Tree Faller Death-WV-1999 investigation reports

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Tree Faller Death

Timber feller dies after being struck by Oak tree

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/wv/99wv026.html


Later Rob..

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Another Timber Faller dies after trying to "Stump Jump" a tree


http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/wv/99wv033.html

 

[Toddppm]

There are some bad ones in that list If that doesn't make you think nothing will.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Todd,

Thats why I posted them here so everyone can see what happens unfortunatly when you don't do things correctly,and use dangerous methods such as stump jumping,and cutting off your hinge wood.My simpathies go out to the families of these to fallers.

Later Rob..

 

[Greg]

If anyone else knows of sites like the WV FACE site linked above please post them. I'd like to print all of these and make them required reading for new workers, this really drives home the need for PPE and safe work practices.
Too bad most chainsaw accidents (non fatal) are not reported like this. I bet if there was a site that collected the stories and pictures of saw accidents people would quit complaining about how how hot and uncomfortable chaps are.
Greg

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Greg I think that is a very good idea I will see what else I can come up with ..

Later Rob.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

At the WAA trade show I just met the my 3rd aquaintance for whom the brim of his hardhat saved him from a kickback injury.

 

[treeman82]

I am just wondering... WHY are these people so far from ANY form of communication in these instances? I mean how hard would it be to carry a simple walkie talkie with you? So what if you can't get a cell signal? Call somebody on the walkie talkie that does get cell reception and have them call 911 or whoever you need to call. Having to run a half mile one way, then 2 miles the other way... it just doesn't make any sense when there are lives at stake.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Many times when in the back contry even handheld radios will not work. It is just the nature of radio propigation. Many of them need clear "line of sight" for 2 way communication. This is why you hear stories of diemstore walkietalkies calling for help off of a mountain miles away. But them in a vally or residential area and they cannot get picked up a block away.

Many of the newer comercial radios work on a repeater system symilar to cellphones, even where the communications are shunted over telcom lines to the next repeater.

In many back country situations you would need a vehicular system with a large antenna talking to a base station. Small operations cannot afford capitol intensive systems like this.

I was a radio operator in the USMC and many a times, even with popgrahical maps and earth curve charts we would take hours finding a palce to set up our antennas for clear comunications.

 

[treeman82]

Thanx JPS for enlightening me on that issue. Now I have another question. Why not get a small GPS tracking device for workers to place in their belts? Those work of satellites, if I am not mistaken?? Then if the worker gets into trouble, some form of button to push on the GPS system which would send out a signal to the main office or something. I know it would cost money to set up, but what would a company rather do? Spend the money to set that up? Or have a fatality or serious injury on their hands with OSHA breathing down their necks?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

GPS only read satilites, they do not communicate through them. You would still need the other radios to do the 2 way comunications.

The first big satcom company was one of the first big companies to go belly up. It just cost so much to own and operate these big clunky phones (they are the size of the first mobile phones) the only people who could afford them were government people and the terrorists.

Maybe in 10-20 years we will have the capabilites to have afffordable comunications like this.