ya take the safety course,.....

[moosehunter]

........ya wear your gear and
WHAM

I was cutting an ash tree, about 18" dbh. Cut the notch, double checked it for direction, did my plunge cut leaving a small amount of holding wood. I was sure it was leaning in the right direction. I double checked my escape route and cut the holding wood. I turned and went about 20 feet and stopped to see how it was falling. I heard a snap from above and looked up in time to see a dead branch coming directly at my head. I had enough time to move my head about six inches to the left causing a glancing blow instead of a direct hit. The limb hit my helmet right where the ear protector attatches. I got two small scratches in my ear and a lot of swelling and brusing.
I should not have stopped to watch it fall, I would have been out of the way if I took two more steps!
Be carefull out there! I was very lucky.
mh

[ellmoe]

    Close call! Good thing you had the brains to protect your brains! 8) I had an employee at the mill that got slammed by a large chunk of wood that was spit out of a mulcher. He was knocked to the ground and his hardhat was cracked, but not the his head. You couldn't pay him to not wear his helmet after that.

   Glad your OK!

Mark

[Kevin]

Where did the branch come from?
Did it break off the tree you were cutting, another tree or was it a dead hanger?

[moosehunter]

The branch broke off the tree I was cutting. The tree I was cutting was between two other trees, so in 20-20 hind-sight I am sure one of the other trees broke off this branch and tossed it back in my direction.