Working with Someone Else -- Safety Issues

[WarmGuy]

My neighbor had not quite finished felling a large tree, and his saw stopped and wouldn't start. It actually was a thirty-foot "stump" that was sticking up at a 45 degree angle. The whole tree had fallen, and when a cut was made, this "stump" popped up into the air. The base of the tree was about 24 inches in diameter.

Anyway, I get there, and this situation was really a bit beyond our capability and our saws' capabilities (we both have 18 inch bars). The neighbor had made the cut up high, where the base was narrower. He hadn't cut a wedge out on the side to which it was leaning, so it wasn't easy to cut without the saw getting stuck.

I really wanted to say "this just isn't safe -- there's no way with our equipment to finish the cut safely."

But I couldn't really say that without making my friend feel stupid; we would have had to leave this thing hanging, or call in some pros. So I took it slowly, considered each step, bent a few of my safety rules, and we got it down. The two rules I bent were 1. not cutting something wider than my bar and 2. not using the saw a shoulder height. I was extra careful.

The neighbor is a great guy, good with mechanical things, but ignorant about chainsaw safety.

Probably the wrong decision, but things turned out OK. I don't want to get in a situation like that again.

 

[webbie]

I was snowshoeing in the woods today and saw all kinds of tress in all kinds of leaning states....and I had the same thoughts. I'm gonna stick to the easy jobs from now on. I've already proven myself in my younger days, and I am not ready to get seriously wounded being a lumberjack.

 

[jeff6443]

Been there done that sometimes one head is better then two . Yea you ll be the J Off . But you will be alive
so will he lol .And he wont know the difference . Yep I m an aries . Sheeple are just waiting for us to lead them LOL.
Had some issues years fishing with a guy 52 miles offshore he knew it all .

 

[Rowski]

Glad to see things worked out.

I can't speak for what you did right or wrong. I do think what you did right was So I took it slowly, considered each step, bent a few of my safety rules, and we got it down. That is the key. I think we have all bent or broken the "rules" at some point.

I have a good friend of mine who is an arborist. We discuss scenario and he give some very valuable lessons. I go to his job site at times and watch him work. Its amazing how much one can learn from watching someone do it right.