Helmet Rant

[begleytree]

Well, glasses get smeared with sap and dust, they scratch and blur, you're forever wiping and cleaning them, they also fog up from body heat and sweat, a pita and a waste of time when on your saw all day. They're also a pita to wear with a helmet.

Earplugs on their own soon get grungy and grotty, caked with sweat, grease, debris and earwax, yuk, and their foam structure breaks down and they don't stop much noise after a day or so, strictly a disposable use and throw system.

Earmuffs on their own are not much chop either, they don't cut a huge amount of sound, specially with drilled mufflers. Earplugs AND earmuffs combined are by far the best hearing protection, full stop.

You only got one set of precious eyes in this life, and if you're not using a visor you'd be a complete mug, specially if using the saw above shoulder height. What sort of nutter would risk their own eyesight?? As for helmets, if you've ever been clobbered/king hit on the head with falling branches, rotten tops, pinecones etc.. you'll never NOT wear a proper helmet again..

what are you getting at? new foamies every day is a given, they're what? $0.05 each?
the rest of your rant, I'm sorry to point out, can all be attributed to skill level. the things you are pointing out, I learned 10 years ago not to do in the first place. try changing your system a bit, not just pack up another 50lbs of junk gear to cover your mistakes.and no, in what now? 36-12-3(military) thats what call it about 20 years, nope, never been hit on the head by anything. thats known as situational awareness around these parts. you get hit a few times around here, you're looking for work. no one needs a walking workers comp claim. :newbie:
-Ralph

 

[pgg]

Begley, new 'foamies' every day is what I do myself, you won't get an argument from me on that score, they're 35 cents a pair, such a huge expense I buy them in bulk, wear them for a day then throw them, I wear earmuffs with them too, earmuffs protect your ears from sharp sticks etc also. Begley, I've been working in the bush on chainsaws for over 30 years, I've seen some mean accidents, never had a serious accident myself, but doesn't mean my wearing safety gear is a waste of time, just one small f**k up can change your life, I've seen it happen to unfortunate others. I'm not talkin death and destruction raining down constantly, I'm talkin everyday comfort and protection from relatively minor PITA injuries. Change what system? Throw away my visors and wear goggles? Why? Throw away my earmuffs? Why? Throw away my helmet? Why? So Begley, you've never been hit in the head by falling debris etc, you've never been poked in the eyes, and you're too 'skilled' for that to ever happen? 'Situational awareness' ain't gonna stop a bunch of pinecones or hidden branches falling from 90 feet or even only 10 feet onto your unprotected skull matey! 'Situational awareness' is academic greenhorn talk! But of course you gotta use ya brains! Of course you've gotta stay alert and check out everything above! Spend a few years workin' in the forests droppin trees every day, in all sorts of terrain and weather conditions - you'll soon change your mind about being 'too skilled' to wear head/face protection..

 

[logbutcher]

Ralphie, Ralphie, Ralphie

You said whaaaaaaaaaat ? S.A. is when the sh_t hits your head.....:monkey: .
Remind me not to use your services...... Ralphie will not be coming down for breakfast :hmm3grin2orange:
"Situational Awareness" is
1.
2.
3.
4.

 

[pgg]

Lost me...

 

[logbutcher]

Lost

Me too

 

[2dogs]

Skull bucket. Mine also has a nomex neck drape, a holdover from my days as a firefighter. I wear Rx Rec Specs or sometimes Bugz. I haven't tried the screen sunglasses yet but they do look promising. BTW the Skullbucket rivets rusy very quickly

 

[SinglerM]

PPE = newby.

I don't know about that. I'm a machinist and a welder, for many years now. Wearing proper PPE is just part of the deal. I've heard alot of excuses for not wearing PPE, but they are just people coming up with "reasons" for not wanting to wear any of it.
Fact is, in any industrial setting I've ever worked in (manufacturing, job shop, ship yard, oil rig) PPE was a requirement. No correlation to be made about being new and wearing PPE or being old school and not wearing it. never mattered what anyone personal opinion was....you were going to wear it or go home.
I don't see how tree work is any different.
I wear the helmet system, chaps, gloves and work boots....but I'm still new.
I guess when I get to be "old school" I'll work in some tennis shoes, a ball cap and some $10 shades from wal-mart ( so I won't look too new.)


