Guys, don't get complacent out there!!!

[slowp]

Brad, you got me thinking about my cheezy plastic hard hat. So I did some internet surfing and found a real aluminium logging helmet by Forester for $30 and ordered it:

https://www.hivispricesaver.com/ind..._id=79&zenid=32e111076d5412d62bfabe49b3341e0e

Don't underestimate the "cheesy" plastic hardhats. They seem warmer to me--I've worn them all, but a genuine "pro" timber faller gave his a good test. He was falling a tree, looked up, a limb hit his hardhat as he looked up, glanced off, got him in the jaw--stitches and a sore jaw were the injuries. The hat was cracked, as they are designed to do. Some large timber companies and the Forest Service require their contractors and employees to wear plastic hats.

The metal ones--now called skull buckets, are what is considered stylish, and are more likely to be stolen.

We like the full brim because of the rain, and there is a theory that the brim provides more protection by deflecting bad stuff a bit more.

Plastic is better than metal when it comes to noise--co-workers thumping you on the head with sticks and rocks, or when small limbs shower down. The metal can be noisy. However, if you have the headlamp clips on your tin hat, you can annoy your co-workers in the crewbus by plinking the clips with thumbs. It makes a pleasant plinking tone and will soon cause profane language to erupt. :smile2:

 

[madhatte]

We like the full brim because of the rain, and there is a theory that the brim provides more protection by deflecting bad stuff a bit more.

Also keeps a lot of the junk out of the neckline of your shirt/jacket. That's a big sell for me.

 

[RandyMac]

Yep, full brim metal hats have their advantages, however they will direct noise to your ears.

 

[Dennis Cahoon]

Brad, after viewing your little felling exibition.......Can't wait to see you in one of those lovely orange woodtic "Ladybug" helmets with ear muffs.......Oh we're Loggin Now!......Hahahahahahaha!

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

.........
I don't know what to think about being branded with a capital H The three Huskies I have are three of the finest, fastest, and best saws made, but.................they're still Huskies

Well....how close are you going to keep that part of your hair cut?

It's bald there right now!!! All the hair was pulled out by the roots.

I guess it could be worse.......


It could be in a shape of a W

 

[RiverRat2]

Ditto!!!!

Brad, I commend you for the tailgate safety lesson. Took balls to post this when the easy thing would be simply to delete the vid and move on. Anyone who has cut and felled long enough has had close calls. You'll take lumps for this thread, even if they aren't posted, AS can be a ruthless place. Hopefully the benefit of the lesson will prove more valuable, especially to our newer sawyers out there.

When things go wrong, they go wrong in a hurry and many times from where you weren't expecting it. Be prepared physically and mentally, wear your PPE, identify your hazards, plan out your fell, identify and clear your escape route.......use it.

Yes Sir Boss!!!! when we get a stand of pine to fall we spend time with the big rake on the track hoe or machette clearing all the saw briars/poison oak/ivy that grow at the base of the trees,,,, you dont want anything snagging your leggs/arms/anything to impede your exit in any fashion,, when that spar commits to the fall,,, you better be gettin some yonder!!!! quick, fast, and in a hurry!!!!

 

[homelitejim]

My late great uncle was a logger back in the day when chainsaws were just coming on the scene. He told me that every day he went to work there was a line of men outside the foreman's tent waiting for a job and he said that line moved pretty fast. Cutting trees down is dangerous work, always has been. At the end of the day you have to lick your wounds, smile, and thank God you made it through another day.

 

[blsnelling]

I can't keep up with my own thread, lol!

Hey, how about we do a group buy on that fancy shmancy new Kask Super Plasma, complete with clear face shield.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I can't keep up with my own thread, lol!

Hey, how about we do a group buy on that fancy shmancy new Kask Super Plasma, complete with clear face shield.

Well....you're a little slower now until you recover.....right? :hmm3grin2orange:


How much would the lid be with a group buy?

