One Bad Year So Far

[opieone]

JUST A WAY OF REMINDING ALL OF YOU TO BE SAFE OUT THERE.
I HAVE BEEN TRIMMING TREES FOR ELEVEN YEARS NOW
AND I AM ALSO A FULL TIME FIREFIGHTER. THE COMBO OF THE TWO ALLOW ME TO DO BOTH WITHOUT ANY COMPLICATIONS.
IN FEB. OF THIS YEAR I WAS TOPPING OUT AN ASH TREE, WHEN I WENT TO DO A SIMPLE LIMB TRANSFER AND UNDID MY BUCK STRAP AND STEPPED ONTO A DEAD LIMB AND LOST IT. THE RESULTS OF THAT, I FELL 35 FEET TURNED TWO CARTWHEELS IN MID-AIR AND LANDED ON A 18 INCH LOG ON THE GROUND. IN THE PROCESS OF THE FALL I PUT MY TWO INCH GAF IN MY RIGHT KNEE AND GOT BLACK AND BLUE FROM HEAD TO TOE.
AND TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE TOPPING A PISS ELM I PUT MY STILH 20T INTO MY LEFT FOREARM AT FULL THROTLE TOOK HER RIGHT TO THE BONE. FORTUNE HAS IT THAT NIETHER OF THESE
INJURY'S HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED ME TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN AND WHAT DOESN'T KILL US ONLY MAKES US STRONGER.
JUST THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU KNOW HOW MY YEAR HAS BEEN, BE SAFE OUT THERE AND REMEMBER THAT SAFETY ACC. AIN'T JUST TO MAKE YOU LOOK PRETTY.
LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLY'S THANKS, BRAD

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Glad you are alright opie.
A few things. Always stay tied in. Hold your saw with two hands. Get The Tree Climbers Companion, and read it cover to cover repeatedly until you know the material, then try climbing.
Both these accidents where preventable, had you followed the information in the book.
Oh yea, don't top trees, unless you are removing them.

 

[Kevin]

It`s difficult trying to work a limbing saw in the tree with both mitts on it at times, I hate working the saw one handed but sometimes I find it safer to use one hand than over extend my body.
You need to be aware, have the proper grip on the saw, be in full control at all times and be extremely careful.

 

[Tim Gardner]

Brad,

Sorry to hear about your accidents but I am very happy that you are recovering and still working. Could you give a little more detail on how you cut yourself with the saw?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Kevin,
I think a lot of guys would disagree with your assertion that one handed saw use is ever safer.
I think with some practice, one can position himself such that he is able to make proper two handed cuts.
I have seen unskilled "tree bears" clinging to tree trunks, afraid to rest their weight on their rope, his hand shaking as he slopply reachs out, and usually up because they are afraid to climb any higher, to make the one handed cut.
Proper saw use goes along with wearing safty gear, having proper equipment, learning proper prunnig techniques, and the other things that seperate a truely professional arborist, from a "wood butcher".

 

[Kevin]

Mike, you have to know your limitations, what feels right at the time.
I use two hands when ever possible but I`m pretty sure I saw one of RB`s guys using a saw one handed and I`ll bet you he`s not a tree butcher as you might suggest.

 

[Kevin]

Mike, is this your idea of a "wood butcher"?
http://web6.assortedinternet.com/~arborist/attachment.php?s=&postid=37447

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

No.
This particular shot is one he probably wouldn't have chosen himself, for display on a site like this though.
If he worked with me, I would gently remind him how easy it would have been to lower himself a little, throw his lanyard on for balance, and then make the cut two handed. Would it have taken longer? I supose, but at the end of the day what would the total time be? At the end of the week? The year? Is that time worth risking injury or death?
You see my point, I hope.
It is very easy to fall into bad habits, once they are habits they are both hard to break and dangerous, as Brad has pointed out to us.

 

[DDM]

Nice pruning!

 

[rbtree]

John has his lanyard clipped in....


True, one handed saw use should be discouraged......



...Silky's too, eh?! Seems we dont draw blood with handsaws more than once a month...

..one handed power saw use has produced one cut finger, requiring tendon surgery, in the appx 100 man years of such use that I've been involved in, including crew members....

..that's not saying it is right, or is worth the risk....

 

[rbtree]

We call that basal pruning.....

