While my pride is hurt, I'm posting this just so others don't go out and be as foolish as I was today. I will say that I am as careful as I can be, I have PPE and that's why I'm so pissed at myself.
My neighbor had a tree to cut down awhile ago and I insisted that he wear my chaps. Fast forward a few months and I was out today getting the saw ready for next weekend since my neighbor has a gum that he said I could have...local POCO set it down and I only need to buck it a small amount.
I looked around for the chaps today and I didn't see them, thought I retrieved them but I was just going to set the carb on the fresh gas, new chain and make a few cuts to get it hot. A red oak fell during the last big storm and I ran a few cuts through it and after about 10 min or so it was running good. I walked away from the tree and there was a small 2" tree I need to get out of the way so I blipped the gas and went through the "twig", as I finished I went to hit the kill switch as I walked away and all this happened simultaneously....
I stepped away as the saw was slowing down, reached for the kill switch and the bar caught a vine and kicked it towards my left leg as it was moving forward in stride. I had jeans on, NO CHAPS! and I felt a tap on the leg, looked down and saw a gaping tear in the denim.
I didn't feel anything except a tap on the leg, saw some light pink and peeked in and instantly relieved I didn't need a medic but a lot of TLC.
Pretty freaking scary, could have been much, much worse. Looks worse than it is but nonetheless it took some scrubbing and a few hydrocolloid patches. I'm always careful and give saws all the respect they deserve, this time I was just stupid because it was just a quick adjustment.
I won't make that mistake again, and I'm very thankful I have the opportunity to even make a mistake again. For anyone who thinks it won't happen to them, believe me, don't chance it. This is a pride-killer for sure, I have no idea how I even let the saw get close to me but it did and everything came into play and it took a bite out of me. Chainsaws show no mercy and they are not your friend, that's the mentality I go out with and it let me know who has the larger teeth.
Work safe.
My neighbor had a tree to cut down awhile ago and I insisted that he wear my chaps. Fast forward a few months and I was out today getting the saw ready for next weekend since my neighbor has a gum that he said I could have...local POCO set it down and I only need to buck it a small amount.
I looked around for the chaps today and I didn't see them, thought I retrieved them but I was just going to set the carb on the fresh gas, new chain and make a few cuts to get it hot. A red oak fell during the last big storm and I ran a few cuts through it and after about 10 min or so it was running good. I walked away from the tree and there was a small 2" tree I need to get out of the way so I blipped the gas and went through the "twig", as I finished I went to hit the kill switch as I walked away and all this happened simultaneously....
I stepped away as the saw was slowing down, reached for the kill switch and the bar caught a vine and kicked it towards my left leg as it was moving forward in stride. I had jeans on, NO CHAPS! and I felt a tap on the leg, looked down and saw a gaping tear in the denim.
I didn't feel anything except a tap on the leg, saw some light pink and peeked in and instantly relieved I didn't need a medic but a lot of TLC.
Pretty freaking scary, could have been much, much worse. Looks worse than it is but nonetheless it took some scrubbing and a few hydrocolloid patches. I'm always careful and give saws all the respect they deserve, this time I was just stupid because it was just a quick adjustment.
I won't make that mistake again, and I'm very thankful I have the opportunity to even make a mistake again. For anyone who thinks it won't happen to them, believe me, don't chance it. This is a pride-killer for sure, I have no idea how I even let the saw get close to me but it did and everything came into play and it took a bite out of me. Chainsaws show no mercy and they are not your friend, that's the mentality I go out with and it let me know who has the larger teeth.
Work safe.