Chainsaw Safety...

[Jazzberry]

Hate to put a damper on a rare amusing thread but we lose a couple professionals every year near me. A few more are flown out by helicopter for repairs.

 

[Cast Iron]

You think that pro loggers never have any serious accidents, ever? Really?
By your logic, they shouldn’t even bother with PPE, since they never have serious accidents.

Hate to put a damper on a rare amusing thread but we lose a couple professionals every year near me. A few more are flown out by helicopter for repairs.

Never knew how wrong one can be and amusing. So,
The cell phone will take good care of me always. ( Don't matter if there's no service, it will assist you)
I should never cut without a partner with me.
Of course, common sense along with proper training for chainsaw use is a waste of time.
Professional loggers will usually need evacuation or will die ( at least have those "serious accidents").
Do not plan your cut.
Do not clear an escape route for felling.
Never learn anything .
Repeat: the cell phone with a buddy is all you need.

Fact check: more are killed texting or calling on cells while driving than logging each year.
Does a tree grow in Philadelphia ?

 

[bholler]

Never knew how wrong one can be and amusing. So,
The cell phone will take good care of me always. ( Don't matter if there's no service, it will assist you)
I should never cut without a partner with me.
Of course, common sense along with proper training for chainsaw use is a waste of time.
Professional loggers will usually need evacuation or will die ( at least have those "serious accidents").
Do not plan your cut.
Do not clear an escape route for felling.
Never learn anything .
Repeat: the cell phone with a buddy is all you need.

Fact check: more are killed texting or calling on cells while driving than logging each year.
Does a tree grow in Philadelphia ?

No one said anything of the sort. Yes of course you need to know what you are doing. But no matter how much you train and plan things can still go wrong. Saying things should never go wrong is rediculous of course they shouldnt but they do. And yes more people are killed texting or calling while driving. Does that mean there is no danger when cutting?

 

[Alpine1]

My wife never let me do any chainsaw related job alone, especially felling trees. For two good reasons:
first and foremost she has her chainsaw and does almost all the branching
second, while I cut a tree she is always at a distance looking at the tip of the tree, ready to warn me if strange movements occur.
And we both have our cell phone with us.
Still, I’m a little nervous every time I fell a big tree. Murphy’s law is always behind the corner.

 

[Jazzberry]

Never knew how wrong one can be and amusing. So,
The cell phone will take good care of me always. ( Don't matter if there's no service, it will assist you)
I should never cut without a partner with me.
Of course, common sense along with proper training for chainsaw use is a waste of time.
Professional loggers will usually need evacuation or will die ( at least have those "serious accidents").
Do not plan your cut.
Do not clear an escape route for felling.
Never learn anything .
Repeat: the cell phone with a buddy is all you need.

Fact check: more are killed texting or calling on cells while driving than logging each year.
Does a tree grow in Philadelphia ?

I bet most of those dead cell phone users you refer to were not wearing assless chaps.

 

[Cast Iron]

Now we're getting somewhere reasonable Jazz. Thx.
For those who have done any Service, the concept of Situational Awareness is mandatory using any dangerous tool such as a car..
None of these "strange movements" are allowed. Never saw one in a tree; many many among Homo Sapiens.
We don't want anyone near us while felling....no one.
BTW: you live in a super part of the world near Yosemite ( not California ).

 

[Manly]

I bet most of those dead cell phone users you refer to were not wearing assless chaps.

You make an excellent point. In fact, the most recent available OSHA data for logging industry reportable injuries shows less than .03% of injured persons were wearing assless chaps. I find that an astounding figure. Of course that number is only relative to the percentage of persons in the industry who are wearing assless chaps. OSHA does not report that percentage. I questioned the Director of OSHA as to why the don’t report that figure. He got very curt with me as said they are not a fashion magazine. OK l said, then tell me fool why are you reporting the number of injuries while wearing assless chaps? He told me once the incident occurs and is reported they have to submitt and publish all relevant data. Talk about bureaucratic BS. I believe that department lacks the diversity and sensitivity to get honest with themselves. Just my observation. Not being judgemental the way they are. Fashion magazine indeed. They wouldn’t know fashion if it bit them in the seat of their chaps.

