Okay chaps, but what about helmets

[Banshee]

I wear chaps, along with steel toe boots when I cut, but I also wear a helmet.
At first every now and then I wouldn't wear the helmet. But one day I had a kick back and I was leaning into the cut and the bar came within foot of my face.
I know that's not that close, but it was close enough to make me realize how stupid is it not to wear a helmet with face shield. I also use the muffs on the helmet too.
I know there's been alot of talk about chaps and I think everyone should choose to wear them, but lets not forget helmets and boots and how important they can be also.

 

[Justsaws]

It is my opinion that most people should wear a helmet most of the time.

Most of the helmets should also be full face especially during election times.

 

[GASoline71]

LMAO... another great thread...

I wear a hard hat when I'm fallin'... and limbin' the spar after fallin'. If I gotta buck the same logs for pay... yep.

Hard hat for fallin'... no matter what the reason... yep. Buckin' firewood for myself... prolly not.

Hardhats are a good thing... I've gotten used to wearin' them for my entire life in the woods... Feel naked if I'm fallin' timber without one.

Christ I'm drunk... oh well tomorrow is a day off... Did I spell everything good... no cuss words? Fark yeah!

Gary

 

[Tzed250]

Peltor logging system on my noggin when I'm sawin'...


Nice job on the PUI Gary (posting under the influence)

 

[dancan]

Peltor logging system on my noggin when I'm sawin'...

I use the same because I always get sawdust in the eyes and get that naked feeling if I don't .

 

[BobL]

One reason (see pic below) to wear a helmet.

But as you can see in my Avatar I don't wear one when I'm milling.

In really dry dusty stuff I use one of these but the muffs are pretty crappy.

 

[Poley4]

Chaps, no
Helmet, yes

 

[Longwood]

I wear a Husqvarna helmet with built in ear muffs and face screen. I also wear safety glasses because sometimes a small particle will make it thru the face screen. It's comfortable and has saved me from knots and scratches when I've been hit and slapped by limbs.

 

[blsnelling]

Only when I'm falling.

 

[Burvol]

I wear a Husqvarna helmet with built in ear muffs and face screen. I also wear safety glasses because sometimes a small particle will make it thru the face screen. It's comfortable and has saved me from knots and scratches when I've been hit and slapped by limbs.

Damn, that's a chunk of hardwood!

 

[trouba]

I wear one now about 3 years ago I was felling a 10in standing dead red elm and pow a rather large branch broke out of the top and hit me right in the head. After a 25 mile trip to the hospital and 30 stitches I went out and picked me up a helmet. My Dad always said its a good thing that hit you in the head or you could have been seriously injured.

 

[crashagn]

Heck, This year i only went out and got 2 loads of firewood (2 in the pickup and also truck box trailor) Dropped 3 trees and wore chaps, helmet with full face mask and muffs. All it would take is a dead branch to drop on ya from above from a tree going down to cause some injury or ruin your day. So if iam doing so little cutting and wearing as much protection as possible I just cant understand why everyone else doesnt invest in the PPE at how low the initial cost is. As they say.. How much is your life worth??

 

[ZeroJunk]

I'm thinking about getting a full body suit and helmet with my name on it and sponsers. Kinda like a pro bass fisherman or NASCAR driver. I can look like I know what the hell I'm doing even though I don't.

 

[Erick]

I wear chaps, along with steel toe boots when I cut, but I also wear a helmet.
At first every now and then I wouldn't wear the helmet. But one day I had a kick back and I was leaning into the cut and the bar came within foot of my face.
I know that's not that close, but it was close enough to make me realize how stupid is it not to wear a helmet with face shield. I also use the muffs on the helmet too.
I know there's been alot of talk about chaps and I think everyone should choose to wear them, but lets not forget helmets and boots and how important they can be also.

Yep I wear it all protective pants, kevlar protective leather steel toe boots, and a Peltor brain bucket with face screen and muffs.

