Witnessed my first saw injury

[Dsquared]

First post here!

Anyways, a little back ground I am a ground guy/ climbing apprentice. Only been in the buisness like 4 months .

So my boss, our climber, and I were on our last job to finish up a pretty rough week. It was a simple job really get some dead out, raise a few canopies, and drop 2 dead trees. Just dropping everything and no clean up.

We get everything doesn't except dropping the trees. One leaning way over a power line' and a cement retaining wall, so of course the climber (who was using the bucket) started to working it back to a pole and was lowering it so we could just drop the pole no ropes just notch and drop it.

Well next thing you know you hear the rev of the stihl 201, followed by a loud YARG. Me and my boss look up at the bucket and see the 201 flying toward the ground. The climber is grasping his arm. My boss lowers him down and pulls him out and we get him fully to the ground. His arm was sliced open and you could see muscle and tendons (thankfully blood neither squinting or pouring out). He says the saw kicked back on home between his groans and moans.

Went to the hospital got him stitched and drugged up. Only nicked his mu triceps and a gnarly flesh wound like 5 inches long...

Anyways was kind of a scary moment there for a second , kind of a reminder to stay vigilant out there guys!

 

[Zale]

The saw might have kicked backed but I would bet your climber was one handing the saw. At least you know what not to do now.

 

[ATH]

I was VERY lucky a few months ago. I was cutting the last chunk of a stub off. It pinched a little, so I took one hand off of the saw (Stupid Move #1), and lifted up a little on the stub a little...with my hand behind the cut (Stupid Move #2). It kicked, sliced all the way through my leather glove and into my hand. I saw blood, wrapped it up tight and finished the job. It was throbbing a little. When I took the dressing off an hour or two later to clean it up/inspect, re-dress it the cut wasn't nearly as deep as i had feared. Probably could have taken a stitch or two...but who has time for that? All healed, pretty minor scar now - that is why I called it lucky.

I KNEW I shouldn't be one-handing it, and I just about never did before that. The second or two between the time I started it and the saw kicked, I thought to myself "two hands idiot"...then BAM!

TWO HANDS!!! from now on for me. My lesson was a lot cheaper than this one.

 

[hseII]

I was VERY lucky a few months ago. I was cutting the last chunk of a stub off. It pinched a little, so I took one hand off of the saw (Stupid Move #1), and lifted up a little on the stub a little...with my hand behind the cut (Stupid Move #2). It kicked, sliced all the way through my leather glove and into my hand. I saw blood, wrapped it up tight and finished the job. It was throbbing a little. When I took the dressing off an hour or two later to clean it up/inspect, re-dress it the cut wasn't nearly as deep as i had feared. Probably could have taken a stitch or two...but who has time for that? All healed, pretty minor scar now - that is why I called it lucky.

I KNEW I shouldn't be one-handing it, and I just about never did before that. The second or two between the time I started it and the saw kicked, I thought to myself "two hands idiot"...then BAM!

TWO HANDS!!! from now on for me. My lesson was a lot cheaper than this one.

A wedge is always your friend.

Get into the habit of using them.

 

[ATH]

I know...I was being lazy. Last cut. I paid. But like I said, it was a cheap lesson/reminder. Got too complacent, which I KNOW can be as dangerous as inexperienced. My hope in posting is that maybe somebody else will learn...and maybe if I remind myself often enough I won't be so dumb again.

 

[crotchclimber]

Uh, the comments about not one-handing a top handle saw are unrealistic. That's why they make them that way I figure. Cut with one hand and grab the piece with your other. That's how everyone I know does it.

 

[Pelorus]

Have done a fair bit of one-handing mostly with my MS150, and occasionally with a 200T. In the "old" days, when I was even more ignorant (but less decrepit), I would sometimes even make extended-reach cuts one-handed with an 028 /026. Usually works out just fine. But once in awhile the saw gets hungry.

 

[Zale]

You play with sharp toys, you're going to get cut.

 

[ATH]

I disagree Zale...if you are foolish with sharp toys you are going to get cut. Using them correctly will prevent almost all accidents.

 

[ATH]

Uh, the comments about not one-handing a top handle saw are unrealistic. That's why they make them that way I figure. Cut with one hand and grab the piece with your other. That's how everyone I know does it.

Not at all unrealistic. You just have to choose to be safer. If I need to hold a branch it gets cut (or finished if is too big) with a hand saw. "That's how everyone does it" is the reason our industry's workers comp rates are so high!

 

[woodenboater]

cut proof arm guards might have helped here.

 

[Pelorus]

You just have to choose to be safer. If I need to hold a branch it gets cut (or finished if is too big) with a hand saw.

A scenario I sometimes run into is where you have a 60' +/- balsam fir / hemlock / spruce close to a structure that for one reason or other has gotta be climbed and sectioned down. Hordes of small limbs overhanging the roof. Gonna either onehand and toss, or cut with hand saw and toss. I like my Silky Zubat, but I like my MS150 even more, lol. Especially if you have several of these trees to whack.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Dang stupid topic,,just know where your cutting and where the tip of the bar is,,
It is a good thing I dont climb anymore because I would be one handing 75% of the time, never had a kick back in 28 years of climbing,
I have scars, but not from one hand use,
Jeff

 

[Zale]

I disagree Zale...if you are foolish with sharp toys you are going to get cut. Using them correctly will prevent almost all accidents.

So you concede my point. Even if I am using the tool correctly, I still might get cut.

 

[ATH]

Not trying to get into an argument...but no I don't. Your original statement was "You play with sharp toys, you're going to get cut."

I will agree there is a possibility, yes...but it is not a foregone conclusion.

 

[Pelorus]

If you fly, there is a possibility you could get wiped out in a plane crash.
Guys in some States riding motorcycles with no helmets...
not wearing seat belts, texting or putting on makeup while driving.
Nutjobs walking around with guns.
One hand chainsaw use is positively tame in comparison.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Somewhere when this topic has come up in the past I saw that getting caught one handing at Davey is a 2 day suspension.

 

[ATH]

If you fly, there is a possibility you could get wiped out in a plane crash.
Guys in some States riding motorcycles with no helmets...
not wearing seat belts, texting or putting on makeup while driving.
Nutjobs walking around with guns.
One hand chainsaw use is positively tame in comparison.

Would you mind convincing the actuaries at worker's comp rating companies of that? It isn't well-reflected in our rates.

 

[xrockdawgx]

Given a long enough timeline the survivability rate for anything will eventually drop to zero..

 

[jefflovstrom]

I will probably die someday,,,,
Jeff