Ware your HARD HAT

[hunterridgefarm]

I have been cutting trees at our new home site. I have cut around 40 big trees the past few months and have never thought of wearing a hard hat. Usually just safety glasses. This weekend I droped around 12 big oak with a few pine mixed in. I always look the trees over for dead limbs and determin where I want the tree to fall. If I see a limb that is dead I tend to look up at the limb the whole time I am making my final cut. On about my tenth tree for the day I looked it over and no dead limbs that I could see. I made my final cut and as the tree was falling a small limb hit me on my head, just a scratch, but the big part of the limb landed within 2 feet of me. I can honestly say this got me attention. I cut a couple of smaller trees after that and spent the rest of the day trimming and cutting logs to be pulled with the tractor next Saturday.

So I am going this week to get a hard hat with face shield and ear protection all in one. I try to be very safe in everything I do but this was very stupid of me and could have been much worse.

Since many on this site are clearing trails and building sites that need to have trees cut I wanted to post this as a reminder WARE YOUR HARD HAT!!!
If you don't have one get one! A small investment that could save your life.

It would be a good idea to ware one while on your tractor in the woods clearing trails also.

 

[_RaT_]

I have been cutting trees at our new home site. I have cut around 40 big trees the past few months and have never thought of wearing a hard hat. Usually just safety glasses. This weekend I droped around 12 big oak with a few pine mixed in. I always look the trees over for dead limbs and determin where I want the tree to fall. If I see a limb that is dead I tend to look up at the limb the whole time I am making my final cut. On about my tenth tree for the day I looked it over and no dead limbs that I could see. I made my final cut and as the tree was falling a small limb hit me on my head, just a scratch, but the big part of the limb landed within 2 feet of me. I can honestly say this got me attention. I cut a couple of smaller trees after that and spent the rest of the day trimming and cutting logs to be pulled with the tractor next Saturday.

So I am going this week to get a hard hat with face shield and ear protection all in one. I try to be very safe in everything I do but this was very stupid of me and could have been much worse.

Since many on this site are clearing trails and building sites that need to have trees cut I wanted to post this as a reminder WARE YOUR HARD HAT!!!
If you don't have one get one! A small investment that could save your life.

It would be a good idea to ware one while on your tractor in the woods clearing trails also.

I think you mean wear

 

[dougj7]

Husqvarna hard hat with a face shield and ear protectors for $45:

Woodsman Helmet

 

[Dusty]

I always wear the chaps that will stop the saw blade from cutting into your legs if the saw hits them. I have recently seen gloves that are made the same way to protect your hands. When cutting trees, I am not sure if the cutting of the tree or the handling of the saw is more dangerous. Both can do a lot of harm to you... Be careful at all times.. Dusty

 

[SkyPup]

I was driving one of our Kubota's through the woods carrying a bucket full of chain-sawed firewood back to the house when I ran over a branch laying on the ground. The branch was about 3-4 inches in diameter and approx. 12 feet long. I saw it on the ground and did not really think much about it when suddenly it arched up violently and crashed into the ROPS just missing my head. It happened so fast and was so powerful, it would have been a disaster to have been nailed by it in the head. It had just the right bend in it that the weight of the tractor tire rolling over it propelled it with great force up on top of the tractor!!!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I think you mean wear

You are correct...Wear.

I do have some dyslexia when transposing numbers and some letters. I rely on spell check to correct the letters. Must not have worked this time. I always have to check the sequence of numbers (phone# for example) several times to make sure they are in the proper order. Even with this I still made the deans list several times in college.

 

[Bedlam]

Using the computer is a different world. I didnt even notice it being wrong.
Fact is it doesnt matter. the idea is that people get their idea or concerns across.
Never thought Id still be typing 35 years after my typing classes..
Always good to hear of close calls others have. Makes us all a bit more aware. When Skypup described the limb on the ground hitting the ROPS I thought he was going to say it snapped and the pieces flew upward.Ive had that happen.
I started to wear the hat and shield and muffs a few years ago. After I was trimming a small bunch of trees that were pushed with the tractor bucket. One limb came back and smacked me right across the nose.felt like a punch. I stood up and was a bit dazzed, and my dad said everything was fine just keep cutting. This as I could feel the blood dripping off like sweat...
My dad is 82 , And never wore any safety stuff. nt even the ear plugs, and his hearing is still strong. I on the other hand always were it. Makes it more comfortable and safe.
Al
Al

 

[3RRL]

I have had happen exactly what Skypup described and I am also making new trails!
I have 2 hardhats but failed to wear them...duh.
I guess I will from now on.

