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Just a headache

Started by Larry, March 04, 2013, 09:47:49 PM

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Larry

This morning I was doing a bit of logging.  Just felled a big red oak and was watching it hit the ground when a ton of bricks hit me.  Took me to the ground.  It was a widow maker and not all that big.  About a 2" branch but with no leaves it fell fast.  I did look to the sky before felling and didn't see anything of importance.  I'm sure if I had looked hard enough I would have seen it and possibly changed my escape path.

My helmet suffered a small scuff mark.  You wouldn't think it took much of an impact but it did.  This afternoon I looked the helmet over as it is an old one.  I already knew there was a broken strap in the suspension as it irritated me.  I also found a crack in the bill, I suppose from age.  The ear muffs had cracks in the black covering.  Ordered a new helmet as my old one has more than paid for itself today.  Just a small headache instead of....

Be safe out there.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

thecfarm

I doubt you would of seen it even it you looked hard. Those things have a way of hiding on ya. As you know. That helmet was a nice pice of safety equipment to have. Mighty cheap too. You are at home talking about it.  ;D  That is a good thing. Those red oak have a ton of dead limbs in them. I have them on each side of the driveway. Some good size ones fall out at just about every hard wind.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

beenthere

Good for having the helmet.  8)
Same happened to me. Saw stars and drove that helmet down past my ears.
The tree had fallen, and all was quiet. I'd stepped forward and onto the stump. As I stood there, down came a 2" dead limb.  Makes one think just a walk in the woods should be helmet time. Limbs fall all the time, by the looks of the ground.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

sawguy21

Good for that helmet, this could have really ruined a good day. :o I am buying another one before I do any felling.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

thenorthman

Part of the reason I like the aluminium hats is you can pretty much iron out any big dents in em... Mine has been crushed once (got knocked off and a log sat on it...) and dented and dinged a number of times (sometimes I hate chokers...) with a little ball pein hammer and some patience looks almost like new.  And the sun does not have much effect on em

Note: if there are any creases its a wall hanger...
well that didn't work

shinnlinger

I'm no expert, but can aluminum really take that kind of massaging and still be as safe as they were when new?  I would think metal fatigue would be a factor the more the aluminum was worked.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

ScottAR

The plastic ones apparently become brittle over time due to UV exposure... 3M has a new line of regular hard hats out that change color as they are exposed so you know how "worn out" they are.  So says the propaganda at least.
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

WDH

Larry,

The exact same thing happened to me. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

red

Danny . . thats what happened ?
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

chain

Quote from: Larry on March 04, 2013, 09:47:49 PM
This morning I was doing a bit of logging.  Just felled a big red oak and was watching it hit the ground when a ton of bricks hit me.  Took me to the ground.  It was a widow maker and not all that big.  About a 2" branch but with no leaves it fell fast.  I did look to the sky before felling and didn't see anything of importance.  I'm sure if I had looked hard enough I would have seen it and possibly changed my escape path.

My helmet suffered a small scuff mark.  You wouldn't think it took much of an impact but it did.  This afternoon I looked the helmet over as it is an old one.  I already knew there was a broken strap in the suspension as it irritated me.  I also found a crack in the bill, I suppose from age.  The ear muffs had cracks in the black covering.  Ordered a new helmet as my old one has more than paid for itself today.  Just a small headache instead of....

Be safe out there.


I can still 'hear' the branch that hit me in a very similar incident as yours. Glad you made it without serious injury.

Autocar

Your a lucky man it can happen so quick. I got hit with a limb it split my hardhat three different ways broke my shoulder and collar bone. Hard hats are life saver for sure.
Bill

Sprucegum

Our plastic hard hats have a date stamped on them under the bill. When they are three years old we are supposed to replace them.

g_man

Glad you are OK and able to tell your story. Hopefully someone out there who thinks they don't need a hard hat will listen and change there mind after reading this.

Riggs

That's a scary reminder, glad you are OK.
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.~Ernest Hemingway

Norwood ML 26

OneWithWood

Glad the hat did it's job.  The headache will pass.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

Cedarman

My son Ian came to me the other day with his hard hat in his hand.  He said take a look at this.  There was a crack in the top of it.  He didn't know how it got here.   Got the monthly statement from the hardware store where the saw shop is located.  Looks like I am paying for his new hardhat.  This thread reinforces the need for good safety equipment.

Larry, glad you are telling us about the 2" limb.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

lowpolyjoe

Scary stuff.  Glad to hear you're alright.  Even with the helmet, if the shot was hard enough to knock you down, might want to keep an eye out for concussion symptoms.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview

Take care.

Dom

Nowadays I where protective head gear for pretty much anything.
My father was working around the shredder (PTO was off) and lifted his head right under the chute. If he would not have had his helmet, he would have gotten stitches as he hit the steel corner of the chute.

Skiing and snowboarding, I never wore a helmet, I do now. It more comfortable, and safer. My buddy cracked his helmet last year, and did not even have a headache.
Now that I think of it, my sister also cracked a helmet with cycling.

Glad to hear you got away fine! Could've been a different outcome.

coxy

glad your ok    some people never get to tell there story

JDeere

 I have seen helmets save people so many times. When my daughter was 6 years old she started taking skiing lessons so I bought her a helmet and I also bought one for her best friend. Initially, they were the only two kids with ski helmets. After a few weeks almost all the kids had helmets because they thought they were cool. This was 15 years ago and now it is uncommon to see kids at the ski area without helmets.
2013 Western Star, 2012 Pelletier trailer, Serco 7500 crane, 2007 Volvo EC 140, 2009 John Deere 6115D, 2002 Cat 938G, 1997 John Deere 540G, 1996 Cat D-3C, 1995 Cat 416B, 2013 Cat 305.5E

thenorthman

Quote from: shinnlinger on March 04, 2013, 10:55:35 PM
I'm no expert, but can aluminum really take that kind of massaging and still be as safe as they were when new?  I would think metal fatigue would be a factor the more the aluminum was worked.

The aluminium they used was rather soft, so it could be formed, so it can handle being reshaped a few times  before Fatigue becomes an issue, and fatigue is immediately visible, it will start to crack or crease, but in the case of tin hats they will crease before cracking... usually.  besides if something is big enough to dent the hat and your head well... its game over anyway...
well that didn't work

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