Good night,
Mitch

 

[SWE#Kipp]

I don't know about that. I'm a machinist and a welder, for many years now. Wearing proper PPE is just part of the deal. I've heard alot of excuses for not wearing PPE, but they are just people coming up with "reasons" for not wanting to wear any of it.
Fact is, in any industrial setting I've ever worked in (manufacturing, job shop, ship yard, oil rig) PPE was a requirement. No correlation to be made about being new and wearing PPE or being old school and not wearing it. never mattered what anyone personal opinion was....you were going to wear it or go home.
I don't see how tree work is any different.
I wear the helmet system, chaps, gloves and work boots....but I'm still new.
I guess when I get to be "old school" I'll work in some tennis shoes, a ball cap and some $10 shades from wal-mart ( so I won't look too new.)


Good night,
Mitch

Here in Sweden it's required by law to wear protective pants/chaps, helmet and boots if you are "working" in the woods, the good thing with this is that "harry home owner" also use it cause they like to feel them self as a pro

 

[slowp]

Well, glasses get smeared with sap and dust, they scratch and blur, you're forever wiping and cleaning them, they also fog up from body heat and sweat, a pita and a waste of time when on your saw all day. They're also a pita to wear with a helmet.

Earplugs on their own soon get grungy and grotty, caked with sweat, grease, debris and earwax, yuk, and their foam structure breaks down and they don't stop much noise after a day or so, strictly a disposable use and throw system.

Earmuffs on their own are not much chop either, they don't cut a huge amount of sound, specially with drilled mufflers. Earplugs AND earmuffs combined are by far the best hearing protection, full stop.

You only got one set of precious eyes in this life, and if you're not using a visor you'd be a complete mug, specially if using the saw above shoulder height. What sort of nutter would risk their own eyesight?? As for helmets, if you've ever been clobbered/king hit on the head with falling branches, rotten tops, pinecones etc.. you'll never NOT wear a proper helmet again..

I'm a PNWer and will butt in even though it seems we are not wanted. I wear a full brim hat, like everybody else here. I wear safety glasses and have immitation Croakies to keep them attached to me. I use (pastel colored, cuz I'm a girly girl) ear plugs and leave them in my pants pocket when I do the wash. They come out in the dryer and are clean and puffy like new. I carry a bunch in my pocket so I can lose one here or there. Since nobody else will touch pastel colored ones, I am assured that the dirt and grunge on the plug is my own. Let me see, I don't cut every day or even all day, but do work out every day in logging operations. We have limbs falling around us and the occasional tree. I've taken the hardest hits during walking, having limbs come loose and snap into my hat. I use my head to plow through the brush, can't do that very well with a bare head, and being a klutz, fall and trip a lot in the fell and buck. Hard hats will protect your head when that happens also. It's just automatic to wear em and I'd get chewed out by the crews if I didn't. Most of us wear bright orange hats also, because it is a good thing to be easily seen.

 

[bobc]

PPE= SMART OR SMART NEWBIE
NO PPE=DUMB-ASS OR DUMB-ASS

 

[logbutcher]

Situational Awareness

the rest of your rant, I'm sorry to point out, can all be attributed to skill level the things you are pointing out, I learned 10 years ago not to do in the first place. try changing your system a bit, not just pack up another 50lbs of junk gear to cover your mistakes.and no, in what now? 36-12-3(military) thats what call it about 20 years, nope, never been hit on the head by anything. thats known as situational awareness around these parts. you get hit a few times around here, you're looking for work. no one needs a walking workers comp claim. :newbie:
-Ralph

Oh yeah Ralph: that full metal jacket "awareness" thing. :jawdrop: Oh yeah that macho "incoming" situational awareness thing. . Give us a break here Raphie: that's one big fat myth. "Mistakes" huh ? You some kind of all-knowing god head that knows when and where the ole widow-maker is falling ?
PPE is maybe 5 lbs, and a couple of minutes at most to don ( nice word).
You want to do the woods without PPE, great. Please, none of this situational awareness B.S. Out. :censored:

Gee booys and girls, all I started was about those silly helmet systems.

 

[PB]

I don't know if you have looked into the helmets that Cutters Choice carries or not. I have had really good luck with it, I am not sure who makes it though. They carry all the spare parts if something breaks though.

My cousin had to have his leg amputated from a chainsaw accident. He wouldn't wear PPE, he looks real macho hobbling around on his crutches. I know this about helmets not chaps, but safety is priority.