 

[schmism]

I always wear the chaps that will stop the saw blade from cutting into your legs if the saw hits them.

Ive worn a set before. not to bulky. made out of 4 or 5 layers of kevlar.

Really designed for if you have sever kickback that will throw a chain at ya. The chaps will prevent you from getting sever cuts.

Should you slip and fall and the running saw make contact with them your not garenteed to come out unhurt. They generally stop the saw but mainly because as the Kevlar fibers give they form stringy ends that get caught up in the saw. so as it cuts more layers it sucks up more fibers. the idea being it bogs down and grinds to a hault before it cuts through all the layers.

(i was working at a retreat camp on staff that had them for all the sawers to use, they had a pair hung on the wall that was evidence of what happens when the saw makes contact with them. enough reminder that even with the protection you never want to "see what would happen")

 

[Jstpssng]

I always wear the chaps that will stop the saw blade from cutting into your legs if the saw hits them. I have recently seen gloves that are made the same way to protect your hands. When cutting trees, I am not sure if the cutting of the tree or the handling of the saw is more dangerous. Both can do a lot of harm to you... Be careful at all times.. Dusty

Yes, I also have steel toed boots which have kevlar (Same as what's in your chaps) up the tongue.
Hard hat is on whenever I'm dragging trees out.
I also won't run a saw which doesn't have an inertia chain brake.

However, the most important safety item is located between the operator's ears.

 

[DieselPower]

After being hit in the head by a falling tree many years ago when cutting down dead trees I started wearing a hard hat. Of course, since I started wearing it I have never been hit again. But that's a good thing.

 

[wushaw]

I use the husky combination face shield ear muffs when cutting then switch to a regular hard hat when dragging the slash to a pile...after a few mesquite thorns upside the head your attitude on wearing head gear changes quickly.

 

[williekioti]

Back when I used to climb trees for a living I always wore my hard hat with ears and face shield, or climbing helmet in the tree, safety glasses, chainsaw chaps when on terra firma, chainsaw boots and gloves on the jobsite. Then I'd think nothing of cutting firewood on my own time in my shorts, hiking boots, tank top and sunglasses. Till the wife came out one day during my homestead firewood operation asking why didn't I wear the same protection cutting trees at home that I did at work? DUH! Needless to say the SOPs at home changed. Sometimes we take things for granted in our "leisure" time.

I've had enough close calls over the years with widow makers or small limbs dropping from the heavens not wear a dome cover in the woods. A small, dead 1" limb seems harmless enough until it falls 80' and lands end down. Can you say javelin?

 

[Charlesaf3]

I always wear the husqy hard hat with shield and ear muffs in the woods - I get hit in the face by branches often enough to appreciate the protection even when the branch isn't falling on my head.

And I never start the saw without wearing the chaps. Minor pain, but they've already stopped a thrown chain - much better than a big pain.

 

[_RaT_]

You are correct...Wear.

I do have some dyslexia when transposing numbers and some letters. I rely on spell check to correct the letters. Must not have worked this time. I always have to check the sequence of numbers (phone# for example) several times to make sure they are in the proper order. Even with this I still made the deans list several times in college.

I fully understand. My wife corrects me left and right. I always use then rather then than (see). I know I'm wrong, but I to am dyslexic either that or I can fall back on my new found excuse - "I was abused as a child"

 

[Egon]

Having a bald pate has certain atvantages aside from a perfect head. For summer sun and winter cold protection some sort of head wear is always needed.

Hard hats or a petzel climbing helmet are my choice when on the tractor. I like the petzel as it straps on.

When using the chain saw it's always a hardhat with visor and muffs, proper boots and pants.

Unfortunetly I have small hands and wearing gloves makes it difficult to properly grip the saw.