# Woman Dies in Ontario



## Jumper (Oct 25, 2005)

"Falling Tree Kills Woman In Arthur Township
An Arthur Township woman has been killed by a falling tree. Wellington OPP say they were called to a farm on Concession 4 in Arthur Township yesterday afternoon, and found 37 year old Christina Pillar with no vital signs. Paramedics could not revive the woman, and pronounced her dead at the scene. Pillar had been standing in a nearby bush to watch a contractor cut down a dead elm tree. She was struck by the tree when it fell in the wrong direction."

The lesson learned here is keep everyone out of the potential impact zone when felling trees. Doesn't say whether the "contractor" was an arborist or forester, in any event sad and totally preventable.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 25, 2005)

No excuse for the contractor not clearing all possible drop zones, but what kind of brainpower does it take to see a tall tree is going to fall and stay well back? Why would you need to be told?


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## WESCOMAN (Oct 25, 2005)

Sad but I have seen people do stuff like this all my life. Its like they cant see what COULD possibly happen. I bet that contractor didnt have his truck anywhere within a 360 area of potential impact. Sad and a waste.


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## PWB (Oct 25, 2005)

What a waste. Dropped a bunch of these for a neighbor last spring, on fencelines in fields. Depending on how long they've been standing they're anywhere from good to ????ed hard to control. Neighbor's dad (over 70) is tough to keep out of the way sometimes, got to watch like a hawk!


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## CoreyTMorine (Oct 25, 2005)

Yeah, Ive found there is no time for being polite to onlookers while working. If someone is anywhere near my workzone without PPE they get a no BS "request" to go somewhere safe. I used to worry about offending people, now i'm just concerned with keeping them alive.


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## stehansen (Oct 25, 2005)

Another reminder to us that it is our responsibility to secure the work zone.


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## balaban9331 (Oct 26, 2005)

was dropping a decent sized maple at a neighbours that was pretty close to the house.his wife was watching from the bay window.stopped what i was doing and proceded to tell the guy about the danger of the tree falling the wrong way mixed with broken glass and his answer was"well you don't think it will fall that way,do you?"to which i replied that he'd have an easier time replacing the window than the wife.needless to say,she moved.point being,some people don't get it.

remember:common sense is not so common.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 26, 2005)

CoreyTMorine said:


> Yeah, Ive found there is no time for being polite to onlookers while working. If someone is anywhere near my workzone without PPE they get a no BS "request" to go somewhere safe. I used to worry about offending people, now i'm just concerned with keeping them alive.





Oh, no, you don't understand! It's MUCH more important to be nice than to keep people safe!



Or at least, so I've been told.  




Say, any of you guys use tape to mark off a safe area? Just curious.


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## Trinity Honoria (Oct 26, 2005)

as a dense homeowner, i can't estimate the height of a tree-- therefore, i can't predict the length it is when lying flat on the ground... i'd be the twit standing too close, not because i expect you can place the tree exactly where you want it, but because i am challenged as to the length of the tree...


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## turnkey4099 (Oct 26, 2005)

Trinity Honoria said:


> as a dense homeowner, i can't estimate the height of a tree-- therefore, i can't predict the length it is when lying flat on the ground... i'd be the twit standing too close, not because i expect you can place the tree exactly where you want it, but because i am challenged as to the length of the tree...




I am the other way. After all these years I still grossly overestimate where the tip of the tree will land. It is as if on the way down they shorten up by at least 3" for every foot of fall. A tree is always a lot taller standing up than it is laying down in my case. The last critical one I fell was off my back porch toward my lot line planting of mature spruce. Eyeball said the whippy part tip was going to come down through them. Once down the very tippy end was 6ft short of reaching.

Harry K


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 26, 2005)

Trinity Honoria said:


> as a dense homeowner, i can't estimate the height of a tree-- therefore, i can't predict the length it is when lying flat on the ground... i'd be the twit standing too close, not because i expect you can place the tree exactly where you want it, but because i am challenged as to the length of the tree...




Good point, Trinity. I don't do very well estimating heights, either. Funny - I can judge angles to within a few degrees. In fact, I amaze people sometimes. But heights? Fergit it!


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## Trinity Honoria (Oct 26, 2005)

turnkey4099 said:


> I am the other way. After all these years I still grossly overestimate where the tip of the tree will land. It is as if on the way down they shorten up by at least 3" for every foot of fall. A tree is always a lot taller standing up than it is laying down in my case. The last critical one I fell was off my back porch toward my lot line planting of mature spruce. Eyeball said the whippy part tip was going to come down through them. Once down the very tippy end was 6ft short of reaching.
> 
> Harry K



better to "OVERESTIMATE" than under in this case, don't you think???


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## lumberjach (Oct 26, 2005)

God rest her soul.


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## Rob Murphy (Oct 27, 2005)

Say, any of you guys use tape to mark off a safe area? Just curious.

YES definatly in high use public areas..not that their is many in tassie.


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## Jordan Barab (Oct 27, 2005)

What may _seem _ like "common sense" to someone who has been doing this work for years may _actually _ be the result of experience. The point is that many jobs use workers who are not familiar with this type of work and who may not know how to estimate the drop zone and take appropriate precautions. To a certain extent, training can make up for lack of experience, but we all know that there are some employers out there who don't take the time to adequately train or equip their employees.


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## rfwoodvt (Oct 27, 2005)

Tape doesn't seem to matter much around here, "Do Not Enter", "Danger", "Police line do not cross", barricades Barriers & traffic control people all get ignored.

Some times I think about the only thing to get through to on-lookers, pedestrians and passers by is crack upside the head with a club or something.

I've often thought of running an electric fence around the job site. Least ways they'd know they've done something stoooopid before they actually got in harms way!


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 27, 2005)

Well, it might not keep someone from getting killed, but your insurance company's lawyers will love you for it. It gives them a good defense when you are accused of negligence.


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## rfwoodvt (Oct 27, 2005)

I hope you weren't taking me literally about the electric fence...

I was simply offering an absurd solution to equally absurd, arrogant, ignorant & self absorbed passersby :jester:


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 28, 2005)

No, no, no - I'm with you on the electric fence. Sometimes it's real tempting to treat idiots the way they deserve! 

No, I was just referring to the reality of our lawsuit happy society. If you are trimming or cutting down trees, and somebody walks into your work area and gets clobbered, the first question that will be asked is, "Were there any barriers in place?" If you had tape up, and someone crossed it, you have a good position in court. 

If you didn't have any kind of marking or barrier in place, better settle up out of court, because any jury is going to hang you. Rightly, too, I think.


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