 

[murphy4trees]

I agree with MM about working to develop good habits in tree climbing. And this has opened up a can of worms 'cause I think from what I can see of that picture this cut it is extremely safe. The two Tie in rule comes under scrutiny here too.
I think the cut is safe 'cause the saw is cutting down. Climber's entire body is above the saw and there is no chance of kickback. So any loss of control cannot result in cutting a lifeline above his clip/biner, or cutting climber. And that may not be quite true.. there could be an unseen limb behind the one being removed that could cause a kickback. And even then there is another limb that would stop the saw. Also saw could cut lifeline below climber and if not seen by climber, could result in a fall during decent, though that scenario is tough to imagine as long as ground support hasn't fallen asleep.
So my belief is that the two hand and two tie in at ALL TIMES rule were put in place primarily to protect novice and reckless climbers. I believe strongly in a two tie and two hand rule for a lot of situations ie cutting above height of clip... but not each and every time a saw starts.
That said two hands and two tie ins are definitely safer than not, and I think it is good to work at developing those habits, and all new climbers should be trained to observe them. So there is a paradox here. Mike is right.. it would have been safer to take the extra time and energy to reposition and cut with two hands. It's a good habit to develop. And I will not fault an experienced climber for making such cuts, as pictured above.
Be safe.
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[murphy4trees]

I agree with Kev in that there are times when I handed chainsaw use is safer. There are just too many variables in tree work to make a blanket rule.
That said... a lot of those situations wouldn't happen if climber was using a good handsaw. No handsaw means you're goiung to have to reach out one handed from time to time.. So maybe the "rule" should be.. bring a good handsaw up with you.
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The standard is that 2 hands shall be on the saw at all times unless the the "responcible person" (ie forman, owner....) beleives that there is no other safer way.

I know, we all do it from time to time. But... it should be the exception in practice, not the norm.

 

[opieone]

THANKS FOR ALL THE USEFULL INFO

SOME OF YOU WANTED SOME MORE DETAILS OF THE CHAINSAW TO THE ARM. WHILE I WAS UNDERCUTTING A SMALL BRANCH FOR A QUICK DROP, A DEAD SIX-INCH ROUND BRANCH FELL FOR THE TOP OF THE TREE IN A SMALL WIND GUST PUSHING MY SAW DOWN ON TO MY LEFT FOREARM AT ABOUT 3/4 RPM.
THE CRAPPY PART OF ALL THIS WAS THAT I STILL HAD TO USE
THAT ARM TO AID IN TIE'IN MY LINE OFF TO GET OUT OF THE TREE BEFORE MY BODY WENT INTO SHOCK FROM ALL THE BLOOD I WAS LOOSING.
ITS BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE THIS HAS HAPPEND AND MY ARM FEELS GREAT THE ONLY THING THAT WILL BE LONG LASTING IS SOME LOSS OF FEELING ON MY UPPER FOREARM.
THANKS AND GOD BLESS, OPIE

 

[opieone]

RETURN TO WORK

I AM BACK AT THE FIRE DEPT. SUNDAY AND LOOKING FORWARD GETTING BACK INTO MY ROUTINE
WAS BACK IN MY FIRST TREE SINCE THE ACCIDENT FRIDAY AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF MY ARM, WAS CONCERNED WITH THE STRENGHT A LITTLE.
I MIGHT GIVE IT A LITTTLE MORE TIME TO HEEL.

 

[Kevin]

OPIE,
I can`t imagine how the saw could cut your arm, were you cutting above your head?

 

[treeclimber165]

Unfortunately, I can picture several bad habits in Opie's explanation. If he needed to use the bloody arm to assist in tying off to lower himself, I guess he was cutting without having his lifeline tied in (only working off a lanyard, I guess). Also, if a falling dead limb pushed his saw down on his left arm while making an undercut, his arm must have been under the limb instead of on the saw (or at least above the limb out of the way).

A good reminder to all of us that all those 'pain-in-the-a$$' safety rules are really for our own good. It is easy to fall into bad habits, harder to correct them when "i've been doing it this way for years without mishap".

Perhaps it is a good time for Opie (and ALL of us) to re-evaluate ALL of our habits while climbing. :angel:


(p.s. Opie: The caps lock button is on the left side of the keyboard. We can hear you just fine without all that shouting. )

 

[Tim Gardner]

Using a split tail system you could have had your hitch tied before ascending. This is also a good example of why you should be able to tie the Blake's hitch one handed.