Chainsaw Death

Devil_Dave

Devil_Dave

Location
The Garden State
A man using a chainsaw to cut down an oak tree was killed when the saw bounced back and sliced his throat.
This man was removing the tree for a pest control service. A steel ladder leaned against the tree showed a small cut on one side. The bloody chainsaw was found about 10 feet from his body.
 
So tragic. From my experience Ladders and tree work have been a bad combination. Most arborists I know don't use them. Unskilled people trying to save the expense will often do their own tree work off a ladder. Once saw an old fellow standing on the top rung holding on to the tree with one hand leaning out and knawing on a limb with an electric carpenters skill saw. No ropes at all. Another time I watched a kid working off a ladder much the same way, but he had a friend tethering the chainsaw by a rope run through an overhead crotch. The kid wasn't secure at all. I guess they cared more for the saw.
A fellow I knew working for the phone company running a service to a house had to cut a limb off a tree to do it. Propped the ladder on the limb, went up to cut the end off. He was successfull. However, the stem of the limb raised and the ladder cleared, fell and so did he. Lucky he was only using a handsaw and didn't get injured. Though his pride was hurt a little.
When I first started in the business an old treeman by the name of "Spaletta" working out of Petaluma was killed doing the exact same thing. He had near 40 years experience. Everytime I hear of an accident involving ladders it confirms my feelings about them. I'm sure everyone out there can tell a story or two about ladders.
 
I'd have to strongly agree with Mr. Beranek. I have always held the position that ladders are unsafe to work from. It has been my feeling that the tree is usually the safest place to work from (provided that you are secured with an approved system).

My neighbor once had told me that he had planned to go over to his Dad's new house and help him and his Dad's friend do some tree work. After offering my help and being turned down (politley), the only advice I gave to him was to NOT WORK FROM A LADDER! He followed the advice but the friend did not. What do you know the friend did indeed take a fall. My neighbor said that he warned the friend just before this do-gooder cut a branch, it ripped down the trunk, kicked the ladder out from under the man and he and the saw landed six feet away from the tree. The man went home immediately with a hurt leg and the saw never did cut anyone.

I felt bad for the man but was glad to see that my neighbor took my advice. Another lesson learned!
shocked.gif
 
I have been scared of ladders from the get go (and also roofs, most notably, Bob Doerrs). There are too many variables with ladders. I would much rather be tied into a tree somewhere. There are sooo many faster and efficient ways to ascend a tree than pulling a ladder off a truck that it does not seem necessary anymore. My crews rarely pull down a ladder. We might use it to get on a roof to blow it off, but thats about all.
 
I have to agree with everyone here. Ladders are bad. I think it takes more time and effort to get off the top of the and to put it back up than it does to just walk up the tree. I work with a guy once in awhile doing some sub work and this guy used to be a big fan of his 40 foot ladder until one day he put it on a tree that I was just elevating. I walked up the ladder and tied in. When I cut the limb it took out the ladder and laid it across the hood of his new truck. I had even asked him to move the ladder once I was off it.
 
yea man ladders baaaad! I say set the line and foot lock leave the ladders fr painters.
although I have worked with many accomplished climbers who will insist on heading up on a ladder first,it works for them.I must ad they would never work off one.
smile.gif
 
Another life that was lost because of not following the ANSI Z133.1 -2000 standard:


"9.1.2 Arborists shall be tied-in or secured while ascending the tree and remain tied-in or secured until the work is completed and they have returned to the ground. EXCEPTION:
(1) While ascending a ladder to gain access to a tree, however, arborists shall not work from or leave the ladder until they are tied-in or secured."

Thanks,

TMW
 
I carry 5 ladders to most every job. I wouldn't do tree work without a ladder any more than I would work without a pole saw. To me they are invaluable and I never understood why so few companies use em. Using a little Toyota pick-up with a low rack makes them easy to get to. Having different sizes is crucial. It's tough to get around an apple tree with a 40'er.
We use light and medium duty aluminum, cause they are light, easy to work with and cheap. The hardware has to be right or they get difficult and dangerous. Always set up the aluminum so there is zero possibility of it getting near, falling, or sliding into power lines. Otherwise use fiberglass (heavy, hard to handle and expensive) or leave em on the truck.
I do own a 32' fiberglass which was given to me be a personal injury lawyer. His client got $500,000 from Werner after becoming a quadriplegic from a fall while painting his house. The ladder shifted, sliding along the side of the house, cause it wasn't set up properly, and threw him. He ended up on the ground, while the ladder stayed on the house. He should have held on. I've heard painters say if a ladder goes, ride it, don't jump.
Some tips for tree guys...
Use only ladders that are in good working condition
Always dig the feet into turf
Always have a ground man hold the base until you're tied in
Always bounce the top of the ladder against tree or house and let it come to rest where it wants to, to check the set up. Use shims to adjust when needed.
Always have the ground men remove the ladder as soon as possible.
Use a bungee cord to tie into the gutter when on a house if it's a windy day.
Setting up at too slight an angle will cause the ladder to kick out, especially on wet pavement or flagstone.
And of course never cut from a ladder when not tied in. Most homeowners injured while doing tree work get hurt from the fall, when as mentioned above the branch butt kicks back into the ladder or the lightened limb jumps up over the top of the ladder.
The ladder is a very versatile tool, good for a lot more than just ascending trees. You may never get a chance to find out if they are heavy, hard to handle, don't work right, or are hard to get to, way up on top of the chipper truck.
Be safe,
Daniel
 
