Got Cut Yesterday

[Wood Cutter]

Hi all,
Yesterday at about 9:00 AM I was cutting firewood when the next thing I know I had a pretty messed up finger. I had both hands on the saw when she must have kicked back or something. It took the middle finger in my left hand and from half of my finger all the way back to the top knuckle in my hand. It layed it wide open,I looked at it and I saw a nice shiny bone and a toar up knuckle. I got into the ER at 9:20 and then had to wait until 2:00 to go into surgery to repair a severed tendon, a torn piece of cartilige and fix up the knuckle. I'm am in a cast and sling for the next 6 weeks, and then possible skin grafts, and then I start physical theropy. Thanks guys.
Ryan

 

[kennertree]

Hope it goes well for you. I cut my had real bad 4 or 5 years ago and severed several tendons. Had surgery and they told me i might not get movement back in my fingers. A few months later i healed up well and recovered all motion with my fingers. I think they are better now than they were before i cut it. Everybody be careful, them chainsaws are mean.

 

[Eagle1]

Take care of yourself. I cut my thumb and 3 finger tips in the tree! lucky I only needed stitches.
What kind of saw were you using? Top handle? short bar?

 

[smokechase II]

Left hand

After you've thought about it. Give us a post on what saw/chain, where your thumbs might have been.
All the best.
Your one hand typing appears to be OK.

 

[Wood Cutter]

Hi,
I was using a Husqvarna 575XPG with a 24 inch bar and chain. As for my thumbs, I really don't know for sure where my thumbs might have been. Thanks
Ryan

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Glad it wasn't worse. For better & faster healing, take lots of vitamin C (like 10 grams per day) and get some of this. Good stuff.

 

[PeteS]

avoidable accident

I was doing a crane job this thursday. It started out to be an unusually easy day. I had to run up a pin oak to remove a few low limbs while the crane was setting up in the driveway. I set my line and a lowering line with my throwball and made my way up to the lower limbs. Since I had a nice tie and the groundguys were busy setting up the crane, I decided to walk out and piece the limb out instead of roping them out as I originally planned. I guess you can see where this is going. The saw kicked back while I was holding on to a limb and caught me between my elbow and armpit on the underside of my arm. 47 stitches - 30 internal and 17 external. I swore it would never happen to me, but here I am. Just a warning to all who kid themselves and think they are infallable, like I thought I was. I'm alot luckier then Ryan, no severed tendons, veins or arteries, back to work monday. Good luck to you Ryan, quick recovery.

 

[Eagle1]

Petes. Good post.

 

[smokechase II]

small saws

Pete McTree and Pete S:

Were you guys using a saw with one hand, and your kick back got the other arm? Or the same arm the saw was in?

I do want to say a post by a guy here on arboristsite hit home. My use of a saw, (despite my experience and failure to cut chaps over the years), without chaps will not occur again. I bought a nice pair of stihl chaps for just over $70 and at age 54, I'm not getting better, just more intelligent. For some stupid reason I took pride and justified use of a saw at home without chaps.

Can I get permission from you guys to use those photos for Saw Ed?

Thanks and glad you're OK. Artery stuff could have been more than just a nasty photo.

 

[PeteS]

Thanks Eagle1. Smokechase I was guilty of operating with one hand. I was holding onto the limb that I was removing with my left hand while cutting with my right. The saw kicked back and caught my left arm. Feel free to use my pics, sorry that they're so blurry. I'm sure I could take some better pics if you need them.
That's a nasty cut Pete, speedy recovery. Hopefully pictures of Pete and repete will deter someone from one handing and will encourage the use of chainsaw protection in the tree.

 

[smokechase II]

cut while climbing

Is this thought out to lunch?

Leg chaps are needed far less than arm chaps while up in a tree being cut on.

 

[ozy365]

Anybody else relying more and more on good muscle power saws in trees? I find I use a Zubat more and more in the tree than I do my top handled saw...I know production is profit, but I don't feel any slower and I have a lot less close calls. Over 8-10 inches I will fire up the saw, but otherwise I like being a silent tree ninja.

 

[dakota]

Since I switched from a 22" hand saw to a 13", I use it more than a buzzsaw for pruning. Still can't believe I used to use that 22" saw - the thing seems like a monster now.

 

[Schultzz]

When are we ever going to learn. I am just recovering from a nasty cut, i ripped open the brachial artery and i know how lucky i was to avoid everything else.
I think that we are all too complacent in our use of saws as they say familiarity breeds contempt.
this was caused by loosing my footing, taking a hand off my 020 to regain stability then getting kickback.
I hope all those injured heal as well as i have and those who are not take heed and learn through our mistakes and pain hence avoiding there own

pete

The first image is of the cut pre surgery it is NOT PLEASANT

This is a good post. I need to be reminded that its not only others who get hurt although with many years experience with a chain saw, I need to remember to be very careful all the time. Thanks for the post.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

Pete, that first pic is a great one, I started to smell antiseptic as soon as it came up. You must have been scared ????less, looking at all that gore and wondering how you were going to get down. How did you get down? Good luck healing up, the stitches look good and there doesn’t seem to be much swelling, did they give you anything to keep the swelling down?

 

[mburke911]

Saw accident

Hello,
My first post here. I am new to arborwork (home tree work) and I personally like using a hand saw. Lighter, safer, easier to get into the tree and IMHO faster for smaller stuff than a chainsaw. I use the Silky Sugoi handsaw (14"). I have used it on 10" think pieces without a problem.
I hope you all heal quickly and without complications. I am a retired Paramedic and have seen enough to know I really don't want to use a chainsaw at height unless I have to.

Be Safe.

Mark