Wearing chaps

[buckbandit]

Here north of 49th WCB requires we wear saw pants or chaps and both must fully wrap around your lower leg. My preferance, chaps 100% of the time. During colder temps I can adjust them to fit under more layers of clothing. In the summer months when belive it or not temps can reach mid 30 degrees c I still wear um and during breaks they are off in 2 shakes of a poplar branch and back on in just a little longer. I wear them when I'm climbing too, not so much for protection from the saw, but for those small sharp stubs. The company I work wants all ground workers to wear leg protection and I think that's a good thing but I don't push it hard. I can empithise with the guys down south dealing with the heat. Plus when I was running hydo-axe if I had to cut for a minute or 2 I didn't dig my chaps out of the truck.:deadhorse:

 

[treemandan]

I will use them any time temperatures here are cool enough to permit use.

Nice to see all of the people saying they can handle the heat live in Canada, N. Dakota, Ohio, or Wisconsin. By the comments, you have no clue - none. No idea of what it is like to work when it is already 90F by 8:30 am. No, we don't wear chaps, we use good judgement. There are more arborists in Austin than any other city in Texas and I have never seen anyone wearing chaps. Never even heard of it. That includes Asphlunde and Davey. Here the actual temperature can get up to 112.

When working in a northen climate in the snow, yes I wear chaps or pants - they are warm and coozy.

Arboriculture is like forestry in the way that there is no room for blanket prescriptions. In some situations, chaps would just be more dangerous - that is a fact.

No matter how strong you are and how much you drink, you can't beat heat exhaustion if you are bustin a$$ working in thick, bulky gear. That includes you desert cammandos.

Instead of arguing wear or not, how about some one making thinner, more breatheable safety pants.

Not being preachy, just stating the way things are.

I noticed that it said 'banned' below your name. why? I kind of like it.

 

[KiwiTreeSteve]

Would you pay $100 to prevent a chain going 1000+ rpm chewing up your testes?

That's money well spent.

nice point!!

 

[thebiggreenone]

I put on my full-length with ankle wraps on in the morning when I get out of the truck, and don't take them off until lunch time, then they go back on until we are heading back to the yard to unload for the day. This includes all ground work and all tree climbing.

I think it is only smart to wear them. I've never found them to be such a hindrance as many people claim, except for the heat. In that case maybe I'd put on my 3/4 lengths and sweat it out.

Its like wearing a seatbelt, it is such a cheap, easy way to protect your life and limb (literally) I think it is simply foolish not to. I also don't feel too bad when someone hurts them self when it could have so easily been avoided.

 

[KiwiTreeSteve]

i always wear my summer weight chainsaw pants, 7 layer thick balistic material on the front, and a nylon type material around the back it is very breathable and quite cool, however the temp here is raely over 30o C.

 

[costello]

stump grinding always wear

never have i wore chaps for climbing or felling or ?. many pine seasons i used (2) pairs of pants to climb. for stump grinding you should always consider a stone hitting a vein, i, have a couple of stories, old timers showed the impact caused damage, i don't have chaps now, but if grinding, i would wear them, i did. Chaps are good. You have to slow just a bit to wear them, and that might be there saving grace.

 

[clearance]

This is like so 2002, really now people.

 

[fireman]

My guys have to wear there chaps .especia;y in heat.the guys get tired easier and weaker which spells disaster.im talking from experience.YES CHAPS STOP THE BLADES.I will try to post pics of a couple pair of chaps we use.they also have to wear steel toes I will try to post pics of some boots that the steel toes stopped. this all happened when it was 85 degrees or higher do what you want but be careful.

 

[treemandan]

This is like so 2002, really now people.

I like a guy in chaps and hopefully he has a motorcycle. this is not so 2002 honey, this is so very now! What's your sign?

 

[treemandan]

My guys have to wear there chaps .especia;y in heat.the guys get tired easier and weaker which spells disaster.im talking from experience.YES CHAPS STOP THE BLADES.I will try to post pics of a couple pair of chaps we use.they also have to wear steel toes I will try to post pics of some boots that the steel toes stopped. this all happened when it was 85 degrees or higher do what you want but be careful.

with a tag line like yours I wouldn't show up in anything less than chain mail.
You have to watch the heat. I don't use them but I have a pair for "my" guy. An chainsaw in somebodies hand other than mine is dangerous.

 

[treemandan]

Hey there,
Sorry if I came across poorly... but... I'm one of those people who feels very strongly about safety.

For example: I put on chaps, safety glasses and ear protection before I even warm up the saw.

I can still cut faster than my 2 guys pulling it away so I don't sacrifce production for safety.

Anyway... I keep it cool

hello, Mr saftey? I am Mr. danger. yeah good chance I might get killed, watch out.

 

[treemandan]

165, you made a great point, Although chaps are important safety item, there are situations as you have described when wearing them you are actually doing yourself a disservice.

I dont want to be up a tree miserable, possible making a mental mistake, because I am thinking about how uncomfortable I feel.


