Windfall Whips and Widowmakers, the Hazard's of Working in the Woods.

[Kodiak Kid]

I've been looking for a thread focusing on the natural hazards that can be and often are present when working in the woods. I STIHL Haven't found one.
Wether your a professional Cutter, or a weekend warrior? Wether your working on turning a flat parcel of land with timber into farm land using a 029 farm boss and a Kubota? Wether you're tip'n big timber on the steep with a power saw or sling'n rigg'n under a OO9? Wether your toping a tall conifer or piecing a branched out hardwood? There is always going to be a danger factor involved!

Dose the name "Grisdale" ring any bells? No pun intended!

This thread is welcome to anyone that has any
questions they might have, sound advice to add, offer, argue or contribute, as well as stories of dangerous senerio's that a person or one of their friends or family has experienced. However, lets keep it somewhat civil and somewhat serious please! I love a good joke as much as any. If not more and definitely do my share of clowning around. However, one thing we should all, and probably do agree on is. When it comes to working in the woods? Safety ain't no joke!

Where to even begin?

Snags?

A few windfall or "Blowdown" on flat ground?

Maybe a few "loaded" blowdown on the flat, integrated with snags?



Widowmakers?


Widow makers affected by wind perhaps?
View attachment VID_20221225_142946844.mp4

Maybe we should all just start with the basics hu? A "patch" of blowdown, on the steep, integrated with snags and power lines!

No, that wouldn't be right either! Not without of course first going over the proper PPE!By the way, "anyone" can "jump" in on this thread if they wish to add anything.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

To be continued...

 

[Mad Professor]

Standing dead EAB killed ash in a full canopy.

 

[Woodslasher]

To make a long story short, if you're felling trees off a bank into other trees either get the f outta there as soon as it twitches or have someone keeping a sharp eye out in case it snags. If it's "light" and doesn't smash everything in it's path it may get caught up in a young, springy tree and get launched back at you like a battering ram. Nobody was hurt when I learned that, but seeing the butt end of an 8-10" oak go shooting right where I was standing 5 seconds ago sure scared the heck outta me!

 

[Woodslasher]

One other tidbit, if a 1" dia, 4" long, maybe 4-5 oz piece of dead, dry fir falling from 20' up hits your hand, it will feel like someone put your hand on a bench and smacked it with a 4lb sledge. Knowing that, imagine what a 3lb, full sized limb hitting your bare head from 40-50' up would feel like.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

One other tidbit, if a 1" dia, 4" long, maybe 4-5 oz piece of dead, dry fir falling from 20' up hits your hand, it will feel like someone put your hand on a bench and smacked it with a 4lb sledge. Knowing that, imagine what a 3lb, full sized limb hitting your bare head from 40-50' up would feel like.

I actually got hit in the hand by a small piece of wood the size you just mentioned. From about 60 foot up. Id say 6oz at the heaviest. It was all I could do to put my glove on and take it off for a solid ten days after that. Extremely pain full! I didn't get it looked at, but I'm almost certain at least one bone somewhere in my hand was broken. If not more than one!

 

[northmanlogging]

One other tidbit, if a 1" dia, 4" long, maybe 4-5 oz piece of dead, dry fir falling from 20' up hits your hand, it will feel like someone put your hand on a bench and smacked it with a 4lb sledge. Knowing that, imagine what a 3lb, full sized limb hitting your bare head from 40-50' up would feel like.

Been concussed for sure at least once, probably more then that... And replaced the lining in my hard hat half a dozen times in a dozen years... And I see gyppos all the damn time falling timber without so much as a decent pair of boots...
This should be a skookum thread, I don't know if I have any pics, and I tend to avoid vidoes of the sketchy ones, mostly out of paranoia/superstition

 

[Kodiak Kid]

In regards to PPE. I saw video of northmanlogging tip'n what seemed to be a tall fir. During the video He had mentioned prior to the video he had taken a hit to the skull bucket hard enough to break all four suspension mounts in the hard hat! Need it be stressed any further on the importance of wearing a hard hat? In my opinion yes, because the importance of it can never be stressed to much!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Been concussed for sure at least once, probably more then that... And replaced the lining in my hard hat half a dozen times in a dozen years... And I see gyppos all the damn time falling timber without so much as a decent pair of boots...
This should be a skookum thread, I don't know if I have any pics, and I tend to avoid vidoes of the sketchy ones, mostly out of paranoia/superstition

I've seen it myself also! Gyppos as well as weekend warriors. Maybe they were so confident in their abilities? That they felt they didn't need even so much as a decent pair of boots. Let alone any proper PPE! Maybe they spaced out putting on the proper PPE? Maybe to lazy to? Maybe even to stupid to? Hell! Maybe they just didn't care to?
That being said. The graveyards a fool for those that work in the woods without wearing the proper PPE!

 

[northmanlogging]

I've seen it myself also! Gyppos as well as weekend warriors. Maybe they were so confident in their abilities? That they felt they didn't need even so much as a decent pair of boots. Let alone any proper PPE! Maybe they spaced out putting on the proper PPE? Maybe to lazy to? Maybe even to stupid to? Hell! Maybe they just didn't care to?
That being said. The graveyards a fool for those that work in the woods without wearing the proper PPE!

