hearing and eye protection who uses it?

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Bingo. Less than ideal protection is not the same as ZERO protection. Sometimes that less than ideal protection (plain leather gloves instead of Kevlar, jeans instead of chaps) can make a 1 millimeter difference in a wound.

So, what's one millimeter? I have a friend who's alive today because of a one millimeter difference. A Rottweiler's tooth missed his carotid artery by that much.


I'll take all the protection I can get, even if it's not perfect.
 
Same here,some is better than NONE!

BlueRidgeMark said:
Bingo. Less than ideal protection is not the same as ZERO protection. Sometimes that less than ideal protection (plain leather gloves instead of Kevlar, jeans instead of chaps) can make a 1 millimeter difference in a wound.

So, what's one millimeter? I have a friend who's alive today because of a one millimeter difference. A Rottweiler's tooth missed his carotid artery by that much.


I'll take all the protection I can get, even if it's not perfect.

Pretty careless to think accidents don't happen, and to think being careful will save you.
I get hot as heck wearing my protective gear, but I'm not going to be numb about it.
Been bucking logs for 17 years now,so far so good, doesn't mean I don't wear my protective clothing.
I also look both ways when crossing the street.lol
 
If you are not eating 100% organic than you are at pleanty risk of cancer along with everything else we smell, eat and breath. It seems that anything and everything causes cancer these days. I choose to wear full PPE, helmet, muffs, screen, chaps, gloves, steel toe boots. I will not live my life in fear of cancer.

Doug

Doug,

I can't disagree with you. Nearly every synthetic man made object/material is either, or has been, directly or indirectly toxic.....at least to some extent....some where along its life. :dizzy:

As I have said before, there's really no way one can get away from these various toxins. BUT, there are many, MANY ways to minimize ones exposure to them! Wearing a respirator, and since you brought it up, eating organically grown food, are two of the many things I do to minimize mine.

One does not have to live in fear in order to have a heightened sense of awareness. And as far as I know, being aware has not harmed any one. Being unaware on the other hand, in one way or another, could perhaps be the biggest killer we know.

Thanks for the post.

r
 
onefarmer said:
I fully believe the leather offered enough protection to stop the chain from taking my big toe off.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn`t. How easily can you cut a piece of boot leather with a pocket knife, never mind a chainsaw? Pretty easily, infact only slightly more difficult than cutting human skin or flesh. Ask Stihl Magnum how much protection his steel toe loggers protected him when he inadvertantly let the cutting get too close to his toe, just like you did.

In the picture I posted I warned you guys not to follow my lead but you also have to keep in mind that the only cutting I was doing was on a stand, it would have had to have been a really freak accident for the saw to get anywhere near my foot. Could I have been better protected and thus safer? Sure, but PPE isn`t my only line of defense and it shouldn`t be yours. That is my point.

BlueRidgeMark,

You are deluding yourself if you think that jeans offer any protection at all in a chainsaw accident and the kevlar gloves are primarly to stop an already static chain(via the chainbrake in a kickback) from slicing you. Kevlar or ballistic nylon, which is present in much greater quantities in chaps or jackets, stops the chain from spinning thus lessening the injury. Kevlar is not cutproof.

A parallel exists between exposures in industrial safety and chainsaw operation. Engineered controls ie; a functional chainbrake, are the first line of defense, worker practices are the second line, and PPE is the third line if all else fails in an attempt to minimize the severity of an injury.

I fully endorse the use of PPE, just don`t expect it to save your bacon under all circumstances.

Russ
 
jokers said:
Maybe it did, maybe it didn`t. How easily can you cut a piece of boot leather with a pocket knife, never mind a chainsaw? Pretty easily, infact only slightly more difficult than cutting human skin or flesh. Ask Stihl Magnum how much protection his steel toe loggers protected him when he inadvertantly let the cutting get too close to his toe, just like you did.

In the picture I posted I warned you guys not to follow my lead but you also have to keep in mind that the only cutting I was doing was on a stand, it would have had to have been a really freak accident for the saw to get anywhere near my foot. Could I have been better protected and thus safer? Sure, but PPE isn`t my only line of defense and it shouldn`t be yours. That is my point.

BlueRidgeMark,

You are deluding yourself if you think that jeans offer any protection at all in a chainsaw accident and the kevlar gloves are primarly to stop an already static chain(via the chainbrake in a kickback) from slicing you. Kevlar or ballistic nylon, which is present in much greater quantities in chaps or jackets, stops the chain from spinning thus lessening the injury. Kevlar is not cutproof.

A parallel exists between exposures in industrial safety and chainsaw operation. Engineered controls ie; a functional chainbrake, are the first line of defense, worker practices are the second line, and PPE is the third line if all else fails in an attempt to minimize the severity of an injury.

I fully endorse the use of PPE, just don`t expect it to save your bacon under all circumstances.

Russ
I don't really know stuff about things, but I agree with Russ here 100%. Cheers.
 
Well I know that if I was bare foot I wouldn't have toes. I felt the chain catch on my boot and stop so I know it helped. I was trying to restate the dangers with my post. Leather doesnt offer much resistance but it is better than skin. Of course I could have had on steel toed boots and chopped an ankle instead. As with anything there are dangers so be careful out there.
 
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