If it gives you a pause, leave it stand there.

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Picture a good red oak, on a very steep hillside.  I could barely stand up it was that steep.  There was about six inches of snow on the ground.  This tree was not only on the steep slope, it was on the very edge of a drop off where it was almost straight down.  Meaning that I had to tip this tree UPHILL and then I would not be able to leave the danger zone walking away and on an angle because I cant walk on thin air.  I could only escape sideways from the stump.  I've been doing this quite a while.  This one worried me.   The more I looked at it the more I didn't want to cut it.   I showed it to the procurement forester and of course he wanted the logs and didn't see any problem with it.  He told me I didnt have to cut it but I knew he wanted it done.  I told him Id look it over again.  I did that and decided I could get away with it. 

It took a three days before I could sit up for more than a few minutes. It took a week before I could walk without looking like a monkey.
Its been just over three weeks and I'm just getting to where i can do light tasks. But its clear I am recovering.  
The whole things a blur.  I was pinned in the snow.  But the snows the only reason I got out from under it.   Took over an hour to crawl and  and stagger to the truck.  I don't remember it all.   I was going to try and drag myself into the skidder but bad luck loves company and the skidder had broke down on the return trip.  I had to get myself to the truck.
i should have left it stand.  I'm lucky I'm still here.  Guys be careful and don't let a sense of responsibility get you killed.

[Stephen Alford]

Wow , man o man Mr Lapp  glad your on the mend .  Your post and Mr Cfarm have both reminded me that this forum is not just about learning but sharing as well so others may benefit .   
  

[Old Greenhorn]

Wow! That's a story not many get to tell! I am amazed you survived that and I won't ask details, it happened, that's it. I hope you feel better quickly and most importantly suffer no long lasting effects. I hope that forester learned a good lesson on risking someone else's life. He got lucky too.
----------------------------

Not at all the same, but reminds of a shop I was working in. We had added a new piece of equipment that drew 100 amps of 480 3 phase. When we finally got all the materials to run the new service to the machine and had the pipe in, the foreman wanted me to pull the new line while everything was hot because he didn't want to stop production then restart all the other equipment. I looked at the job and said "no". He cajoled me, then berated me, called me 'chicken' and some other things I can't write here. I offered to do it after hours or on a Sunday but refused to do it hot. "It's not worth dying for". I went back to what I was doing. About 20 minutes later the entire building was filled with a bright blue glow and a PZAAAPPP!. I ran over and found the foreman about a dozen feet in front of the panel, flat on his back and out cold. He came around and eventually recovered, and I asked him if it was worth it as we loaded him in the ambulance?
What happened was as he was pulling 4 leads of 3/0 cable, it jammed and without thinking he pushed back on the snake causing a bend in the snake that shorted across all 3 phases. The snake vaporized. Pulling lines of that size by hand is stupid to begin with, but doing it hot is as dumb as it gets. I pulled the lines in the following Sunday afternoon with little effort.

We've all spent many years learning what we know, so it makes me wonder why we ignore what we've learned sometimes. I've done it too.

Just glad you survived and are recovering. Geez you got lucky!

[Ron Wenrich]

I've been a consulting forester as well as a procurement forester.  I've marked a good amount of timber and a lot of it on a slope.  But, I never would mark a tree that I didn't think could come out safely.  I did have some cutting experience.  Not even close to the guys that cut every day.  If a logger came up to me and said it was too dangerous to cut, I would defer to his experience. 

If the forester wanted it out of the stand for any reason, he could have marked it to be girdled. 

[Resonator]

Wow, glad you're still here to tell about it!
Not long ago Pete (Nuts319 on You tube) had a bad logging accident and thankfully recovered. That one was kind of a wake up call, that if a highly skilled feller can get hurt, anyone can get hurt. When you work for yourself, you have to be your own safety supervisor. And if your gut feeling says it it won't work, don't. Be safe.

[Wlmedley]

Mr Lapp, glad you're going to be ok. I'm finally healed up from my log accident last fall. I found out that I can't move as fast as I used to and logs don't have a conscience.

