Dangers from above?

[alan gage]

Not a real logger here by any means. I drop some trees to feed my mill and firewood. I often read about the dangers of falling branches from above or tops breaking off when a tree is being taken down. I'm wondering how this applies to my specific situation of cutting relatively short pasture grown trees (mostly oak and ash) with an open canopy.

I can envision a hung up broken limb shifting and falling as the tree begins to tip but I have a hard time figuring why an attached branch or top would break off during the process. It seems like the act of sawing and the tree gently accelerating for the fall would be much less stress than the winds these open trees are exposed to on a regular basis. Where I can picture a potential for danger would be where trees are growing close together and limbs on the falling tree can hang up on the surrounding trees.

I guess what I want to know is how concerned should I be about something tapping me on the back of the head when taking down a tree that doesn't contact its neighbors. I do inspect the trees before sawing and wear a helmet. Sometimes if cutting a tree with dead limbs I'll hook up a cable and give it a couple sharp pulls with the truck in case any want to drop off (none have yet). Should I be doing more? Anything else I should be keeping an eye open for?

Thanks,

Alan

[lxskllr]

I think the bigger risk is in woods, where it's hard to see what's going on above. Sounds like you're doing alright with pasture trees. Only caveat is oak and ash can get dead branches, some of them quite big. If you don't see them, it could be an issue, especially if you have to wedge the tree over. Banging on it could loosen the branches.

[Old Greenhorn]

ALWAYS keep looking up, AND out! Situational awareness will help you live to a ripe and miserable age . Seriously, pay attention regardless of what you presume to be true and safe. A lot of cutters get injured by thrown branches that come back AFTER the top hits the ground. Trees sometimes split in odd places as they fall. Branches can break when the direction of gravity changes with respect to the branches normal position. There are other things besides branches that can come down on you: a faller I know had the begeezus scared out of him when a 5 foot blacksnake fell out of the tree he was cutting and landed on his neck. He was/is scared to death of snakes and he threw the saw one way and the snake the other as he took off on a run. (It was funnier than heck, I was 1/4 mile away and caught some of the action when I heard him screaming like a 6 year old girl, my sides still ache thinking about it.)
There are many very good cutters that get badly hurt or worse while doing everything right. Never ever stop looking, never trust the tree, and always have two escape routes.  Bad things can happen to the best cutters. Unless you count yourself as a 'best cutter' I would be cautious. I had a tree back in June that was an ash, 22" DBH on a fair downhill lean (steep slope, bad footing). I did a face cut and a bore cut (because of the forward lean) and left extra holding wood. Then I stepped around to the safe side to release it, but halfway through that 'step around' I felt the earth move, actually it dropped about 2 inches. I did not know what happened in the moment, but I dropped the saw and ran as I turned and saw the tree falling. The holding wood had torn off all the way to about 18" below the ground. Had it popped about one second earlier when I was in the wrong place that finger of holding wood (5 inches wide and 2 feet long) would have come up in my crotch , lifted me up and carried me down the hill with it. The butt of that tree was 60 feet from the stump when it stopped moving. I did everything right, the tree was stable when I moved, and just 1 second change in timing would have put me in a world of hurt. Never let your guard down, the more you watch and see, the more you know. Thinking you can relax leads you into making a simple mistake that can cost you things you can never buy back. Just my 2 cents, you mileage may vary.
One last note you may want to think about is that for the 'occasional cutters' like you and I is that our senses are not as finely tuned as a person that cuts every day. When something goes wrong it may take us a few seconds to figure out what is happening and what to do. Seconds can make a big difference when you have a very big choice to make. So occasional cutters need to be extra cautious because we are not that quick to see a surprise danger, that's my take anyway.
Good Luck,
Tom
[edit: I just re-read this and realize I may have thrown more into this post than was needed. Let me explain that I recently retired from my volunteer job as a Fire Service Instructor. A big part of that job is reviewing major accident reports (usually fatal) and parsing that into training programs to keep other experienced firefighters from making the same mistake. I tend to do that, sorry.)

[Southside]

Complacency kills. You feel safe because it's only pasture trees, the homeowner who just cuts firewood feels he does not need chaps, until the saw bites.  

It's very easy to miss a widowmaker that's hanging in the crown.  Few years ago I felled a decent sized pine and before I went to the next one I dropped a 5", maybe 20' tall gum that was in my way. I looked up, cut it and had to hand push it over, it was that small. Well, that action knocked loose a dead. 2" diameter, 10' long branch which caught me right on top of my helmet.  Collapsed the suspension and broke the helmet. I came to about 15' from my still running saw which was at the base of the tree and fell out of my hands when I got hit.  Took me another 20 seconds to get my feet to work so I could stand back up and get out of the woods. Ended up with a massive concussion for a month, could not be in a vehicle without getting comple vertico, had a hard time saying words, I could speak but it felt like I could not "grab" the words out of my brain and say them. I  even got lost on my own farm and "discovered" a field I didn't know we had, and I have a permanent dent on the top of my head. 

