Minimum safety equipment

[ross_scott]

Good point on the Steel-toe boots. I've changed over to these, but not expensive logging boots - Police issue RG - about $30 a pair... Wonder why everyone in the woods look nervous, and at my boots...

they probably think you are the man who is gonna find thier little distillery and bust them for thier moonshine

 

[clearance]

Ross-A glove taped to the handle? You are kidding us aren't you? If it is true who thought that up? What about when you have to buck lefthanded to be safe?

 

[ross_scott]

Ross-A glove taped to the handle? You are kidding us aren't you? If it is true who thought that up? What about when you have to buck lefthanded to be safe?

No I am not kidding you clearance hand safety mits are mandatory on all work saws used in the forest here in new zealand

also I do not do any bucking left handed if I have to make a back cut on a tree i am felling that is in a difficult spot where I can not access to cut with the bottom of the bar then I will use the top of the bar when bucking logs on the ground I will either go on the other side of the log or otherwise plunge the saw into the centre of the log then cut down and back up I will try to get some pics next time I am out using my saw at my little job I am doing at the moment and post them in a separate thread

 

[Stumper]

Originally Posted by computeruser
...the helmet will actually save your behind.

Now THAT is a versatile piece of equipment!

Wagonwheeler, I think this has something to do with where a lot of people seem to keep there heads....

 

[clearance]

Ross, I can hardly believe my eyes. I always wear the cheap yellow gloves that have the rubber webbing so you can hold on good in the rain. Almost everyone here does as well. Sometimes I have had to buck or fall lefthanded to avoid kickback potential or because of being in a bad position righthanded. Kind of funny with the new falling regs. here, during the test and allegedly all the time you are not allowed to backblade (use the top of your bar). In a book for fallers it shows a drawing of a fatal accident when a guy was bucking windfall on a steep sidehill. He was standing on the high side of the root ball bucking of the log, as soon as he finished the cut the log pivited on a rock and the butt swung uphill, crushing him. It says in this book, authored by many fallers and put out by the govt. safety dept. that all fallers/buckers should learn how to use the saw left or right handed. This book is the bible for logging in B.C., what I mean by that is that if you do not obey what it says, your company can get fined.

 

[ross_scott]

Yes clearance you are right it(back blading) is a risky thing to do when felling but you are restricted when you only have a half wrap handle on the saw and are in a tough area if I had a full wrap handle on the saw(which BTW have to be imported as they are not sold here) I more than likely would practise using the saw left handed, I have been trained by a forestry professional in using the backblade technique for felling in difficult areas and as far as I know this practise is not banned here in new zealand(the guy who taught me never showed us any illegal ways of felling) we also get away with cutting part of the hinge wood to steer/twist the tree away from obstructions ( only if there is a risk of hanging in another tree)

only times I use the top of the bar to make a final cut to drop a tree is
A) if there is a drop on the other side of the tree making it difficult to get at
B) too much scrub to cut away to access the side you want to make the back cut from
C) another tree not allowing room to move or preventing a safe escape when the tree starts coming down

any other time i use the normal way of felling. most of my training for tree felling was in a forestry block thinning Radiata Pines with very dense scrub that you had to cut your way through just to get to the next tree and with steep terrain to make things more difficult. Currently I am doing a private contract thinning Blackwood trees(also known as Black wattyl) and that plantation is a breeze compared to the crap I have clambered through just to drop a tree in the pine plantations

 

[ross_scott]

Clearance the book you mentioned is that a freebe from the government or is it one that they make you pay for as it does sound interesting to read. Anyway I think I accidentally put this thread off topic a bit so i apologise if I have

 

[Lakeside53]

they probably think you are the man who is gonna find thier little distillery and bust them for thier moonshine

Out here is more what they smoke then drink

 

[TimberPig]

Clearance the book you mentioned is that a freebe from the government or is it one that they make you pay for as it does sound interesting to read. Anyway I think I accidentally put this thread off topic a bit so i apologise if I have

It used to be available free for download, but I cannot find it on their site anymore, as they have removed it. They only list the books for the new faller training standard, which because they are flip books, have to be ordered from them.

