Got Money's Worth Out of Helmet Today

[Laird]

Was dropping a Hickory with a snapped off & hanging top today. Lots of dead hanging limbs. Could drop it in about any direction so I was sawing under the area with the fewest hanging limbs. When it started to go over I stepped back and was about 10-15' away when a limb hit me square on top of the head, broke and hit both my shoulders.

No pain other than shoulders are sore. Felt kinda cool actually. Felt the suspension straps tighten around my head and heard a loud thunk. Hit far enough back that it didn't damage my face screen that was up. No damage to the helmet that didn't just wipe off. Limb was about 3" diameter but I'm not sure how long since it broke into several pieces. I figure the limb must have hung up in another tree as it went over and was pulled off and came down and fell about 40'.

Wear your PPE guys. First time it's happened to me in years but it only takes once!

 

[synness4]

had about the same thing happen to me glad you did not get hurt,took me awhile to get used to wearing it but sure glad I do

 

[toddstreeservic]

for me it usually my mate whacking me in the head, either way I am glad to be wearing it!

 

[John Ellison]

Makes you think don't it? Most everybody wears a lid, might as well be a hard one when you got things moving around above you.
Glad it turned out alright.

 

[bruiser 1]

Was dropping a Hickory with a snapped off & hanging top today. Lots of dead hanging limbs. Could drop it in about any direction so I was sawing under the area with the fewest hanging limbs. When it started to go over I stepped back and was about 10-15' away when a limb hit me square on top of the head, broke and hit both my shoulders.

No pain other than shoulders are sore. Felt kinda cool actually. Felt the suspension straps tighten around my head and heard a loud thunk. Hit far enough back that it didn't damage my face screen that was up. No damage to the helmet that didn't just wipe off. Limb was about 3" diameter but I'm not sure how long since it broke into several pieces. I figure the limb must have hung up in another tree as it went over and was pulled off and came down and fell about 40'.

Wear your PPE guys. First time it's happened to me in years but it only takes once!

What kind of helmet did you have? I bought a Pacific Helmet because it is Kevlor. I was gonna buy a Peltor but, those and the Stihl helmets Looked and felt like BoB the Builder helmets. Paid $99.00 w/ visor and mesh screen with ear protection, have never looked back.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Must have been tree's revenge day. I just put a post up with a similar thing that happened to me today.

Glad to hear everything turned out well, and you won't catch me dropping trees without one again.

 

[Laird]

What kind of helmet did you have? I bought a Pacific Helmet because it is Kevlor. I was gonna buy a Peltor but, those and the Stihl helmets Looked and felt like BoB the Builder helmets. Paid $99.00 w/ visor and mesh screen with ear protection, have never looked back.

Same one here, those Stihl and Husky helmets are better than nothing, but not by much and they are not all that comfortable to wear for long periods. The Pacific has been great and comfortable all day long.

 

[bruiser 1]

Same one here, those Stihl and Husky helmets are better than nothing, but not by much and they are not all that comfortable to wear for long periods. The Pacific has been great and comfortable all day long.

Glad to here your alright. Those Pacific Helmets are worth every penny! A "widowmaker is death from above"

 

[Scootermsp]

Thanks for the reminder +1

 

[Philbert]

Glad that you are OK - thanks for the reminder.

No damage to the helmet that didn't just wipe off

Working in Safety, I have listened to a lot of talks on PPE. For helmets, it's actually the suspension that absorbs the impact - not the shell. They recommend that you replace the suspension after a significant impact. Most manufacturers sell this as a separate replacement part

Philbert

 

[Dalmatian90]

About 8 years ago (and I wish I could go back with some improved technique I've learned since then...and a better saw ):

http://justjakes.blip.tv/file/604309/

Old pasture white oak tree at a friend's house that was about 10 years old at that point. I suspect when the developer graded the lot they stressed the tree, and you can see what looks like machine scars on some of the other trees.

Anyway, it was dropping dead branches at a frequent enough rate they were genuinely worried about their kids playing in the yard.

At the 30 second mark, you can see one limb that was dead snap off and come straight down just a few feet in front of me. Even before that happened as the tree was falling and I was retreating I didn't like the sounds above me!

 

[davec]

Same one here, those Stihl and Husky helmets are better than nothing, but not by much and they are not all that comfortable to wear for long periods. The Pacific has been great and comfortable all day long.

As long as the helmet is ANSI approved, you don't gain much above that with Kevlar or anything fancy for materials. Kevlar is great for stopping bullets, but isn't needed for hardhat use. The limiting factor on hardhat protection is not the shell or suspension - it's your neck. You take a hit on top of your head that has enough energy in it, and you fracture your spine, usually in the neck area. Your head will probably come out of it just fine, but you won't. That load only has one way to go and it's all though your neck...