So in my opinion, yes you need to worry and take the same precautions as if you were hand felling for a paycheck.  When EAB shows up in your area those Ash will be inverted minefields.

[thecfarm]

Old Greenhorn said the same thing I was going to say,Never Trust a Tree!!!

[Skeans1]

Another thing I can think of is never cut alone all it takes is that one time, if we're cutting large stuff it's always a two man job because you can't see the top on a big fir.

[ohiowoodchuck]

Great advice guys. One thing I have learned in my short time of working on my property and falling trees is clear out all the way around the tree and give yourself plenty of room to get out all the way around the tree and when she starts to go keep your eyes on it and get away from it. I cut a small maple one day and it caught a limb which threw up the butt and came right at me. I threw my saw up in front of me as it hit, it knocked me down and landed on my leg. I thought my leg was broke at first but luckily there was enough mud to allow a cushion for my leg. If I would of got out of there when it first started to go it would of been no harm. I was lucky that day and I learned real quick from my mistake. Another tip I got is that when you get tired call it a day right then and there. Bad stuff can happen. 

[BargeMonkey]

I was dumping a load of gravel at a local farm the other day and saw this ash.... 


  Theres a few down by my local post office that are either completely orange or have no bark and look like a grenade. 👎 Those are the trees that scare me handcutting, the monster live oaks are easy. "pre-shaking" a tree isnt something I would recommend especially in stuff that's kind of dead. I've been hit 2x by falling debris and the smallest limb that wouldnt seem like much really hurts. 
 
 

[Old Greenhorn]

 👎 Those are the trees that scare me handcutting, the monster live oaks are easy. "pre-shaking" a tree isnt something I would recommend especially in stuff that's kind of dead. I've been hit 2x by falling debris and the smallest limb that wouldnt seem like much really hurts.

Those scare me too and it is the predominant tree I cut. it's why i am cautious about everything.

[maple flats]

Know all the hazards out there no matter which way it ends up falling. In 35-40 years of cutting trees, I only had one close call. I was cutting a red maple about 13-14" dbh and it went exactly where I planned it, but I had not fully checked the place it landed. The day before my grandson had cut a few trees that had not yet been cleaned up and I was laying my tree in between 2 others. However, I failed to notice a stump about 18" high in the brushey tops out about 20' from where I was working. When my tree fell, the trunk landed squarely on that stump. The land past that stump sloped down a little. Thus, as it hit that stump the trunk of my tree jumped about 8-10' in the air. Had I not retreated far enough as it fell, at 45 degrees  away from opposite the fall, I could have easily been a statistic and my wife a widow.

[longtime lurker]

I'm really in two minds about making this comment because as soon as you start making suggestions counter to the current OH&S guidelines...

But look, those things are wrong and they put fellers under increased risk because of it. You start getting around trees with widowmakers in them and right up there on the list of ways to get dead quick is to start banging wedges into them... the vibration thing.

Give them a good front, at least 30%. Then put some lift on your backcut, as in place it 4" above the floor of your front. It'll give you increased directional control (and when they say 10% hinge well they didnt say which 10% anyway, vertical wood is hinge too.) Then come in from the back and chase the thing to the ground, or if you're worried about a barber chair do a plunge but it bring it well forward . Dont ever be putting yourself in a position of standing under dead limbs pounding at wedges because "the book" said to leave a good hinge. Thats a real quick way to end up hurt. 

Just sayin'

[Wudman]

Also be aware that a tree can still be a hazard when it is on the ground .  One of my supervisors years ago had dropped a field edge red oak.  It had heavy limbs on the field side.  As he was bucking, the tree rolled back on him pinning his left hand on top of the saw .  He was working alone and stayed in that position until his wife came home from work that nite.  That was about 8 hours after the accident.  His hand was crushed but they were able to repair it.  Take care.

Wudman

[Riwaka]

Older trees like to rain down the branches in this area. The wet and the humidity can cause rot even in healthy appearing trees.
Usual procedure if possible is to get an excavator with a forestry rated cab and tap the tree trunk a few times; with at least a bucket.
and clear the chainsaw guys exit routes.  or use the excavator for the last push to bust the hinge wood so the chain guy is well away when the tree is falling. 

[alan gage]

Thanks for all the feedback. Not getting to do this regularly slows the learning curve. It's good to read things like this to keep me on my toes and make me think of things I otherwise wouldn't. I'll try to remain diligent and do my best to avoid accumulating any exciting stories....or worse.

I'm surprised wedging a tree would be enough to shake things loose that the wind wouldn't have already taken care of but I'll take your word for it.

Alan