As to the backbarring issue, as I understand it, they only want the upper side of the bar used for underbucking and limbing, or removing stump pull from the stump. The reason as i undertand it for no backbarring of felling cuts, is because it is more difficult to match up the cuts precisely that using the underside of the bar. They frown on half wrap handles for falling here, but very few buy a saw for falling in BC without a full/3/4 wrap handle.

 

[clearance]

I never said it was wrong, nothing wrong with using the back of the bar at all, as long as you are carefull to avoid kickback. As far as "steering" trees by cutting off part of the holding wood, I figure you do this using an intentional Dutchman. A big no-no here also. That being said, I firmly believe experienced fallers should be able to control their own destiny and fall how they want, within reason. (but not dominoing 30 trees at once type of stuff) Ross, the thinning you talk about I think is like spacing here, cutting down culls and competing species to "build" a good new forest. I did that like 10 years ago, real balls to the wall, tough work. Sometimes it can be real thick and you have to use illegal techniques to make it lie flat. You know, running a saw way above your head to block stuff down, one handing, whatever. In this book Timber and I have talked about it also says you have to make two escape paths away from the tree, well brushed out. All kinds of good stuff, I gave my copy to a new guy, but I had read it many times. About the wcb, that publishes safety stuff, I have been to the head office and got stuff, like books on yarding systems, splicing cable, helicopter stuff, etc. but with the new govt. they have got all stingy and cheap, about everything, especially helping injured workers.

 

[ross_scott]

I never said it was wrong, nothing wrong with using the back of the bar at all, as long as you are carefull to avoid kickback. As far as "steering" trees by cutting off part of the holding wood, I figure you do this using an intentional Dutchman. A big no-no here also. That being said, I firmly believe experienced fallers should be able to control their own destiny and fall how they want, within reason. (but not dominoing 30 trees at once type of stuff) Ross, the thinning you talk about I think is like spacing here, cutting down culls and competing species to "build" a good new forest. I did that like 10 years ago, real balls to the wall, tough work. Sometimes it can be real thick and you have to use illegal techniques to make it lie flat. You know, running a saw way above your head to block stuff down, one handing, whatever. In this book Timber and I have talked about it also says you have to make two escape paths away from the tree, well brushed out. All kinds of good stuff, I gave my copy to a new guy, but I had read it many times. About the wcb, that publishes safety stuff, I have been to the head office and got stuff, like books on yarding systems, splicing cable, helicopter stuff, etc. but with the new govt. they have got all stingy and cheap, about everything, especially helping injured workers.

Yeah you are right with the thinning(spacing) we cull out all the trees that have not been pruned or are small in growth, diseased, dead or double stemmed etc to gain a forest that has optimum tree growth and good quality clearwood for high value sawlogs we try to space trees atleast 4-5 metres apart. timber cheers for the PM I have sent you a reply. as for escape paths yes we also have to have two escape routes incase the unforseen happens also cutting above shoulder height is a big no-no over here

 

[Patrick62]

Minimum equipment?

That all depends on what you are doing. Nice level ground, smallish trees, pleasant day (no wind) and you might get away with gloves.

Toss in hills, breeze, larger trees packed tighter, etc, and it is a new game.

I have the chainsaw pants and will use them when not doing easy work. I think that since you probably should be wearing boots then they might as well be steel cap. I have actually gotten so used to wearing them I hardly wear anything else anymore. Brain bucket? Not a bad idea, and I have had a few things go whizzing past. However rather than look like a dork gathering my slacker load of 1/2 cord I have avoided the hard hat. So far. I start seeing larger branches come crashing down, and I will get my hat on!!!

There was mention of using the top of the bar. I do that lots of times. Almost never do the final cut tho! Plunge cuts on blocking, limbing, etc. Ya just have to be careful not to stray toward the tip.

-Pat