I've been all over this site with the safety info and the videos for quite a while now. I cut wood for a long time and never even knew their was such a thing as PPE for chainsaws. It wasn't until my dad took a few stitches to the leg that I (we) found out about PPE. So I try to make sure that anyone reading this site (new or old) knows about PPE and what the consequences can be without it, after that it’s up to them.

Ultimately it's a personal choice, like wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or a seatbelt in a car (neither of which I usually wear BTW :dunno ya gotta make the decision for yourself.

 

[njforestfire]

LMAO... another great thread...

I wear a hard hat when I'm fallin'... and limbin' the spar after fallin'. If I gotta buck the same logs for pay... yep.

Hard hat for fallin'... no matter what the reason... yep. Buckin' firewood for myself... prolly not.

Hardhats are a good thing... I've gotten used to wearin' them for my entire life in the woods... Feel naked if I'm fallin' timber without one.

Christ I'm drunk... oh well tomorrow is a day off... Did I spell everything good... no cuss words? Fark yeah!

Gary

:agree2:

 

[njforestfire]

One reason (see pic below) to wear a helmet.

But as you can see in my Avatar I don't wear one when I'm milling.

In really dry dusty stuff I use one of these but the muffs are pretty crappy.

NASTY!!! GOOD REASON FOR WEARING A HELMET!!

 

[Mike PA]

I got my first hard hat for wood cutting a few months ago. Face screen, muffs - wore it everytime out. Two weeks ago, I was heading out to do some cutting and realized I forgot it. The plan was to cut stuff on the ground - no felling involved, so I didn't go back for it. Got to the site and the plans had changed. Ended up felling quite a few trees that day. Of course, the day I forgot the hat is the day that a branch came off the white oak I was cutting and whacked me in the head. Fortunately, my head was harder than the branch and I was fine. Last time I go without my hard hat.

I've never gotten my saw close to my legs, but I will probably get a pair of chaps soon. figure my luck (or focus) will run out sometime.

 

[Marc]

I wear one falling but not bucking... always wear separate safety glasses and ear plugs.

The chance of a kick back during bucking is great... which is why I keep my face out of the kick back zone. I questions how much protection a helmet will provide in a kick back... even with the screen.

Has anyone seen any tests? I was under the impression the screen was designed just to protect the face against projectiles. And what are hard hats made from... ABS plastic probably? That certainly won't stop a chain.

I do wear chaps, for the record, and steel toed boots, glasses and plugs always.

 

[2dogs]

Always a bucket. Chaps at times like when I don't need to apply my Ninja-like quickness. Rx safety glasses always. Ear plugs always except during some hazard tree falling. Gloves and boots always.

 

[Erick]

I wear one falling but not bucking... always wear separate safety glasses and ear plugs.

The chance of a kick back during bucking is great... which is why I keep my face out of the kick back zone. I questions how much protection a helmet will provide in a kick back... even with the screen.

Has anyone seen any tests? I was under the impression the screen was designed just to protect the face against projectiles. And what are hard hats made from... ABS plastic probably? That certainly won't stop a chain.

I do wear chaps, for the record, and steel toed boots, glasses and plugs always.

I've never seen a test on the helmets and I don't think they are designed to stop a spinning chain. In most of the cases I've seen and heard about the chain brake has done its job and stopped the chain from spinning but the operator still got a pretty nasty gash from a sharp chain on an out of control saw. I gotta think even a plastic hard hat and a face screen will all but prevent this type of injury. I know of one injury that was posted here a while back that I don't think having a face screen would have helped much at all, might have lessened the injury a little but I'm pretty sure that fella would have been cut by that saw anyway.

The hard hats are mainly for falling objects and the face screen really cuts down on the amount of fiber in your diet and saw chips in the eyes. The extra protection in a kick back situation is just a bonus for me. Lets say a 3" dia. limb falls off the tree your felling and hits you in the top of the head..... it's gonna hurt for sure.... now lets say that 3" limb has a one inch dia. limb broken off into a 2" long spike...... my little girl likes for daddy to come home at night.... I'll be wearing my hardhat.