Look for the ANSI approval, and a reputable brand name, and then beyond that you are paying for features like comfort and easier use (crank knob adjusters vs. baseball cap style adjusters, for example). If you like the idea of having a Kevlar helmet, then go for it, but it really isn't protecting you more than any other approved hardhat of the same class.

The most important points about PPE are having PPE that meets the appropriate standard and fits your properly - and WEARING IT! Does you no good sitting in the truck or the garage....

-Dave

 

[fiasco]

Glad that you are OK - thanks for the reminder.




Working in Safety, I have listened to a lot of talks on PPE. For helmets, it's actually the suspension that absorbs the impact - not the shell. They recommend that you replace the suspension after a significant impact. Most manufacturers sell this as a separate replacement part

Philbert

Went to a saw safety mini-course a month or so ago. State forestry guy said if the helmet has taken a real hit, it's done its job, go get a new one. The suspension is designed for one good hit, and the plastic does get more brittle over time.

Glad the PPE worked, the way the wind's been blowing around here today, I thought about putting on the lid for just walking in the yard! Lots of widowmakers from last year's ice storm coming down today (and knocking out power for the afternoon).

 

[davec]

Yeah the connection points are typically what fail first - The small brackets that clip the suspenion to the shell. They can get small tears or cracks in them from a sizeable impact. They are all part of the suspension assembly, so a new suspension would fix it. You should inspect the clips closely after a hard hit.

And the shell and the suspension work together to absorb the impact. Most of what the system does is spread out the time of the impact from what would be 1-3 milliseconds to 10-20 ms or more, thus spreading the load over a longer time and lessening the instantaneous (peak) load, plus spreading the load over a much larger contact area with your head.

-Dave

 

[Billy_Bob]

I guess that is why they say to RUN when the tree starts to fall. Run and keep running!

I once had a branch pole vault off the ground at me. It fell, bounced, then came my direction. I was able to deflect it with my arm, but boy was that sucker HEAVY! Looked like a little branch to me, but when they get to moving, they can pack a real wallop!

I kinda like the idea of tying a long cable to a tree like that and attaching the end of the cable to a truck or tractor, then using the truck/tractor to "shake" the tree a bit. (Get those loose branches to fall.) Then cut it down. Can't always do that though...

 

[ropensaddle]

Was dropping a Hickory with a snapped off & hanging top today. Lots of dead hanging limbs. Could drop it in about any direction so I was sawing under the area with the fewest hanging limbs. When it started to go over I stepped back and was about 10-15' away when a limb hit me square on top of the head, broke and hit both my shoulders.

No pain other than shoulders are sore. Felt kinda cool actually. Felt the suspension straps tighten around my head and heard a loud thunk. Hit far enough back that it didn't damage my face screen that was up. No damage to the helmet that didn't just wipe off. Limb was about 3" diameter but I'm not sure how long since it broke into several pieces. I figure the limb must have hung up in another tree as it went over and was pulled off and came down and fell about 40'.

Wear your PPE guys. First time it's happened to me in years but it only takes once!

And now you know the sound of turtles making woopie

 

[dingeryote]

Glad to hear you are OK other than an obvious stinger!

It coulda been a lot worse without the stylish PPE.

Not to nag or anything(Nag,Nag,Nag) but get to a doc come Monday and get checked out all the same so it's on record.

Neck/head, upper spine injuries have a way of laying low like a turtle, and then snapping all of a sudden out of the blue, leaving you wondering what the sam hell ya did to get the sore neck that wont let you sleep, or funny ringing in the ears.

Hickory and Elm seem to be the worst for throwing crap at ya.
Half dead Cherry is what will likely nail me sooner or later though, as they like to just drop a section of the rot as they start over, and about the same time I'm worrying about the hinge LOL!!! Sneaky!

Heal up well!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[sbhooper]

My helmet has protected me from a few pretty good shots, but I like to wear the helmet/faceguard to protect from small stuff gouging me in the face etc.. too. I won't go to the woods without it.

 

[slofr8]

In '83 I was cutting and had a 10" tree blow over and hit me square on the head breaking the connection points in my hard hat. It pushed my face right into the ground. Came to with a mouth full of dirt and all the enamel of my teeth had hair line cracks that eventually healed.
I've had neck issues off and on since '96 that I can only relate to that.
Glad you're O.K.
Dan.

 

[Jon E]

Y'all wonder what a branch will do to your head without PPE, hard for some people to picture in their minds, just imagine you're standing there and someone drops a baseball bat on your noggin from the top of a three-story building.

Now go buy a helmet - you'll be glad you did.