[arojay]

Well, first things first, so good to know that you survived and best wishes for a full recovery.  It's a risky business.  So many variables that we have no control over.  I don't like falling up or down slope.  It can make more work, but my preference is to fall cross slope.  That might not have worked in your case for prescription or other reasons.  In that case your final advice is golden.  No log is worth a person's well-being.

[thecfarm]

Glad you are on the mend!!!

[Jeff]

Thank God you are here to tell us you are still here. Nathan Fether, another member was killed earlier in the month. We don't know the details.

Thank you for walking away from that. 

[barbender]

Dang it Lapp! Well I'm glad you lived to tell the tale, take the time to heal up without pushing it!

[Stephen1]

Glad your Okay and live to tell us another story.

[Machinebuilder]

I hate to hear about things like this. I hope you heal well.

I try to be as safe as possible when doing things.

I have been around a couple electrical incidents close to OGH's described, the recoveries are bad.

As Mike Rowe says "Safety Third"

the real meaning is that we are all responsible for our own safety.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Glad your still kickin' Mr Lapp.  Try to always trust your own best judgement, I know its easier said than done.

When I have to dispatch trucks in snow and ice conditions, I try and always leave it in the drivers hands.  If the roads or loading/unloading (construction equipment) conditions aren't right, either wait it out, or head back home.  That equipment/log/task doesn't have a conscience, it won't care if you don't make it home to your family, but your family will!

[Log-it-up]

Like many others here I'm glad your able to tell your story it's a reminder of the things that we as woods man run across in our daily course of action
I don't have the most experience and no where claim to be the best at what I do and had have put my self in to some tight spots but some of the best advice I ever got when I stated cutting was " if it doesn't feel right or you just feel off weather be with a tree or the day just walk away" and I keep that at heart 
From hearing your story I personally put some responsibilities on the forester they never should have put the pressure on you weather it was subconscious or not, the forester I work with is really good forester and will mark stuff and has always told me it's your decision to cut it not and we get along pretty good 
Good speed Mr lapp I wish you a speedy recovery and hope your still willing and able to still get out there and do the stuff you love

[Stephen Alford]

We had a major hurricane a couple years ago . Work switched from woodlot improvement to dangerous/threat tree removal in an urban environment .  Have done some pretty dodgy work over the years but for me this has been the most dangerous yet .  Downed power lines , domestic and infrastructure damage .  Root balls ,tangled mess ,  really hard to describe . The cleanup is winding down and there has recent discussions as to the direction forest management  will take .  There were some broken bones and strains but quite incredible there were no fatilities tree related that I am aware of .

[barbender]

Theres nothing worse than storm damage for a man and a chainsaw!

[Ianab]

Sure glad you are still here to tell the story BCC. The description you gave made my spidey senses twitch as well. Have you gone back and worked out exactly what went wrong? Just from an accident investigation perspective. I can imagine several ways it could have gone bad... 

When I have to dispatch trucks in snow and ice conditions, I try and always leave it in the drivers hands.  If the roads or loading/unloading (construction equipment) conditions aren't right, either wait it out, or head back home. 

Over the years the Post Service here has changed the motto from "The mail must get through", to if the weather is THAT bad, tomorrow is fine. I've not had to pull the plug on a mail run yet, but the boss has, when trees started falling over the road 1/2 way though the run. Turn around, go home and hunker down. One thing they realised was that looking out their office window 20 miles away, the sun might be shining and it's just a little cool. Meanwhile they expected the local posties to go out on e-bikes in 2" of snow. We might complain about OSH rules, but sending someone out in the snow on a pushbike is a pretty obvious hazard. Likewise if trees are blowing over, or there is a foot of water over the road. 

[aigheadish]

Yikes BCC! I'm glad you are ok man! Quite the reminder to everyone here, thanks, and heal up well!

[Peter Drouin]

Happy your ok.

