# Stupid stupid stupid...



## Blakesmaster (Mar 30, 2010)

Always take the time to position yourself correctly before you cut. This coulda been much worse.

http://arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=131329&stc=1&d=1269983629


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## robfromaz1977 (Mar 30, 2010)

Ouch man! :jawdrop:


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## lone wolf (Mar 30, 2010)

Lucky sob


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## gwiley (Mar 30, 2010)

*chaps?*

Were you wearing chaps?


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## lone wolf (Mar 30, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> Always take the time to position yourself correctly before you cut. This coulda been much worse.
> 
> http://arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=131329&stc=1&d=1269983629



what type of saw bit you one hand on or two was it nose contact related kickback?or did it drop down on you?


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 30, 2010)

Nope, no chaps...obviously. One hand on the 2hunge, other on the branch. 2nd to last cut on the tree. Regular, workaday #### that gets you when you aren't careful.


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

Oucheewawa!

It's often the last tree or last cut of the day that will getcha when you're tired and in a hurry to finish. Not only have I known many that has been got by the last tree or last cut but I am also a member of that club.


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## BigE (Mar 30, 2010)

tree md said:


> Oucheewawa!
> It's often the last tree or last cut of the day that will getcha



Interesting how a cut like that will be the last cut of the day, even at 8AM...

Ouch, though. Thanks for the reminder to be safe.


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## Treetom (Mar 30, 2010)

Ouch! Work safe.


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## gwiley (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for posting this - it is a help to me to never cut corners and do without my gear no matter who makes fun of me 

Rep.


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## lone wolf (Mar 30, 2010)

gwiley said:


> Thanks for posting this - it is a help to me to never cut corners and do without my gear no matter who makes fun of me
> 
> Rep.



watch out on friday afternoon its when you are the most tired and the most hurried.


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

I mentioned an older climber I knew that broke his back in another thread. This guy was prolly 20 years older than me. I worked with him when I was in my 20's. We were both working for a service where the owner had started out working for this guy. About 10 years before I met him he had either cut himself out of the tree or forgot to remove his tie in before topping. Can't remember which he said (it's been at least 15 years). I also can't remember if he had broke his back or his neck. What I do remember is him telling me exactly what Lonewolf said above.

He told me about the day of his accident. Said he had had a good week. Said he had over a thousand bucks in his pocket and was finishing his last tree on his last job for the week. He said he was tired from working all week, had money in his pocket, was about to get paid more money and was rushing so he could go out and party. He said he just took his eye off the ball. Said he made a foolish, simple mistake that profoundly changed his life and nearly ruined his career. He was never the same climber as he used to be he said. He couldn't be, he was physically impaired. 

Anyway, I'll never forget him telling me to watch out for the last tree, the last cut on the last job of the week.


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 30, 2010)

BigE said:


> Interesting how a cut like that will be the last cut of the day, even at 8AM...



What you talkin' 'bout, biggy? I'm a tree man. Though it was my second to last cut on that specific tree, once I got down I wiped it off with antiseptic pads, wrapped it up in clean gauze, taped the hell out of it and commenced with tearing apart a good sized cherry. I don't get paid for cutting MY limbs, lol.


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 30, 2010)

tree md said:


> I mentioned an older climber I knew that broke his back in another thread. This guy was prolly 20 years older than me. I worked with him when I was in my 20's. We were both working for a service where the owner had started out working for this guy. About 10 years before I met him he had either cut himself out of the tree or forgot to remove his tie in before topping. Can't remember which he said (it's been at least 15 years). I also can't remember if he had broke his back or his neck. What I do remember is him telling me exactly what Lonewolf said above.
> 
> He told me about the day of his accident. Said he had had a good week. Said he had over a thousand bucks in his pocket and was finishing his last tree on his last job for the week. He said he was tired from working all week, had money in his pocket, was about to get paid more money and was rushing so he could go out and party. He said he just took his eye off the ball. Said he made a foolish, simple mistake that profoundly changed his life and nearly ruined his career. He was never the same climber as he used to be he said. He couldn't be, he was physically impaired.
> 
> Anyway, I'll never forget him telling me to watch out for the last tree, the last cut on the last job of the week.



What it really comes down to is getting to cocky and comfortable. Happens at the end of the tree/job/week for me too. After doing this for awhile you forget that it's dangerous as hell. This incident, though not spectacular, was the first time I got myself pretty good and definitely opened my eyes a bit.


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## lone wolf (Mar 30, 2010)

in the 70s I cut all 4 tendons in half that went to my fingers on my left hand those xl2s arent balanced like the stihl ms 200 t is and was one handing it and the but kicked it back ,next day finished the damn tree by pulling it over money was tight then boy.


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

lone wolf said:


> in the 70s I cut all 4 tendons in half that went to my fingers on my left hand those xl2s arent balanced like the stihl ms 200 t is and was one handing it and the but kicked it back ,next day finished the damn tree by pulling it over money was tight then boy.



I had the exact same injury on my right hand. Not saw related though. They had to reattach all of my tendons.

I have nicked my leg twice in almost the same exact spot as you Blake's, just a little closer to the knee. Was tired and careless.


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## logging22 (Mar 30, 2010)

Lucky there brother. Be careful.


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## lone wolf (Mar 30, 2010)

tree md said:


> I had the exact same injury on my right hand. Not saw related though. They had to reattach all of my tendons.
> 
> I have nicked my leg twice in almost the same exact spot as you Blake's, just a little closer to the knee. Was tired and careless.



i nicked mine dozens of times when you have a large saw and are tired and you let it down to the rest position and the chain is moving a bit.