 

[Jazzberry]

Way to put this thread back on track Menly

 

[Cast Iron]

 

[johneh]

Whimsical Woodsman

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[Alpine1]

My compliments to Manly!

 

[Cast Iron]

If you need someone to watch for those "strange movements" when felling, you shouldn't be using a saw.
If you think that your cell phone will carry you out of incompetent use of your chainsaw, don't drop trees.
Don't cut if you don't know how to fell safely. Know how wedges can direct and control the fall. Or....don't cut.
Know Kevlar, or don't cut.

Look at the previous pic using invisible, flesh colored chaps. Some of you will be impressed by the size of his bar. His tats. His PPE.
Cleavage included..

 

[Manly]

Whimsical Woodsman

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Great Post! Chainsaw fashion for a great cause. Certainly warms ones cockles. These guys would fit in nicely with our local crew. I am glad you posted the video following Cast Iron's posted picture. The pose in Iron's picture had me wondering if that fellow was wearing crotch-less leather chainsaw short pants. We don't recommend crotch-less pants even when worn with the kevlar Brazilian thong. Too many people get confused and think because assless chaps are acceptable they extrapolate that into justifying crotch-less pants are a go. No go! Save that look for after hours at the woodsman's clubs and public houses. Also don't forget the women. They bring fashion and style to the woods. As my grandmother used to say, "Hell
hath no furry, nor fashion, like a woman with a chainsaw". Grandma was a wise woman.

 

[bholler]

If you need someone to watch for those "strange movements" when felling, you shouldn't be using a saw.
If you think that your cell phone will carry you out of incompetent use of your chainsaw, don't drop trees.
Don't cut if you don't know how to fell safely. Know how wedges can direct and control the fall. Or....don't cut.
Know Kevlar, or don't cut.

Look at the previous pic using invisible, flesh colored chaps. Some of you will be impressed by the size of his bar. His tats. His PPE.
Cleavage included..

So you are trying to tell us a tree never does anything unexpected???? Either you are full of it or you have only cut a couple trees.

 

[Cast Iron]

More Stihl cleavage.
More diversity.

 

[Cast Iron]

Let's get serious---plan.
First step in NOT having to deal with a tree's "strange movements", needing to have a partner with you, or a cell fon to bail you out of stupid moves is planning the cut.
Repeat: plan what you're going to do. It doesn't take long, just some cerebral work.
Clear a path thru any brush for your walk-away/escape as the CONTROLLED fall begins. Usually at an rear angle to the fall direction.
Look up at the balance of the canopy -hard or soft woods- to see where the weight of the branches go, and those dead widows.
Check the lean of the trunk.
Any branches or trees to hang up your controlled fall ?
Then plan how the tree will ( WILL) fall and where. Target line on most pro saws BTW.
Do a walk-around for thinking where the mouth, the hinge, and the back cut or bore will go.Do you need to "aim off" or use wedges to direct the fall ?
Chain sharp, rakers correct, tensioned, PPE on.
....and, have you got your emergency care training done ?

All that before you start the beast up. It should only take a minute or so.
Once I had this training ( CLP in N.E.), it's simple, fast, safe. Minor close calls, yes. Then you debrief and learn.
Now you can all relax and fire away.
Got your kit at hand ?