 

[Trx250r180]

well i have to ask ,is the saw fixed yet ?

 

[Eric106]

I can't keep up with my own thread, lol!

Hey, how about we do a group buy on that fancy shmancy new Kask Super Plasma, complete with clear face shield.

I'd go for that if it was a good savings and not too much extra hassle since I'm probably going to get one anyway.

How would the group buy work?

Are you going to order a pallet of them?


-Eric

 

[promac850]

Yep, full brim metal hats have their advantages, however they will direct noise to your ears.

Ain't nothing wrong with that... It is, after all, how you now get to listen to the various songs of various big McCullochs forever, right?


I'm hearing my 850 right now...

 

[lone wolf]

Ain't nothing wrong with that... It is, after all, how you now get to listen to the various songs of various big McCullochs forever, right?


I'm hearing my 850 right now...

WHAT? WHAT?WHAT?hone:

 

[CM76]

Thanks for sharing your experience Brad - I am glad you made it through okay.
Definitely a valuable lesson for the majority of us who do not cut timber to make a living, as well as those who do. Many experienced guys become complacent with tasks they are familiar with and have 'done it a thousand times before'. I have seen and heard of so many industrial accidents that happen in this manner.

It is great to see a guy who is not too proud to provide valuable safety information to others, and hopefully prevent some of us from making the same mistakes in the future.

My hat goes off to you for this one. Best of luck with the bumps and bruises.

Chris.

 

[edisto]

I just took a quick run through the pages, so if this has been covered, I apologize.

It seems to me the focus (apart from everyone being glad it was not more serious than it turned out to be) has been shifted to PPE. I think that that is the wrong lesson. There were a lot of things here that would have made PPE unneccessary in this case. PPE is designed for the unexpected, not for the avoidable.

It has been more than 20 years since I ran a saw for money, and that was only in the summers, so I hope some of the experienced folks we have on here will step up and offer proper suggestions. I'm just trying to start a discussion.

The first problem was that the lean was misjudged. Space got crapped on for suggesting the camera angle showed the lean well...I hate to agree with Space, but that is the direction the tree fell, in spite of coaxing to the contrary.

It has been been mentioned that cutting an escape route is the first thing the saw should be doing, but those don't help if you don't use them!

The second problem is that a huge clue about the lean was ignored. When the bar gets stuck, it is time for a serious re-evaluation. Looking at the video, I see 2 back-cuts, suggesting a second one was made directly above (or below?) the first.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, and expecting a different result.

"Should of had wedges" was taken as a lesson from the first cut, but having them didn't help with the second.

I haven't been in this situation, but I would put another face in, higher up, in the direction of the lean, and drop the tree with the lean. Hopefully someone will chime in with a better solution and/or the problems with that suggestion.

Leaving the saw when the tree started to go was an obvious lesson, but I think more would benefit from a discussion of how to avoid getting the saw stuck in the first place, removing the temptation to linger by the tree.

Thanks again for posting this Brad...I'm sure it has been a big benefit for others, even if it adds to your pains.

 

[RandyMac]

Brad's mind was on testing his pretty saw, not on the job at hand. Brad should stick to over revving saws and slamming them on square cants.

 

[Tzed250]

I can't keep up with my own thread, lol!

Hey, how about we do a group buy on that fancy shmancy new Kask Super Plasma, complete with clear face shield.

How about a group buy on a Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 watt range???


.

 

[slowp]

Here is a plastic hardhat, on display at the landing, after the shovel ran over it. No head was inside the hat at the time.

View attachment 224131

 

[weimedog]

Wow...a wake up call to all who are willing to be honest. I'm first glad you are still here to give us a reality check, certainly sorry you got hurt. Just hope all goes well in your recovery...

 

[blsnelling]

The best deal I've found on the Kask Super Plasma is $115.95. The clear shield is $49.95. I've emailed to see if there would be a discount for 10 or more. I've also contacted Grande Dog to see if he can get them.