A chainsaw death in the making

[rebocardo]

My neighbor was having a tree taken down that I would not touch because it was over the power lines and leaning towards it.  It was old and rotted so much that the bark and outer part of the tree has been falling down in chunks.

I was not going to chance it falling back towards the power wires with my steel cables attached, breaking in 1/2, or doing something like barberchairing etc.

So, the tree service is there dropping the top chunks to the ground, I go back inside. I come back out later to ask him if he will be leaving the tree for firewood because I will take it if he does not want to chip it.

What do I see.

Guy on the ground cutting the trunk was:

wearing no protection (no gloves, chaps, hat, glasses, etc.)

wearing sneakers

I think shorts (I left too quick to remember) and t-shirt

holding the log so it does not roll with his right foot

while cutting with his right hand, while his left hand was on his hip

then to make sure his very dull saw (I think I would have beat him with a bow saw ; - ) was not hitting the dirt he would lean OVER the saw before rolling the log to make sure it did not go too far into the log.

So, if  you see Casey's Tree Service of Atlanta GA in the news, you know why.

It was suggested when I started to learn on this board to get a job with a local tree service. I have not found one yet that does not do bone-headed things like this. I am better off reading boards and books. Though I would take a free GOL if it was offered in GA :-D

The worse thing is it looked like the Mexcian watching him was "learning" from his guy.  :-/  I was going to mention something, but, I think this guy showing off his fine skills to the hired help would not have appreciated it. So, I left ASAP.

[DanManofStihl]

Hay I would have dragged butt out of their to my neigbor pulls that all the time we were cleaning up from isabel and he was not wearing ear eye head or foot protection he had shorts moccisons and a shirt on nothing else. I went over to help and was in aww that he worked like that and his breath reaked of alcohol I told him I would finish the job.

[beenthere]

Rebo
Sure here what you are saying.
Experienced a tree crew hired by the electric co. to clear lines, and two guys doing similar tricks. One leaning over the chain saw run by his partner, pushing on one double stem of a small oak so it would go where they wanted it, and because there wasn't a proper notch.
Just as bad as when I visited an old Steam and Gas Engine show awhile back. Some circle saw mills set up, one running when the sawyer walked across the husk (no catwalk) within inches of the saw blade. Nothing to hang on to if he had lost his balance. Another circle saw running and while sawing, had a crowd of people watching at the infeed end in line with the sawblade entering the log. Also a band mill (7" band) running while an old duffer walked the track past the band (running) and I thought the hammer he had stuck in his back pocket was going to get the handle cut off, it was that close. And a blacksmith pounding out red hot steel on an anvil with adults and children watching within 2' of the anvil at eye level for the kids (and no safety glasses anywhere).
I'm probably not known as a safety nut, but there are some things that bother me. The sight of blood is one of them.  

I had to leave that Steam and Gas Show quickly. It was too much in one day (yet that is probably how they did it in the 'old' days).  :(

[rebocardo]

Yea, in the old days it was not uncommon to lose dozens if not a hundred workers to industrial deaths on a big project such as Hoover Dam.

In some ways the good ole' days were not that good.

[DanManofStihl]

Thats true Osha might be a pain but they are just trying to help us and make it alittle safer. I would rather have osha then to be out their cutting with out chaps and hearing protection.