Falling pics 11/25/09

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Here I go again, last time promise...

Sometimes, a few put themselves at risk so that others can be safe.

As I've said before, I deal with what other folks can't or won't, meaning danger trees, close quarter work near houses/buildings etc, I and those like me, know and understand the risk, accept it as what needs done to make others safer, mitigate as much of the risk as possible and get the job done. When a tree needs down, it needs down for a reason, Madhatte's work is crowded with 18-22 year old idiots, stuffed in cracker box housing, with limited funds for silly things like trees. If they didn't take the time to deal with it someone innocent likely would have been killed by it. Flagging "danger trees" and avoiding them works when you have 400 acres to play in, not when you have 50 feet.

Be it crooked cuts, shoving with machines underweight for the job, whatever. While there is a lot of death and dismemberment in logging, its from one of 2 reasons, not knowing or becoming complacent to the dangers, I.E. real young and dumb or just old enough to start thinking its routine.

In the end Loggers (and tree service/arborists) put our lives at risk so you can shelter your *** while you sleep, or smear the **** off your ***.
You are a funny rotund chap aren't you , you are that full of yourself you think nobody works in the timber industry to a safe standard, well I do work & almost make a living in the industry & I do work to a fairly safe standard, you can make up any old excuses for some of the stuff you do but it's only backyard gypo stuff which goes on in every industry. I've worn out those excuses five times over from when I used to use them, I'm a reformed gypo.
 
The hoe mentioned above must have only been ROPS equipped, not FOPS. That tree should never have had a chance to gut that cab unless it was a lot larger than what I'm picturing. Even then you can cripple em up just like with a saw and convince them to move sideways to you.

Full disclosure: the machine was a Gradall with the big rotating claw, and he was pushing. It was equipped with full ROPS/FOPS, but it was the FOPS that took this hit. The metal was undamaged. Only the glass was broken, and that because of the pressure change in the sealed cab. It was a big, heavy, half-rotten DF, and I had already crippled it.

That balsa wood isn't that hard you know.

Have you ever even seen a Douglas-Fir?
 
There's this thing called hazard trees and then you have wild life BW trees I think that's what he's getting confused on you all are cutting his nesting spot, this might explain why he keeps trying to dive bomb us.

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I could see that happening. Especially if it's an integrated Fops/rops set up. Our excavators here have a forestry canopy outside of the factory ROPS. On ours the windows won't go unless the cab gets hit. That being said, I did once blow the window out of my cat by parking it facing north and closing the west facing door with the east facing door open. We had a strong gusting wind that day and it exploded.

Our excavators do usually use a grilled of escape hatch above the sunroof, in case the operator needs a speedy top exit if he falls through a frozen swamp etc. A top could pretty easily come through there if you were really unlucky
 
Good one Rico if you want I'll send you an old scull bucket & earplugs, you'd thank me for the earplugs in 20 years time.
Thanks for the offer, but I have a skull bucket that I wear from time to time (page 601 of this thread). I'm in my mid 50's and have been in this game since I was 15 and have never worn earplugs. Guess my ears are made out of old whale-bone or something because my hearing is still great! Go figure?
 
There's this thing called hazard trees and then you have wild life BW trees I think that's what he's getting confused on you all are cutting his nesting spot, this might explain why he keeps trying to dive bomb us.

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You guys have perfected the geterdone & killed at any cost system over a longer period than us, we're merely learners when it comes to that
 
Thanks for the offer, but I have a skull bucket that I wear from time to time (page 601 of this thread). I'm in my mid 50's and have been in this game since I was 15 and have never worn earplugs. Guess my ears are made out of old whale-bone or something because my hearing is still great!
Mines half gone in one side, from shooting I'd say because I've always worn ear protection while cutting & operationing machinery, I'd hate to lose the rest of it
 
You guys have perfected the geterdone & killed at any cost system over a longer period than us, we're merely learners when it come to that
Are you so sure about that? Last time I checked you guys have lost more guys in the woods last year then we did. I do company work and trust me it's safety first hell we were talking to the clear cut Forester today and they only have one part time faller for two tree farms before last year it was 4 full time. And before the levelers fallers ruled yes some guys got hurt or killed I've known a few of each but nothing like you are down there. To another point we all have rules we have but they all say with best judgement of the situation at hand, even you guys do I've sat through a couple days of meeting for safety from some of your blokes down there.

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Sort of off topic I know, But I wonder if folks realize that the whole labor and industries, industrial workers insurance stuff, started right here in Washington State?

We lost like over 100 men in one year, 196? and folks said enough is enough. Poof hard hats required, first aid required, first aid training required etc...

We still lose men out here, but its down a lot, couple years ago it was pretty bad at i think 12, but nothing like the days of yore. And i think we put a **** load more wood on the ground then AU or NZ combined, especially if you combine OR CA and WA

Luckily our labor laws haven't gotten ridiculous like in some other countries, where it seems they stress on having the "right" PPE over the right frame of mind.

Hard hats and steel toes only stop the little ****, big branches and whatnot are going to kill you regardless of what color yer T shirt is or if your hard hat has a flippy face mask and ear muffs.

Some countries stress training, but they seem to focus on the "proper" way to cut, once again setting in stone that every tree is cut one way... these are living things we are dealing with, organic if you will, every tree is different, every piece of ground is different, not being able to adapt and overcome will get you killed or sidelined
 
Sort of off topic I know, But I wonder if folks realize that the whole labor and industries, industrial workers insurance stuff, started right here in Washington State?

We lost like over 100 men in one year, 196? and folks said enough is enough. Poof hard hats required, first aid required, first aid training required etc...

We still lose men out here, but its down a lot, couple years ago it was pretty bad at i think 12, but nothing like the days of yore. And i think we put a **** load more wood on the ground then AU or NZ combined, especially if you combine OR CA and WA

Luckily our labor laws haven't gotten ridiculous like in some other countries, where it seems they stress on having the "right" PPE over the right frame of mind.

Hard hats and steel toes only stop the little ****, big branches and whatnot are going to kill you regardless of what color yer T shirt is or if your hard hat has a flippy face mask and ear muffs.

Some countries stress training, but they seem to focus on the "proper" way to cut, once again setting in stone that every tree is cut one way... these are living things we are dealing with, organic if you will, every tree is different, every piece of ground is different, not being able to adapt and overcome will get you killed or sidelined
I reckon we'll eventually go almost full circle.

For now, they target the low-hanging fruit. Rather than adequate investment in apprenticeships/on the job mentoring and appraisal on a day to day basis by experienced/respected pros, etc, they go with what's easy to prescribe and test. It's a start but by no means the silver bullet the safety industry pitches it as.

Kinda funny how the old-timers ways of bringing their or someone else's good kids through the ranks slowly but surely with enough time to weed out or redirect those who won't make the cut and promote the worthy on to more risky/responsible roles , will eventually be considered self-evidently sensible and given the respect it deserves for being an extremely worthwhile and sustainable way to keep people working safely in an inherently dangerous industry.
 
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