Another "Wear your helmet" Thread

[BluestemTree]

I had a scare today. We were taking down a long-dead 40 foot elm today in an alley behind main street in a small town. It had dropped about half of its bark. It was really really dead. I was operating the bucket. I had set up in the alley and was maneuvering to start blocking it down. I swung under a lower branch and as I emerged on the other side, saw that another, higher branch had rolled out and was falling toward me. I barely had time to look down before the six inch diameter branch glanced off my helmet, almost knocking me out of the bucket. I was harnessed in and am glad I didn't end up testing my harness as well. I hadn't cut anything on the tree yet - just happened to be there when that branch decided to fall. The results? I strained my neck and have what promises to be a spectacular bruise on my shoulder. What did I learn? Wear the helmet - always. Wear the harness - always. Don't put yourself under dead wood. Dead wood is good for only one thing - falling on you. The tree is down and it is only costing me a new suspension for my helmet and a handful of ibuprofen (surprised it didn't also cost me a pair of underwear). It could have been much much worse.

Bill

 

[Beast12]

Glad all is well. It boggles my mind why people don't wear helmets in a tree.

-Matt

 

[MuniciPAL]

Glad to hear your alright Bluestem Tree. working from a bucket is nice, but you have NO place to run if the SH*T hits the fan.
as for wearing your hard hat.....wear it always around your tree work....people that dont wear recommended PPE are asking for a small thing to cost them alot of manhours, money and downtime

 

[Rickochet]

Great reminder for us all! Stay focused and take ownership of your own safety, plus look out for those who don't!

 

[JeffL]

Yeah, no joking there! Even just a few weeks back I was setting my rope up in this storm damaged crack willow with a throw line, snagged a dead branch probably 3" round and 5-6 feet long. Ended up flying straight down at me and caught me on the back and the back of my hard hat, walked away with little more than a sore spot on my back. Phew.

 

[polexie]

Yep, these things happen. Glad to hear you wore your helmet and got out unharmed. Las week was catching a branch out of an ash in a local park, and when it fell and hang in the rope, the top end hit a lower tree. Dead top end came flying towards me with great speed and i turned away, hit me on the left side of the helmet.

Sometimes these kind of things happen.

Good luck, stay safe,

Lex

 

[smokechase II]

Good post

"I hadn't cut anything on the tree yet - just happened to be there when that branch decided to fall."

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You were looking up.
No doubt it saved you something in the way of a more severe impact.

Everyone, clock how much time you are not looking up.

Some sort of quality head protection is a must for everyone.