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## treemandan (Mar 30, 2010)

I think I can see the shape of a cutter tooth in the flesh. take er easy bro.


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## BigE (Mar 30, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> What you talkin' 'bout, biggy? I'm a tree man. Though it was my second to last cut on that specific tree, once I got down I wiped it off with antiseptic pads, wrapped it up in clean gauze, taped the hell out of it and commenced with tearing apart a good sized cherry. I don't get paid for cutting MY limbs, lol.



That's probably why I sit a desk job and just play with chainsaws while you go out there and get the real work done. I respect that.

Anytime I get hurt like that, I call it a day and sit back to contemplate what happened and how I shouldn't repeat that mistake.

The only exception to that is when I lost the brakes on my tractor going a steep hill and rolled it on top of myself at the bottom. I had the adrenaline going and knew I was going to be in bad pain by the time it wore off, so I got everything picked up, cleaned up, and back on my property. Good thing I did too, cuz I was laid up for 6 weeks after that.


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## treemandan (Mar 30, 2010)

lone wolf said:


> i nicked mine dozens of times when you have a large saw and are tired and you let it down to the rest position and the chain is moving a bit.



that is what the brake is for.


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## lone wolf (Mar 31, 2010)

treemandan said:


> that is what the brake is for.



I know it is but you really dont put it on and off all day long when you cut.


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## 046 (Mar 31, 2010)

ya.. it's a PITA... but resistance to putting on your safety gear can be overcome. 
just keep looking at a few more nasty cut pic's.... 

for some reason in Tulsa... rarely seen anyone wear chaps
Labonville chaps, Peltor helmet w/ears and Kevlar gloves is my normal safety gear. 

is it hot and a pain to use.... sure... 
but thought of massive life changing damages motivates me to keep using

now it feels really odd to cut without safety gear on....


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## DJ4wd (Mar 31, 2010)

Glad your ok though ..jeesh!


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## treemandan (Mar 31, 2010)

lone wolf said:


> I know it is but you really dont put it on and off all day long when you cut.



I do, its habit now.


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 31, 2010)

Laura's soliciting friends and family now, trying to get up some money for a set of Pfanner's for me. Depends how things go this year but maybe I'll get a pair for each of the guys.


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## treemandan (Mar 31, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> Laura's soliciting friends and family now, trying to get up some money for a set of Pfanner's for me. Depends how things go this year but maybe I'll get a pair for each of the guys.



I got a brand new pair... they are a few years old now. I think they are still in the pickup.


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## Lugnutz (Apr 2, 2010)

*chaps fer me now*

Tapped myself in the shin yesterday. In comparison to the OP's pic I just got a bad scratch out of the deal. I wasn't at the end of my day or end of a week, I just took my eye off the ball or didn't pay attention to details like I should have. 
I was dropping a small ash that dad wanted cleared to allow more room for his walnut tree. As it began to come down I stepped back and to my left, not sure exactly what happened. I think the bar might have snagged in some underbrush or a sticker vine, but it got ahold of my pant leg and sucked itself in to my shin. Saving grace was I was off the gas and it was winding down and the bar was almost straight up and down and not at a 90 to my leg. Scared the hell outta me and put all kinds of holes in my last pair of hole free jeans. The leg is good, and bandaged up but it could have been so much worse. 
From now on I'll take the extra time to clear the area of snags and vines before I cut and I'm searchin for some chaps as soon as I hit the submit button!


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## rarefish383 (Apr 3, 2010)

Please don't think I'm trying to preach, or instill poor safety practice. I haven't climbed for a living for over 20 years now. Safety has come along ways. The only problem with things like chain brakes is they set you up to use poor safety techniques. We didn't have brakes so you never let a saw hang while running. Now it's common practice to let the saw hang while running, just put the brake on. I have never met a climber that wears chaps up a tree and helmets were a major issue, no one wanted to wear them. Safety practice is more important than safety devices. Safety devices cover the lapses in safety practice. 

I had 2 cuts that safety equipment would have prevented, but safety practice would have prevented them too. The first was when I was about 16 or 18 years old. I picked my leg up to step over a log and stuck it into a moving chain. The chain was too loose and the idle too high. My cut looked a lot worse than the OP's.

The other was late in the day, my hands were numb from cutting saw logs all day. I had my thumb above the handle wiggling my fingers when the tip of my Super 1050 hit a log on the far side and kicked back nicking 3 fingers on my left hand.

Funny how the stuff we live through we eventually brag about. How many times have you had a prunning saw break through and hit you in the knee. I actually had one stick in my knee cap once and was showing the guys on the ground that it wouldnt fall out, I had to pull it out. The next day that knee would hardly move. 

Well, everyone be carefull and work safe, Joe.


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## senones (Apr 5, 2010)

*ANSI z.133*

Look, I am sure that some of you guys know more than everyone else. I'm not trying to suggest that this is your attitude, so bear with me. That is just what I have gathered from reading some posts. ANSI z.133 is clear that when you run a saw on the ground (4.2.8) Chain saw resistant leg protection SHALL be worn while operating a chain saw during ground operations and (7.2.7) Chain saws SHALL be held with the thumbs and fingers of both hands encircling the handles during operation. I'm sure you all know this. It is just a reminder. Learn ANSI standards. Use them. These Standards allow us to be more professional and allow us to go home at the end of the day. I am glad that you were not injured that badly and that you can still work. Good stuff.


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