[230Dforme]

Good afternoon BCC Lapp
I don't participate often on this site, but visit everyday 
Always enjoy your thoughts and commentary 

I was a union ironworker in upstate New York for 40 years
Survived that along with some close calls
When I retired, I started doing tree work by myself
These days, a friend of mine who has been a solo logger
for 45 years work together on the tree work, he is still
solo logging too

I have never been seriously injured, but have been lucky 
more than once with the tree work

Anyway, all the knowledge, judgement and experience protect us, until it doesn't 

Wishing you a full recovery, and a return to the timber
Thankyou 
 

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

Wow. I hate story's like that but glad you could tell it. Quick recovery!!

[Riwaka]

A ten year safety review was published for our local forest sector before Christmas 2024. Rather sobering to see more than a 1/3 of the total deaths reported are still from manual chainsaw tree falling.

Might have a look at the 'B.C Forest Safety Council" on youtube, still conveys the safety message after years via a video. ' Danger Tree Blasting- below road right of way'

[cutterboy]

BCC, I have three trees on my farm that I have wanted to take down for years. They are still standing because I don't feel confident about taking them down. There are safety issues with each one but I keep thinking that if I cut it from this side it should be ok, or if I stand on this side of the tree that dead branch shouldn't hit me if it falls etc, etc. Well, after reading your post I've decided I'm not going to think about those trees any more. They can stand till they fall on their own. I'm not going to touch them. 

I hate to think you got hurt but I'm glad you are on the mend. Mrs Lapp must have been so upset. I hope she will let you touch a chainsaw again.
Wishing you a quick recovery.....Cutter

[Rhodemont]

Glad to hear you are on the mend.  I have backed away from several trees and this reinforces my decisions.

[Old Greenhorn]

Mr. Lapp, just checking in here. How are you progressing in your healing? It's been a few weeks now and I hope this is just a memory for you, but sometimes things can take a while.

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Old Greenhorn is right, I should post a update.
Well, the black and blue that went from just below my ribs to half way down my left buttock turned green then started to fade.  Pretty much gone now near as I can see.   The sharp serious pain faded and I never did eat those pain pills.   Just took lots of ibeprophen and some advil.  Its just what I'd call discomfort now and always improving.  I'm sure you already guessed I never made it to the follow up appointments. I knew I was healing okay on my own.
Mrs. Lapp claims I am my own worst enemy.  She may be right. But no matter. I'm going back to work Monday.

[Machinebuilder]

I am glad to hear good news

[thecfarm]

You will awaken new pains.

[cutterboy]

Glad to hear you're still on the mend and I hear you on those dang pain pills. After my hernia surgery I took one and it sent me for a loop. After that it was ibuprofen and just dealing with the pain. I understand you wanting to get back to work. I'm sure it will feel good even if it hurts a little bit. Your wife will worry so be extra nice to her.

Good luck moving forward!

[Kodiakmac]

From someone who's "been there, done that", I thank you for posting this.

I've worked in the bush since I was a wee gaffer. It took me the better part of 70 years to come to this conclusion: bad stuff is constantly stalking us ... so there's no need to go looking for it. 

So now, when I spy a BUB (big ugly bustard), I leave it alone for age and gravity to do their thing.  That wasn't always the case.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Mr. Lapp,

Just checkin in on ya, I know you were planning on heading back to work this week.  I hope you at least took it easy on your first couple days back in the woods!

 Be safe

Matt

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Guys, I did go back to work.  For four days. Did okay. Maybe a little more cautious than before.  Then my wife came down with that flu that's making the rounds. And of course the next day I had it to. Sick as a dog. We always get flu shots and Id hate to think how long we would have been sick without them. They certainly dont always keep you from getting flu but I swear its never as bad for as long if you get the shot.  Doing okay now but still a little tired and achy.  Its almost funny.  Almost.

[thecfarm]

I had something too. Lasted 24 hours and took me 24 hours to recover.
I "gave" it to the wife and she had it 4-5 days.
I had about the same thing about 40 years ago.
I hope I don't have it for another 40 years.

[cutterboy]

Yes, I had it too for about 24 hours. A good part of that time was sitting on the toilet. then no appetite for two more days. I lost 4 pounds. That was a week ago. Now I'm fine and hungry all the time.