# Flying log hits man as city workers fell elm tree



## Philbert (Jan 5, 2013)

Story and photo at : St. Paul: Flying log hits man as city workers fell elm tree - TwinCities.com


St. Paul: Flying log hits man as city workers fell elm tree

By Mara H. Gottfried
[email protected]
Posted: 01/04/2013 12:01:00 AM CST

A man was injured Friday, Jan. 4, when debris scattered as a St. Paul city crew was removing a tree.

The St. Paul Parks and Recreation department's forestry section was taking down a large tree with Dutch elm disease at Randolph Avenue and Victoria Street. As the final part of the trunk was pulled and fell to the street, a log "shot across the street" and struck a man, according to preliminary information from the Parks and Rec department.

The fire department was called to the area about 1:45 p.m. and paramedics transported the man to Regions Hospital. His condition wasn't known, but a Parks and Rec report said the man had been hit in the leg.

A lot of people were outside the Spot Bar on the corner watching the tree being taken down, including the man who was injured, said Jim, who declined to give his last name and who said he works at the bar. The man appeared to have a broken leg and the last Jim heard, he was in surgery.

"I don't think they did anything wrong," Jim said of the city crew. "They were pretty professional. I think it was just a fluke."

A preliminary report from Parks and Recreation's forestry section gave this information: The crew had removed the top half to two-thirds of the tree, and about 25 feet of the trunk remained to be pulled out. Victoria Street was closed to traffic and "sidewalk closed" signs were up.

"Standard procedure for pulling over such a thick and heavy trunk is to create a pile of logs on the ground that absorbthe impact so as not to damage the street," the report said. "Such a pile was in place. One pedestrian inched closer than the rest but the crew leader and other crew members did not feel they were in an unsafe location -- crew leader was present to ensure bystanders stood back."

When the trunk was pulled out, "it apparently hit the pile of logs so hard that two large logs were 'poked' out of the pile and were shot across the street with such speed that no one nearby could react so fast," the report continued. "One log came to rest against the west side of the bar building. The other went towards the NE corner and hit the corner of the bar building, before bouncing off towards the closest pedestrian onlooker, striking him in the leg as it came to rest."

The group is the forestry division's most accomplished removal crew and remove hundreds of trees each year, the report said, noting that negligence wasn't seen on the part of staff. The crew reported "they have never experienced logs getting shot out of the pile like those today. Nevertheless, we will obviously review the procedures used and the safe distances set up for the work zone, especially in tight quarters like they were working in today at this intersection."

The city will conduct a full review of what happened, a Parks and Rec spokesman said.


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## TreeGuyHR (Jan 5, 2013)

I am smelling some CYA in the article. "Never happened". Right. I haven't done "100s" of take-downs, and I have seen logs "shoot sideways" more than once! Dumping a 25 ft. trunk into a street, with a crowd on the opposite corner on a pile of logs?! :msp_w00t:

Sounds like a poor idea to me. And people have accused me of obsessing over safety -- which I continue to do. It's my main job as a business owner, along with landing bids. I can't make an insurance claim unless I want it to be my last (since I had one minor one for a fender bender--- so says my agent). I have full coverage which "protects me" at the cost of around 8 grand a year. :msp_angry:

Apparently the city crew was a bit complacent.:msp_rolleyes: Then again, they don't pay the city's insurance premiums.


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## Philbert (Jan 5, 2013)

I wasn't there, although it is less than a mile from my house. And I don't have the professional experience to judge. But I know that over the last 20+ years these guys have taken down thousands of these huge elm trees in the city due to dutch elm disease. Surprised that there are still some left (now they are starting on the ash due to EAB).

I wasn't posting to be critical or defend these guys, as much as I recall standing a whole lot closer when they dropped these trees on my street. The log bouncing off the side of the bar before hitting the guy was also an interesting twist for me. Will make me more cautious as a spectator.

Philbert


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## 8433jeff (Jan 5, 2013)

I believe St. Paul is self insured, a rather common practice in bigger municipalities here in MN.

If there isn't a lawyer involved, it may be negligible. Could be just a freaky thing.

Impossible to take out all risk, and across the street, kitty wompas? A fence of some sort will be standard issue. Or a crane, which brings its own risks. Smaller pieces, but it was a Friday afternoon.


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## derwoodii (Jan 5, 2013)

hard to judge but that's a big trunk log to fell in one bit on road and its close to much opposite. 
i seen logs pop out and travel fast and far when doing similar drops. I try to use the loose brush limbs as cushion even piled up old car tyres not so much cut logs as they just transfer any impact into the surface being protected.

with big chunks of trunk like this I consider to crane em away to process site like timber or fire wood yard as much easier less mess less work to carve up and then move each bit away by hand. 




> especially in tight quarters like they were working in today
> A lot of people were outside the Spot Bar on the corner watching the tree being taken down



these bits from article is telling where it likely went wrong,,,, hey all,,, watch us drop this trunk we're urban lumber jacks.


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## arathol (Jan 5, 2013)

> "I don't think they did anything wrong," Jim said of the city crew. "They were pretty professional. I think it was just a fluke."



Well, if a bystander was close enough to get hurt, then yeah, they did something wrong. For that matter, just the fact that some one got hurt says that there was something wrong. 
One of our crews had a similiar incident a while ago. A home owner was allowed to get too close and got hit in the head by a flying log, killed on the spot. As a result, the powers that be now take a dim view of allowing anybody anywhere near the work zone who does not belong there.


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## TreeGuyHR (Jan 5, 2013)

My contracts specifically say that my crew maintains a marked work zone and that any non-crew homeowner needs to pass through, they have to ask. I should probably have a space next to that for the homeowner's initials to get a chance to spell it out!

I had a guy repeatedly walk through the work zone (with a kayak helmet) recently so that he could pick up firewood. I finally told him he couldn't -- said it was against safety rules. 

In this case, the crew should have made a barrier, as well as chunked the whole trunk down. Less likely to dull your chain firewooding it in the air anyway.:msp_biggrin:


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## KenJax Tree (Jan 5, 2013)

They should've watched Murph's extreme precision falling videos first.


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## treeclimber101 (Jan 6, 2013)

Betcha he will back up next time ..... Crutches and all !


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## capetrees (Jan 6, 2013)

KenJax Tree said:


> They should've watched Murph's extreme precision falling videos first.



:msp_lol:

You guys are mean:jester:


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## StihlPoulan (Jan 9, 2013)

treeclimber101 said:


> Betcha he will back up next time ..... Crutches and all !


The guy that was hit by the flying log probably didn't even know that he was hurt. He was in a bar on a Friday afternoon for how many hours before the accident? 

Good thing the log ricocheted off of a building before it hit him.


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