Here is a short list of other practical uses for ladders.
Dropping phone and cable wires
Getting onto roof for any number of reasons, including using power pruner, shooting a throwing ball, handling limbs lowerred there, making an extra $100 in 15 minutes for cleaning the gutters and downspouts.
Hopping fences and walls
Making a ramp with plywood into truck, across creeks Etc...
Shielding shrubs and windows etc.. by guiding tips away.
Protecting tips of wooden fences when bombing small stuff
Blocking pedestrian or car traffic
Extending reach when working from the roof of a truck.
Working the outside of an small conifer.
I never leave home without em.
Daniel
 
Tim quoted scripture and I'll just do a little preaching. On my crew, no one touches plant material from the ladder. If there is
brush in the way, the climber SHALL be tied in before the brush is pushed out of the way. Ladders are used for ascent.

During the last revision of Z133 there was discussion about requiring arbos to be tied in whenever they were on a ladder. This
would have included ascent. Since this was discussed at this revision, I would expect that next time there will be a "should"
added about this issue and the following revision there will be a "shall".

I rode a ladder down one time. Pretty scary but no injuries except the ladder went to the recyclers. Lucky me.

After tieing into the climbing rope tie the ladder to the limb. This will keep the ladder from loosing contact with the tree. The
fellow who taught me to climb worked for the phone company. They were taught to lean the ladder against the cable with a
rung at the cable height. When they ascended to working height, they looped their flipline around the cable and rung before
clipping back to the ladder. This method keeps the climber, work and ladder in one place. With the addition of a climbing line,
this could be a pretty secure method to work off a ladder.

I have to disagree with some of Daniel's work practices with ladders. Point by point...

*Always set up the aluminum so there is zero possibility of it getting near, falling, or sliding into power lines. Otherwise use
fiberglass (heavy, hard to handle and expensive) or leave em on the truck.

Fiberglass ladders are less conductive than aluminum but should never be considered insulated. Since the ladders are dirty and
not tested, they should be considered conductive. I only use 'glass ladders because they're lighter and more durable for the
money and duty rating. Light duty alum ladders are lighter but are still pretty flimsy.

*The ladder shifted, sliding along the side of the house, cause it wasn't set up properly, and threw him.

If the ladder wasn't set up properly, why was it the fault of the ladder manufacturer? Isn't that pilot error?

*Use a bungee cord to tie into the gutter when on a house if it's a windy day.

Bungy? Why not tie the ladder over the top of the roof to something more secure than a gutter.

*Setting up at too slight an angle will cause the ladder to kick out, especially on wet pavement or flagstone.

From "The Tree Climber's Companion" by Jeff Jepson p.36
Proper Ladder Setup
1 Set the ladder into position. Secure the locks on extension ladders.
2 While standing erect, place toes against the side rails at the bottom of the ladder.
3 With arms extended straight our and parallel to the ground, the hands should just be able to reach the backside of the
ladder.

Most ladders will have a sticker on the rail with a diagram showing a line that must be vertical and one that will be horizontal.

*Making a ramp with plywood into truck, across creeks Etc...

Once you use a ladder for a ramp it becomes a ramp not a ladder. Same as a climbing rope being used as a lowering line. Read
the instruction sheet that comes with the ladder or the decals on the sides of the ladder.

*Shielding shrubs and windows etc.. by guiding tips away.
Protecting tips of wooden fences when bombing small stuff

Again, ladder or fence protection? Use plywood instead. Why would you bomb small stuff onto a safety device?


Tom
 
Tom,
The lawyer won that case arguing that the top of the two rails on the ladder should have provided more friction against the house to keep it in place. He brought in a pair of ladder mittens and showed they would have not slid as readily, a weak case from a liability standpoint.
What a world.
And good point about not trusting the fiberglass to be insulated.
Daniel
 
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