Chainsaw safety

Ed_K · July 12, 2014, 08:02:00 PM

It only takes a second to have things go bad.

We were doing tree warden work for the town, just finished up a downed tree and cutting the top into manageable pieces when my assistant had a kick back across his foot.
4hrs at the emergency room,8 stitches and 2 weeks off the foot.
Steel toe shoes do not offer any protection in situations like this.We were all wearing PPE's but you never know what can happen.

Ed_K · July 12, 2014, 08:05:53 PM

Guys, I just post a picture on the safety page.Take a look at what can happen in less than a second.

JDeere · July 12, 2014, 08:56:24 PM

I never cut wood anymore without my chainsaw proof boots. I was in my logging certification first-aid class and they showed a photo of a logger that had a similar thing happen. His big toe and small toe were there and everything in between was carved out. They made their point.

jmouton · July 12, 2014, 08:56:52 PM

back in the winter I had my charhart s on and flannel pants on and my long johns too,,, it was cold , anyway i had my chainsaw go across my leg and stop at my long johns , it was a vary close call,, it happened when i was becoming lazy and tired from cutting , not good ,, hope your buddy is alright ,

jim

treeslayer2003 · July 12, 2014, 09:16:12 PM

where is it?

clww · July 12, 2014, 10:26:26 PM

He was lucky with only eight stitches and he kept all his toes.

Ron Scott · July 13, 2014, 03:35:23 PM

Very lucky!

Ed_K · July 13, 2014, 08:10:59 PM

I checked on him today, up and around on crutches,but it'll be a week to ten days before the stitches come out. Dr. needs to check it out tomorrow or tues. to make sure the bar oil didn't infect it.
I think i'm more of a wreck over it than he is

.

Jeff · July 30, 2014, 10:02:38 AM

I forgot to post about the close call I had last time I was up north. I was reminded of it when I got a pair of jeans out of the closet I had not had on since then, I had been doing some work on the site where I want to put a future cabin. It was last in the day, and I was tired. I had been picking up rocks and shoveling dirt. I saw where there was a small sapling that I had missed the day before still attached to the ground. So, I went over to the truck, grabbed the chainsaw out of the truck to zip it off. I noticed the chain was a bit loose when I picked it up, but so what, I was only cutting a 3/4" stick off. I started the saw, warmed it up for a couple seconds. I walked over to the stick and zipped it off, then, I stood up and turned in a circle seeing if there was anything else I should get while saw was in hand. When I did, I relaxed and lowered the saw to my side a bit.

Lucky I keep my wallet in my front pocket. This all took about 20 seconds from the time I started the saw.

BradMarks · July 30, 2014, 10:48:43 AM

Until now, I thought that carrying my wallet in the left front pocket was for sciatica relief, now it's also for chainsaw safety!!. Seriously, glad you didn't get hurt, although the pieces were in place to do so. Tired, end of day, chain too loose to stop on idle, lots of us have been there. Good learning lesson.

beenthere · July 30, 2014, 11:19:19 AM

And add the chaps to the list ... ;)

One more reminder to not even start the saw without the chaps on...

LittleJohn · July 30, 2014, 12:48:15 PM

Ed_K, I have a boot that looks like that except mine is a bit closer to the arch.

Mine happened in the afternoon, on a hot day... isn't this how all these storied go. Anyway I was buckling pines in the landing, that the skidder pulled up. YEP, a branch released, threw tip into the dirt and up my boot. Luckily I was wearing two pairs of socks, cause I was breaking in the boots. Saw broke thru the boot and into the outside layer of sock.

Took me almost an hour before I could restart my saw; luckily the genious skidder operator got himself fired the next week and I moved up in the WORLD 8)