 

[bholler]

Let's get serious---plan.
First step in NOT having to deal with a tree's "strange movements", needing to have a partner with you, or a cell fon to bail you out of stupid moves is planning the cut.
Repeat: plan what you're going to do. It doesn't take long, just some cerebral work.
Clear a path thru any brush for your walk-away/escape as the CONTROLLED fall begins. Usually at an rear angle to the fall direction.
Look up at the balance of the canopy -hard or soft woods- to see where the weight of the branches go, and those dead widows.
Check the lean of the trunk.
Any branches or trees to hang up your controlled fall ?
Then plan how the tree will ( WILL) fall and where. Target line on most pro saws BTW.
Do a walk-around for thinking where the mouth, the hinge, and the back cut or bore will go.Do you need to "aim off" or use wedges to direct the fall ?
Chain sharp, rakers correct, tensioned, PPE on.
....and, have you got your emergency care training done ?

All that before you start the beast up. It should only take a minute or so.
Once I had this training ( CLP in N.E.), it's simple, fast, safe. Minor close calls, yes. Then you debrief and learn.
Now you can all relax and fire away.
Got your kit at hand ?

Yes absolutly do all of that but no matter what you do or how much experience you have there are going to be times a tree will not react the way you planned it. And when that happens you can get yourself in trouble. That is why i and everyone i know prefers to have someone else there just incase. I have been cutting for many years and never had any serious injuries. Or any major mishaps with trees going the wrong direction. But at least where i cut many times there is no clear path for it to fall. So the tree is going to fall through branches of other trees which can cause the tree to spin hang up or kick the butt out. And all of the planning in the world isnt going to tell you how the tree will react to that.

 

[Ashful]

Yes absolutly do all of that but no matter what you do or how much experience you have there are going to be times a tree will not react the way you planned it. And when that happens you can get yourself in trouble. That is why i and everyone i know prefers to have someone else there just incase. I have been cutting for many years and never had any serious injuries. Or any major mishaps with trees going the wrong direction. But at least where i cut many times there is no clear path for it to fall. So the tree is going to fall through branches of other trees which can cause the tree to spin hang up or kick the butt out. And all of the planning in the world isnt going to tell you how the tree will react to that.

It’s not even worth arguing with this guy, bholler. This argument he has posted is literally so stupid, what’s the point in even answering it?

As mentioned previously, the one forum member who was paralyzed while cutting was a very experienced cutter. It wasn’t the falling tree or lack of planning that got him, it was an unknown weak branch way up on that tree, that just let go unexpectedly as the tree was going over.

Pretending you know what is going on inside every tree you’ll ever touch is just fantasy.

 

[bholler]

It’s not even worth arguing with this guy, bholler. This argument he has posted is literally so stupid, what’s the point in even answering it?

As mentioned previously, the one forum member who was paralyzed while cutting was a very experienced cutter. It wasn’t the falling tree or lack of planning that got him, it was an unknown weak branch way up on that tree, that just let go unexpectedly as the tree was going over.

Pretending you know what is going on inside every tree you’ll ever touch is just fantasy.

I know it is pointless but i find it amusing. He seems to be ignoring me anyway.

 

[Alpine1]

Add to that the sloped terrain, tall coniferous trees and the fact that here we can only cut ONLY the trees assigned by the forest service (hard to clean an escape route that way, and seldom possible to have a clear falling path). Having someone with me while felling adds comfortable peace of mind but that doesn’t imply that I don’t plan the cut at all, or that it makes felling less dangerous.
I believe that four eyes can see more things than two.
As I said, Murphy’s law.

 

[Jazzberry]

I bet he doesn't even own a single pair of assless chaps.

 

[Alpine1]

I bet he doesn't even own a single pair of assless chaps.

LOL

 

[Cast Iron]

No assless chaps, just flesh colored.
Fantasy trees in suburban Philly ?
No win here. Don't confuse this crowd with facts. I give.

 

[bholler]

No assless chaps, just flesh colored.
Fantasy trees in suburban Philly ?
No win here. Don't confuse this crowd with facts. I give.

Yeah certainly no win for you. Especially if you continue to think you can control everything about felling a tree. I just hope you dont learn your lesson the really hard way as many have before you.

 

[bholler]

I bet he doesn't even own a single pair of assless chaps.

Arent all chaps assless? I know all of mine are even the fancy leather ones with fringe lol.