When a helmet, isn't

[JYC]

My neighbor, let this friend of hers on her place, he liked to cut firewood.
Anyone who looked at his stumps, and the mess he left, would understand he had no training at all.
He had a cheap helmet he bought, figured he was all set.
Then he was felling a dead beech tree, and the top sheared off and smacked him on the noggin. When he came to, he stumbled around the bush for an hour or so, his eyes would not focus. But gradually they did, and he managed to get to his car. He drove himself 30 minutes to the hospital.
That was a year ago, he still suffers migraine headaches and one eye is still dilated a bit. He had a massive concussion.
He returned to work but on reduced duties. When his contract came up for renewal, he was let go.
He's still out of work, and his GF dumped him.

That helmet? Giant dent in the top, no safety rating at all. It did save his life, so credit for that, but his life has now changed, perhaps permanently.

Asked why he didn't come to me for a ride to the hospital, he says he doesn't even remember driving there.

 

[rarefish383]

A guy I know did the same thing, but no helmet. I had taken down 6-7 30+ inch Poplars in his back yard. As we were packing up, he pointed to a tall skinny, dead Oak tree. He asked if it was ready to burn. it was only 10-12 inches, no bark, I said by burning season it would be perfect. I asked if he wanted me to throw it down. He said no, we had put in a long day, and he would get it the next day. He reminded me he used to work for a large local Tree Company. Several weeks later he called and said he was in Baltimore Shock Trauma. When he took the tree down the top collapsed back on him. It fell like an arrow, the butt swung straight down, hit him in the forehead, broke his nose, ripped his lip in half, and broke his neck. He walked out to where the helicopter picked him up. He had to wear a Halo that screwed into his skull, and shoulder blades. Turned out when he worked for the tree company, he ran one of the spray crews, never really worked on a tree.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I picked up a Husqvarna Technical Forest Helmet this year. Most of my trees are oak, maple, poplar, and they're nerve-racking when I have to down one. I'm no pro but have been in the woods 50 years and figured my luck lasted this long, it's probably about to give out.

THANK YOU for all the great tips and help you've provided, I'm safer, smarter, and love sawing even more now than before; with luck I'll be doing it for another 50 years.

 

[northmanlogging]

My neighbor, let this friend of hers on her place, he liked to cut firewood.
Anyone who looked at his stumps, and the mess he left, would understand he had no training at all.
He had a cheap helmet he bought, figured he was all set.
Then he was felling a dead beech tree, and the top sheared off and smacked him on the noggin. When he came to, he stumbled around the bush for an hour or so, his eyes would not focus. But gradually they did, and he managed to get to his car. He drove himself 30 minutes to the hospital.
That was a year ago, he still suffers migraine headaches and one eye is still dilated a bit. He had a massive concussion.
He returned to work but on reduced duties. When his contract came up for renewal, he was let go.
He's still out of work, and his GF dumped him.

That helmet? Giant dent in the top, no safety rating at all. It did save his life, so credit for that, but his life has now changed, perhaps permanently.

Asked why he didn't come to me for a ride to the hospital, he says he doesn't even remember driving there.

folks make snide remarks about hard hats saving you from a tree, well... the hat was dented, not his skull, hats paid for regardless of price or quality it worked
I've gone through 3 sets of suspension in the last 2 years (they are supposed to be good for 5 years) all of them broken from impacts one for sure gave me a concussion... its what they are there for, you may get your bell rung and a concussion isn't real fun, but last I checked being dead or worse crippled isn't a whole lot of fun either (unless you go to Valhalla then I guess that could be fun)

 

[user 188535]

My neighbor, let this friend of hers on her place, he liked to cut firewood.
Anyone who looked at his stumps, and the mess he left, would understand he had no training at all.
He had a cheap helmet he bought, figured he was all set.
Then he was felling a dead beech tree, and the top sheared off and smacked him on the noggin. When he came to, he stumbled around the bush for an hour or so, his eyes would not focus. But gradually they did, and he managed to get to his car. He drove himself 30 minutes to the hospital.
That was a year ago, he still suffers migraine headaches and one eye is still dilated a bit. He had a massive concussion.
He returned to work but on reduced duties. When his contract came up for renewal, he was let go.
He's still out of work, and his GF dumped him.

That helmet? Giant dent in the top, no safety rating at all. It did save his life, so credit for that, but his life has now changed, perhaps permanently.

Asked why he didn't come to me for a ride to the hospital, he says he doesn't even remember driving there.

Wow. Thats bad. I do not usualy wear a helmet when cutting firewood, but when felling I surely do. Some people are so stupid and still wonder why they die and get hurt.

 

[Okie]

Wow. Thats bad. I do not usualy wear a helmet when cutting firewood, but when felling I surely do. Some people are so stupid and still wonder why they die and get hurt.

AND
seems them stupid people are the majority now days when when voting and when I start looking at the elected Politicians.

Safety First.

 

[rarefish383]

Wow. Thats bad. I do not usualy wear a helmet when cutting firewood, but when felling I surely do. Some people are so stupid and still wonder why they die and get hurt.

I don't think any of the ones that actually die, wonder why, at least they don't talk about it much?