I think the definition of toxic masculinity, I'm so tough I can fight anything and win... Yeah well Gravity doesn't Give a **** about your ego or pride.

 

[Sierra_rider]

Have a plan when cutting snags and be deliberate with your cuts, don't waste time hanging out under a cut-up snag. Identify weak spots in the tree and plan accordingly, also check the overhead. Of course, have an escape route. I know you can't plan for everything out in the woods, but I sometimes see issues with lack of planning with people I work with. I'd say it's even more of an issue with the general public...people will just start cutting, but I don't think they have a well developed plan beforehand.

 

[cookies]

In my experience trees under 8 inches in diameter love to kick out from the cut with the base often detaching and spearing outward away from the intended direction to fall. Since they are smaller they more often snag or hang up just enough to greatly shift the direction of fall. I much prefer axe or machete for my safety for cutting smaller trees when machinery is unavailable.

 

[northmanlogging]

In my experience trees under 8 inches in diameter love to kick out from the cut with the base often detaching and spearing outward away from the intended direction to fall. Since they are smaller they more often snag or hang up just enough to greatly shift the direction of fall. I much prefer axe or machete for my safety for cutting smaller trees when machinery is unavailable.

humboldt was designed to prevent this, especially in thinning. or you can make a standard face, and make yer back cut a few inches high, and leave some hold wood.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

humboldt was designed to prevent this, especially in thinning. or you can make a standard face, and make yer back cut a few inches high, and leave some hold wood.

Most definitely agreed! However, I have seen the butt of a committed tree stump shot up and over a Humboldt face in frozen wood before. Usually due to the bottom cut in the face not being steep enough. (Operator error on my behalf) When the wood is really frozen. I personally STIHL use a bit higher back cut when opening up a hole in a strip. Especially when brushing other timber is a certainty. Other than in really frozen wood with a narrow face. I myself have never seen stump shot when a Humboldt face has been executed.

 

[Woodslasher]

My pic contribution, that was not a fun day. I was able to use one the other guys off to the left to knock it down, but it was still an adventure. Me and my helper walked away unscathed from it all, and that's all that mattered.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I always try to be sure to cats paw my whistle to my Mc T and hang it on the saw rack after a day of cut'n. I've never had to turn around to go back and get either. "As long" as I whistle to hat then hat to saw! If I'm doing a two day job or longer. I'll cats paw whistle to hard hat at the end of the day. Leaving it in the truck every night until the jobs done. Regardless what ever else comes out of the cab every evening? The Mc T and the whistle always stay in the truck! I honestly can't remember the last time I had to turn the rig around, because I had Forgotten my H Hat and whistle.

 

[northmanlogging]

I always try to be sure to cats paw my whistle to my Mc T and hang it on the saw rack after a day of cut'n. I've never had to turn around to go back and get either. "As long" as I whistle to hat then hat to saw! If I'm doing a two day job or longer. I'll cats paw whistle to hard hat at the end of the day. Leaving it in the truck every night until the jobs done. Regardless what ever else comes out of the cab every evening? The Mc T and the whistle always stay in the truck! I honestly can't remember the last time I had to turn the rig around, because I had Forgotten my H Hat and whistle. View attachment 1044589

I stopped carrying a whistle a few years ago, I work alone 98% of the time, so all I would do is annoy the deer and talk to birds...
I do have my cell phone on hand at all times though, its hel on them and I've broken many, but at least 911 is within reach.
I did pocket dial 911 once... that was awkward....

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I stopped carrying a whistle a few years ago, I work alone 98% of the time, so all I would do is annoy the deer and talk to birds...
I do have my cell phone on hand at all times though, its hel on them and I've broken many, but at least 911 is within reach.
I did pocket dial 911 once... that was awkward....

Roger, I also carry a cell phone. My concerns about a cell phone are. Getting broken, dead battery, fall out of pocket and no service. Just to name a few. I also work solo more than 90% of the time. Often in areas with no cell service. At least with a whistle. If I can't use a cell. There is STIHL a chance I may be heard if in distress.

 

[northmanlogging]

Roger, I also carry a cell phone. My concerns about a cell phone are. Getting broken, dead battery, fall out of pocket and no service. Just to name a few. I also work solo more than 90% of the time. Often in areas with no cell service. At least with a whistle. If I can't use a cell. There is STIHL a chance I may be heard if in distress.

10-4 on that,
I've broken several phones, generally its time to go home when that happens... its my lifeline after all.
I mostly work in residential/rural settings, I'm rarely so far out in the sticks that a cell doesn't at least have emergency access. and frankly a whistle would likely get the ******* police called on me, and a bunch of less then helpful questions rather then you know, first aid...

 

[slowp]

I have used the whistle to try to scare a bear away. I think he was deaf. I went deaf because the whistle was so loud. The bear came close and then decided to amble off. It looked like a very happy bear for some reason. It was a nice day. I was getting ready to see if a paint gun works as a bear deterrent. I did not have to try it out. I was a happy human.

The bear was a happy cinnamon colored black bear.

 

[Okie]

Life is hard. It's even harder if you are stupid and dumb.
by John Wayne.

and another by Forest Gump.
Stupid is as Stupid does.

Keep a heads up when in the woods doing anything. If the leaves are dry carry a roll of toilet paper along with your PPE stuff.
If the leaves are green you can forget the toilet paper but do not try to use a pine cone.