Dan

you and me share the same philosophy. Go up there in comfort and style. I have a Camelback filled with Pina' Coloda. Want some?

 

[Spider]

I make it a habit that anytime I use a saw on the ground I put my chaps on, whether I'm at work or working for myself. When it comes to PPE, there is no excuse for me not to be safe the company I work for provides anything we could possibly need or want. As far as the heat goes chaps = sweatpants

 

[Burvol]

Labonville is the only way to go

 

[jtrent]

After 30 years of climbing, I have learned that I am not "bulletproof". As a young fellow I used to think that accidents happened to other folks who probably were not paying attention. Well, they say that there are two kinds of computer users: the kind who have lost their data and the kind who will lose their data. It seems to me that the same applies to accidents. If you work in this field long enough you will be involved in an accident. Hopefully, it will be minor and you will recover quickly. We all have to determine how we are going to run our business and protect ourselves and our employees. My advice is to give every type of PPE a fair evaluation and then make it a habit to use just as much of it as you possibly can as often as you can.

 

[lxt]

I use to wear chaps on occassion....not all the time!! If I was using the saw for any length of time I`d wear em, Not when cutting a limb at the chipper though!!

I posted elsewhere about an incident that happened to me....about 3-4yrs ago, I was cutting down a tree & at about waist height I made my cut(s) cause the homeowner wanted them left so the excavator could get em out, NOT telling me this tree had a steel post in it when planted (used for bracing) I made the notch.......then the back cut......well I use one arm to feel & give the tree that little extra push.....Goose the saw one more time the nose hits the rod, saw does a helicopter style move & catches me right across the stomach......perferated the skin from one side to the other right across the belly button!!

Chaps would of done no good!! HOWEVER, I took this as a wakeup call & now I wear em!! that cut could of been real bad!! but was the nicest saw cut you could want( the experience was scarier), BE SAFE & make it home to see those who love you.....Somebody loves you!! Take Care!


LXT................

 

[treemandan]

I use to wear chaps on occassion....not all the time!! If I was using the saw for any length of time I`d wear em, Not when cutting a limb at the chipper though!!

I posted elsewhere about an incident that happened to me....about 3-4yrs ago, I was cutting down a tree & at about waist height I made my cut(s) cause the homeowner wanted them left so the excavator could get em out, NOT telling me this tree had a steel post in it when planted (used for bracing) I made the notch.......then the back cut......well I use one arm to feel & give the tree that little extra push.....Goose the saw one more time the nose hits the rod, saw does a helicopter style move & catches me right across the stomach......perferated the skin from one side to the other right across the belly button!!

Chaps would of done no good!! HOWEVER, I took this as a wakeup call & now I wear em!! that cut could of been real bad!! but was the nicest saw cut you could want( the experience was scarier), BE SAFE & make it home to see those who love you.....Somebody loves you!! Take Care!


LXT................

Let them make fun of me for being a happy brake slapping fool. I have seen many guys cut like you described, alot of times with success. I have found that it sets off my " danger happening" sense whether there is a chance of metal or not. It is something I never felt comfortable doing.
I hate it worse when someone comes over and tries to push it while I make a backcut, very stupid move. When i see people do it I think of a comic routine that has a good chance of going really bad. I have often been asked" Hey, give this a push, will ya?" the answer is always "NO."
I WILL stand ready while someone dices up some smaller trees from the ground and then catch them while they fall to run them out over the flowers and potted plants right to the chipper.
I think the text book term for this is called 'receiveing' and is carried out by a 'receiver'.
I never have come close to cutting my legs with a saw and the times when kickback occured I was ready. I have cut other parts with the little climbers.

 

[geocom]

All the time

I'm just a homeowner not an expert like many here but it seems like for somewhere around a hundred dollars for chaps and a helmet is pretty cheap when compared to life and limb I haven't always used them I used them when I was training as a forestry tech(never did a thing with that) but didn't use them for years after however I use them all the time now sure sometimes it sucks cause they definitely don't help you stay cool but for the added measure of protection I am all for it

 

[loveroftrees]

I wear them alot. I have ran my 036 into my leg. If I did not have them on lets just say it would have been ugly. After it happened I called my buddy over showed him sat down drank a water, cleaned out the saw {the fiber makes a mess} and went back to work. O by the way, I changed my chapps and but on a new pair. Like saws I have several paires of chapps. Just bought a nother pair on E-Bay....bob

 

[ClimbinArbor]

never worn em.

been cutting wood since i was a wee one and i have never worn a pair. i have never cut my self with a saw, and am gonna try just real hard to keep it that way lol. i run to fast paced for them anyhow. would spend more time taking em off and putting them on than i would doing a whole tree each day. and ill be danged if im wearin that stuff in a tree lol. wearing a pair of chaps all day would be like wearing a lead vest in the jungle i would think lol.

i WOULD recommend putting them on the newbies tho. they can be really stupid lol.