Chainsaw Attack..... A friend goes to the ER.

[Arrowhead]

This past early spring I helped a good friend cut and split some wood. He heats with wood and is starting to have back/knee problems. Once we got to woods, I put my chaps on. He looked at me funny and boy, you get all dressed up to cut wood. I said, I rather be safe than sorry. He explained how he has been cutting wood for 40 years and never had an accident. Now I'm NOT one to insist on people wearing ppe. Honestly, I can care less if you do or don't. I don't wear them all the time. Anyway... he was cleaning up some large limbs yesterday that blew down from the never ending storms we been having. Well he ended up running some Oregon LGX into his knee. He went to the ER and had 17 stitches put in. The doc said to keep it immobilized for 2 weeks in fear the stitches would pull out due to the location. He called me up to ask where I bought my chaps from . I'm glad he's ok...... just thought it was ironic.

 

[StihlyinEly]

Glad to see he'll be OK. Irony is fine in literature, but in real life, intact limbs are far more important.

 

[AustinPSD]

Glad to hear he's OK.

I cut daily in South-Central Texas, where even before it's official "summer" we're having temperature-humidity index days 100+F.

I wear chaps, over heavy denim, gloves, long-sleeved shirt and Stihl head-gear with glasses, a screen, hearing protection and steel-toe boots.

I can't work if I'm injured, and can't pay the freight for hospital bills since I have no insurance.

I take along three to four gallons of water, stop when I need a rest, and always use all the PPE I have at my disposal. It may slow me down a little, but it slows me down a whole lot less than a painful drive to the doc-in-the box, or worse yet an ambulance/air transport ride to the ER.

 

[GoRving]

Glad he'll be ok. I need some chaps. Been flirting with disaster for 40 years myself. Thanks for this thread!

 

[adkranger]

Kevlar quilt is cheap insurance. I'm no PPE nazi either, but do tend to wear it when doing any appreciable amount of cutting. Especially in brushy environments and always when dealing with storm damage. Seen more people get hurt during "clean up" then any other situation.

Also glad to hear your friend will be able to cut another day, and that he's not too old to learn..........

 

[ropensaddle]

Glad to hear he's OK.

I cut daily in South-Central Texas, where even before it's official "summer" we're having temperature-humidity index days 100+F.

I wear chaps, over heavy denim, gloves, long-sleeved shirt and Stihl head-gear with glasses, a screen, hearing protection and steel-toe boots.

I can't work if I'm injured, and can't pay the freight for hospital bills since I have no insurance.

I take along three to four gallons of water, stop when I need a rest, and always use all the PPE I have at my disposal. It may slow me down a little, but it slows me down a whole lot less than a painful drive to the doc-in-the box, or worse yet an ambulance/air transport ride to the ER.

Glad to hear it. I have had a heat episode in the San Jacinto forest in south east Texas in 1983. I wear them when I feel it is not too hot for me. We did not have chaps then and never wore them until the mid eighties never cut myself and don't mind wearing them till it gets too hot and will put them on even in hot temps when the probability of accident is high. I recommend if the heat don't bother you to wear them at all times but I would be a bald head liar if I said I did.

 

[TreePointer]

Glad to hear he's OK.

I cut daily in South-Central Texas, where even before it's official "summer" we're having temperature-humidity index days 100+F.

I wear chaps, over heavy denim, gloves, long-sleeved shirt and Stihl head-gear with glasses, a screen, hearing protection and steel-toe boots.

I can't work if I'm injured, and can't pay the freight for hospital bills since I have no insurance.

I take along three to four gallons of water, stop when I need a rest, and always use all the PPE I have at my disposal. It may slow me down a little, but it slows me down a whole lot less than a painful drive to the doc-in-the box, or worse yet an ambulance/air transport ride to the ER.

Same here! (well, except for the Texas part, but nobody's perfect)

 

[Arrowhead]

I always wear them when I'm in the woods for the day. I guess I should always wear them though. His job was a 15 minute clean-up. He is retired, so there will be no work loss for him. Still a hefty hospital bill though. I'm going there in the morning to clean up for him now that he's laid-up. I will be wearing chaps.....

 

[stevohut]

injuries wearing chaps

Has any of you guys ever been injured while wearing chaps where it would have been devastating if you weren't wearing them.

steve

 

[ropensaddle]

Has any of you guys ever been injured while wearing chaps where it would have been devastating if you weren't wearing them.

steve

I injured myself once because of them! They hung a branch and caused me to trip screwed my shin up real good sore a day or two. It could have been way worse.

 

[Metals406]

Glad your friend is okay. . . It's a good lesson!

We had a break from the rain yesterday, so I was out mowing and weed whacking the 80' tall grass.

Sweat was fogging up and dripping on my safety glasses so I put them on the top of my head. As I did it, I thought, "Now something is gonna fly into my eye." It never fails!

Three minutes later, piece of grass in the eye. . . Had to stop and go into the house to dig it out with a Q-tip.

I likes me my PPE.

 

[AUSSIE1]

In one respect Ed he is lucky as it could have been a lot worse than 17 stitches.

 

[mtngun]

He explained how he has been cutting wood for 40 years and never had an accident.

I used to have the same attitude.

Let's see if it'll let me rep you today.

 

[adkranger]

It's funny how my attitude evolved after witnessing friends/co-workers getting injured, having kids and household to support, a few close calls and just generally realizing that I wasn't so invincible any more. The inconvenience ain't so bad........

 

[gwiley]

I wear my full PPE even when I am getting baked in 90+ degF with one exception - my vest (I leave it unzipped or even off if the temps are in the high 90's). If I can't cut in the PPE then I stop cutting. Injuries are too much trouble for me to risk it.

I carry a large cooler of ice water in the truck and take liberal water breaks during summer cutting.

 

[cpr]

I'm glad your friend will be okay. Go easy on him, it takes a big man to swollow his pride and call you to ask about chaps. I hate that he had to learn that way, but grateful that he's well enough to not make that mistake again.

 

[woodyman]

Glad to her your friend is OK.I have been cutting sinse the mid 70's,6 years as a pro and the rest firewood but still don't have a par of chaps.The only cut I got was when I first started using a saw and got a kickback that put a 3" scare in my right shoulder.Them storm damaged trees can be dangerous.Everytime I have a running chainsaw in my hands I am thinking how fast it would cut down to the bone if I loose my focus and get careless.

 

[dennish]

Last fall I nicked my knee. I'm so glad I had chaps because I did not get cut

 

[WoodRipper]

Yep, a nick in my jeans (but no flesh) convinced me to get some Stihl pants. Hot as heck, even the summer version, and I'm in NY so I can't imagine wearing them in TX, but I wear them every time now. Don't have a helmet but am getting one after a limb hit me on the head yesterday as I was cutting down a dead tree. Thankfully it was a small limb. I hate dead trees.

 

[Tim Carroll]

My neighbor and I were working on a 60 cord pile when his Shindiawa 757 kicked back while noodling a 40" round. He had dropped a tree on the saw earlier this spring and broke the hand guard/brake off and he decided not to replace it. The saw shot up like a rocket when the saw tip bound on one side and he bounced the chain off his left index finger. It only took about 3 stitches to fix him up but the scary part was that when we looked at his glove it was cut from the wrist cuff to the palm. That would have been very nasty to have a his wrist slit open. After seeing that (I was right beside him when he did it) I decided that chaps may be a good idea. Needless to say he replaced the hand guard on his saw. I'm glad your friend is ok and glad my neighbor is too. I think that it never hurts to take some precautions and that kinda put some awareness into me.