# Chainsaw cut



## turnkey4099 (Apr 25, 2007)

I saw this on the tractorbynet forum and thought it might be of interest.

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My husband really should not have been operating the chainsaw last Wednesday. He was not feeling well. He jsut finshed a massive, and I mean massive clearing project that he did all by hand with a lopers, a shainsaw and a brush cutter. He had worked really hard on that project for a good 2 weeks. last ednesday he just wasn't feeling well. he laid on the couch all morning and said he felt shaky, weak. 

I did some ffice work int he morning and in the afternoon went outside to prune more olive trees. I guess he felt a little better but he still wasn't 100%,he sees me working outside and decides he will cut firewood as it was right next to where I was working. I go down the basement to get something out of the freezer for dinner and he calls me upstairs to take him to the hospital. No way was I going to look at that hand! I quickly called the uphill neighbor Claude (who si missing the first 2 fingers of his left hand do to a chainsaw accident!) he hustels us to the ER which is about 1.5 miles away. That part was nice. At the ER they wrap up his hand and tell him he has to go to the Hand Hospital, so they take him there by ambulance.

Final result a big cut on the top of the first 2 fingers of his left hand. The tendon was cut but not severed, and the bone was not cut. The docs said he was very lucky. However it does hurt like H E Doube Hocky Sticks!

If only he had been wearing gloves he probably would not have had as sever an injury. Plus my neighbor says he saw him cuttig firewood and he was doing it wrong. Since Claude already lsot 2 fingers to a chainsaw I can see how he would notice how others operate a chainsaw. My hubby was holding the lomb in is left hand and cutting with the chainsaw in his right hand. Apparently you should not use your left hand, you should use your foot to clamp down on the item to be cut. 

I think he was jsut weak and not feling well and he should not have operated a chainsaw last Wednesday. Then to make matters worse his gout fired up on him and he couldn't walk, even to go to the bathroom. Fortunatley the doctors here make housecalls and the family doc came over yesterday and dianosed his gout and I made yet another trip to the pharmacy. He is having some reliefe with his gout today.

Bottom line, don't operate a chainsaw if you are feeling, weak, and light headed!!!!!!!!!!!!

docs say it will be 2 months at least to heal that left hand.

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Must have been using a top handle saw.

Harry K


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## Jumper (Apr 25, 2007)

The gout flare up would be enough to sideline me .....incredibly painful condition fortunately totally controlable with an inexpensive drug called allopurinol.


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## turnkey4099 (Apr 26, 2007)

Doesn't look good for the 'victim'. The OP posted this yesterday:

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His wound really is ot doing well at all. It bled for a week. Now he has a nurse come over once a day and change the bandage. today was her first visit. She told him that it is starting to stink and that is not a good sign, that it smells. It jsut plain isn't healing at all.
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That would scare the living p... out of me.

Harry K


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## treevet (Apr 26, 2007)

Before I got to that part I figured it was a one handed use wound bcs of the location of the wound. First fatigue, then one handed cutting sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Very experienced pros only should cut w one hand if nec and only then if not fatigued bcs it requires a lot of fresh wrist strength. I have to admit I have knicked my left hand a couple of times. One time the ground help ran under me w out telling me during a cut and i had to grab branch. Another time the homeowner was telling me to be careful for 4 straight hours and it stressed me out.


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## A100HVA (Apr 27, 2007)

sorry to hear about sawing up left hand
been there done that
work the fingers as soon as possible (its gonna hurt)





another tip:
PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE THE BAR TIP IS GOING TO CONTACT &
DON'T USE CHAIN SAW WHEN ANGRY !


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## treevet (Apr 27, 2007)

A100HVA said:


> sorry to hear about sawing up left hand
> been there done that
> work the fingers as soon as possible (its gonna hurt)
> 
> ...



A100 that still looks like a functional hand. Am I wrong? I ve got issues w my hand too is why I am asking. I might add to A100HVA s comment , pay attent to the upper half of the semicircle of the tip (the kick back spot). Also I and my help pay attention to the plane of the bar. The bar will follow that plane during kick back and kick back will happen to you sometime. Never have your face over the plane of the bar. Have it on one side or the other while cutting.
It has worked for me over 38 year career.


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## arminkropp (Apr 29, 2007)

Yesterday I went out into the bush and started cutting, first time in almost 15 years. I stopped after 3-4 hours cause I had a nasty headache and was getting really sore. I have to admit I was gonna go for another couple hours, but remembering what people here always said made me stop. Accidents almost always happen when your tired and not 100% alert. It doesn't matter how much safety gear you have.


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