to bring them down.
In the meanwhile, I look up and hurry past whenever I need to be out in that part of the yard.

I've quit mowing there. It's so shady, grass doesn't really grow, weeds and moss mostly, not worth the risk.

Sending good vibes to the injured fellow!

Widowmakers.... Labels don't get applied for no good reason.

I have had trees like that in the past and have a similar one now. A pretty big alder broke about 8 feet up and the section of the tree above the break came loose, traveled about 5 feet, and got hung up in another alder. The section's broken base is on the ground but the tree that it is hung up in is not that big and something is gonna break loose. Right now nobody is using the trail that the broken tree is leaning over and I hope the winter winds will shake the thing loose. If not I'm gonna need to use a come along and chains to pull it until it drops. Right now it is too dangerous for anyone to saw it.
Eric

 

[oosik]

I've never had anything fall on me. But several trees and a few limbs have fallen due to wind damage or pine bark beetle. It's always good to keep track of damaged limbs or trees.

A couple weeks ago a dead tree fell in the night. About 100 feet from the house. Woke the dog - his barking scared the snot out of me and woke me. Luckily, it fell parallel to the house and not across it.

 

[5030]

I’m always wearing a hard hat as a sawyer

Hard hat, face shield, ear muffs and approved chaps. I wear LeBlonde competition chaps, not cheap but excellent protection. Any chain can easily aputate an arm of leg in a second and just a glancing cut can be many. many stitches and rehab if you sever a muscle or tendon. Been there, done that and the last 'mistake' cost me 108 stitches and a helluva lot of hurt afterwards.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have never worn a safety device in my life outside of safety glasses maybe 50% of the time.
Been at it for 40+ years without a significant injury.

Added: I in no way condone this. My injuries have been mostly falls or a few concussions.

 

[ArlyA]

There are 30,000 saw ER registered accidents per year in the USA associated with saw's. A falling window maker might need more help than a sawyer wearing hard hat. 50 percent of the ER visits are from chain cuts above the belt, so chaps are not a "cure-all" either.

 

[thclimer]

There are 30,000 saw ER registered accidents per year in the USA associated with saw's. A falling window maker might need more help than a sawyer wearing hard hat. 50 percent of the ER visits are from chain cuts above the belt, so chaps are not a "cure-all" either.

I never would have guess so many people are injured with a saw each year.

I wonder how many are "first time" users or never had any training/experience?

 

[Thomas]

Indeed sag news.

Safety long with common sense plus try and be ready for almost anything might go wrong.

 

[tradosaurus]

I have never worn a safety device in my life outside of safety glasses maybe 50% of the time.
Been at it for 40+ years without a significant injury.

I would encourage you to at least wear a forestry helmet when using a chainsaw. I definitely wear ear protection when using a zero turn.

I do have safety chaps when using a chainsaw but never wear them. That's on me.

I keep a few safety glasses so that I'm not tempted to use my hand saw without them.

 

[RandyT]

I never would have guess so many people are injured with a saw each year.

I wonder how many are "first time" users or never had any training/experience?

In the case of my neighbor he had ran saws his entire life, and even did some logging when he was younger. Being an gentleman in his upper 60's things can get missed, or sometimes the falling limb may not of even been evident and could of broke off another tree next to what he was cutting.

I have been running saws since I was 10, and sometimes things happen that were never expected even though you know it could be possible. Been cut on the left elbow after being thrown through the air while relieving tension on a small 2 inch diameter tree that I was expecting to splinter and flex up and away from me, not break off and hit me in the chest.



His son was supposed to come this weekend to help with the firewood cutting, but he insisted on getting started even though his wife tried to persuade him not to.

 

[ArlyA]

Anyone here ever take a sawyer safety course? In the one I took among the many things they said will save you life, you carry a sawyer 1st aid kit and don't cut alone.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Sometime it just happen purely bad luck, sometime its a lack of judgment, from complacency, rushing, frustration or fatigue. Not speculating on anything here but these state of mind significantly increase your risk of accidents... I wish him good recovery.

I have work with a older guy who had one leg 3inch shorter then the other one... he was a lumberjack and two tree fell on the same leg ... after the second time he decided to change jobs ... not sure the detail of the why in ether case...

 

[Rockbadchild]

Anyone here ever take a sawyer safety course? In the one I took among the many things they said will save you life, you carry a sawyer 1st aid kit and don't cut alone.

then I would never cut anything in my life... but good advises

not officially but my dad gave me lots of hands on experience especially on fallen and hang tree to be able to see the tension and avoid kick back

 

[kenmbz]

Sad news, hope your neighbor recovers fully.

With 100's of dead ash here, from 20 to 100' tall, it's been a rough few years with felling dead trees and barberchairs (fixed with plunge cuts). The rest I will rope down as the branches come off in unknown directions.
A few trees that fell went sideways to the lean, bug killed trees are unsafe.

I have 20-30 foot long branches falling, and need the tractor to pull them out they go in so deep.

 

[ruffdog]

In the case of my neighbor he had ran saws his entire life, and even did some logging when he was younger. Being an gentleman in his upper 60's things can get missed, or sometimes the falling limb may not of even been evident and could of broke off another tree next to what he was cutting.

I have been running saws since I was 10, and sometimes things happen that were never expected even though you know it could be possible. Been cut on the left elbow after being thrown through the air while relieving tension on a small 2 inch diameter tree that I was expecting to splinter and flex up and away from me, not break off and hit me in the chest.



His son was supposed to come this weekend to help with the firewood cutting, but he insisted on getting started even though his wife tried to persuade him not to.

Those spring poles can be deadly too...as you found out. Half the battle is making sure the work area is free of hazards even before the big wood is cut.