Definitely a tragic accident, terrible that it happened. I have great sympathy for the family and what they must be going through....
That said, I figure it is worth looking at it to see what can be learned. Judging from the article, I would tend to say that there are two key facts we can gather...
1. Protective gear probably would NOT have helped... Much as it is an excellent idea to wear it, in this case it probably wouldn't have helped much - per the article he hit her in the neck with the saw, an area that gear doesn't cover. This isn't to rank on the gear, but what the forestry pro in the comments was saying about it really doesn't work... Training MIGHT have helped - as has been pointed out many times, the most important gear is in between your ears, but you have to use it!
2. Leads me to the second conclusion, that this was a case of serious stupidity on BOTH persons part, though I would tend to put more blame on the wife.... HE should have been more aware of what was around him, and especially should have LOOKED to see where he was putting the bar of his saw... However I would say the wife is more at fault for coming within range of someone using a saw without making SURE he KNEW that she was there...
I seldom cut with others around (if anything I err in the opposite direction, as cutting by oneself has it's own set of risks) but when I do, I make sure that I tell them NOT to come near me, except from the front, and then stop several feet away and wave or otherwise attract my attention until I've shut the saw down to at least an idle and acknowledged their presence... If working as part of a team, I won't start the saw until we've discussed what the plan is, and where people will be.
By not only coming up behind him, but getting into the operating area of the saw, she was putting herself at great risk. If it had been me, and I'd caught her doing a stunt like that, the neighbors would probably have been glad when I stopped yelling at her and fired up the saw so they could get some QUIET....
Unfortunately though, she got caught the hard way, with tragic results...
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On a different subject that was raised..
jdinspector
That really is sad. I read the article and many of the responses. One was from a forestry professional. He asked how many wear various PPE, including a helmet. I wear ear and eye protection, along with boots, gloves and chaps, however, I don’t wear a helmet. Since I’m cutting logs that are already down and laying on my driveway or sawbuck, how necessary is a helmet? I’m thinking that’s for folks who are out in the woods cutting down trees, branches, etc. As I stated above, I’m ONLY cutting up logs that have been loaded off of my trailer or truck. Am I missing something?
If you are cutting on the ground, the helmet is more or less optional, but it is still STRONGLY reccomended that you have BOTH eye and face protection - as in safety glasses and a mesh or plastic screen that covers your face. In theory, if you should get a kickback, a helmet might offer some protection, but IMHO that is a fairly remote risk and protection. However I've found the face shield is really helpful - even with a beard, flying chips hurt...
I have tried having a discrete screen and muffs, and found that it was a real challenge trying to keep all the parts in place.
I then went to a combo unit of a screen attached to a pair of muffs, which was better, but still problematic in that the weight of the screen would tend to drag the muffs out of place, or that flipping the screen up and down would knock the muffs off, etc, especially when trying to hold the saw with one hand and adjust the protection with the other...
I now have a helmet / muff / screen combo, and find that works much better - the suspension of the helmet works to keep everything in place. In retrospect, the only thing I would have done differently, and that I will look for in my next helmet is a "ratchet knob" size adjustment rather than the loop and pin strap setup. It makes it easier to deal with changes in what I'm wearing under the helmet - i.e. a hat in cold weather, a sweat band in the hot weather, or nothing in the shoulder season... I find the helmet works so much better than the other options, I will sometimes wear it when using my table saw or other power tools of that sort - sure it looks goofy, but it works....
Gooserider
