Why safty gear is so important!!!!!!!!!!!

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ourhouse

Minister of Fire
Feb 16, 2006
727
Norfolk Ma
12/8/00 I got up and went to work on top of the world. I had my new son, his 1st Christmas was coming and everything was going great. I got to work and was sent to the town of Dover to clear a backyard for a pool and basketball court at a new house. The job was going great. I was working with 2 other people. We were removing a lot of large oaks, misc. trees and under brush. After lunch one of the guys was sent to go dump the chip truck. Myself and one other guy went back to work. I was felling the trees and bucking them to length and the other guy was moving the wood with a machine. I went to cut down a large oak that was standing all by itself. We hadn't cut any other trees around it all day. I made the proper cuts and was backing away at the safe 45 degree departure angle. About 12 to 15 feet away from the stump a 5" limb broke out of the top of the tree from about 40' and hit me in the helmet. It then skidded off the helmet on to my shoulder and dropped me to the ground. My helmet broke but saved my life. I was also wearing chaps and my saw somehow came in contact with my leg and chewed up my chaps. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, about 3 months out of work and 6 months of physical therapy. This is all what people in the accident report said (I don't remember anything from the week of the accident and a few days after). I was told I had been doing everything right when it happened. It was just a fluke accident. The moral of the story is that cutting trees is no joke. Whether it's a 10" tree or a 4' tree, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Waking up a week later in a hospital after an accident is no joke. The doctors said if I wasn't wearing a helmet I would have been dead. I keep that helmet at work on my toolbox as a reminder to everyone and myself how important it is to wear your safety gear. Think twice befor you do something where you could hurt or killed.


John
 
Excellent lesson here John. More people should be reading this thread. Can you cange the title to something more explicit? I almost passed over this thread not knowing what PPE means (personal protection equip.?). Maybe change it to "Why safety gear is so important"
 
BeGreen I just changed it. Im glad you didn't pass it over .
Thanks
JOHN
 
Excellent. With the monsterous firs we have around us, I give them wide berth on windy days. Ten inch limbs are not uncommon. With a full coat of needles they weigh a lot. When they fall they're known as widowmakers.
 
Very good story John . Many people need to take note of it . I'd like to see a poll posted to see how many people actually do ware P.P.E. that run a chainsaw. ( and no , leather gloves dont count as being fitted with PPE )
I thinks a lot of it is lack of knowledge of P.P.E. Most anywhere you buy a lower grade , lack of a dealer chainsaw more time not than so you wont even find PPE for sale. Some are just stubborn and i think most are just lack of knowing.
 
Well guys ya did it. After all these years all I had were the chaps and the boots. I just went down and bought the Husky helmet (Darth Vader in orange?). I hated helmets even when I was flying in helicopters but it will be part of the gear henceforth. It sounds line a full neck brace to go along with it would be in order considering Earthharvester's experience.

I have two in the middle of the woods that need to come down and I have dropped a lot of trees before. But I am waiting now for the next high wind forecast. An hour ahead of the high wind I am going to notch and back cut these two and head for the house and let Ma Nature push'em down. They have a few acres each way to land.

Don't wanna dent my nice shiny new helmet.
 
BrotherBart said:
Well guys ya did it. After all these years all I had were the chaps and the boots. I just went down and bought the Husky helmet (Darth Vader in orange?). I hated helmets even when I was flying in helicopters but it will be part of the gear henceforth. It sounds line a full neck brace to go along with it would be in order considering Earthharvester's experience.

I have two in the middle of the woods that need to come down and I have dropped a lot of trees before. But I am waiting now for the next high wind forecast. An hour ahead of the high wind I am going to notch and back cut these two and head for the house and let Ma Nature push'em down. They have a few acres each way to land.

Don't wanna dent my nice shiny new helmet.
Awesome! pat on the back 4 u brotherbart! I thought the worst of things when i first seen a logger helmet ......... actually , there real darn comfortable and dont take long to get used to , chaps are the same.
I feel funny if i dont have my helmet and chaps on. Boots and eye protection have always been automatic for me.
 
BB thats GREAT. Good to here about the helmet. As for cutting two trees at once. Not such a great idea. We had a guy around here who did that and he forgot one thing. Gravity doesn't sleep. After he cut the first one he went to cut the second, the first one fell and KILLED him. He left a wife and 3 kids behind.
Best to do one at a time and make sure no one walks near it.

John
 
earthharvester said:
BB thats GREAT. Good to here about the helmet. As for cutting two trees at once. Not such a great idea. We had a guy around here who did that and he forgot one thing. Gravity doesn't sleep. After he cut the first one he went to cut the second, the first one fell and KILLED him. He left a wife and 3 kids behind.
Best to do one at a time and make sure no one walks near it.

John

Thanks. Every since the tornado landed in front of the house my woods have been a combat zone anyway. 70 foot leaners. Widow makers dropping with great regularity etc. Stability is not exactly a word that could be applied to any tree out there. In fact the worst thing is when the saw is running you can't hear the creaks, crack and pops that means something large and in charge has just decided to give up and come down behind you. Not even connected to the same tree you are working.
 
This is a perfect example of why I only take down trees around Christmas time, once they've been untied from the top of my car...
 
%-P
recppd said:
This is a perfect example of why I only take down trees around Christmas time, once they've been untied from the top of my car...
 
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