Flippin' Trunk

[tcsafety]

Flippin\' Trunk

This was sent to me by the AT&T rep. The quality is not great, it's too short, but it does show what can happen when you prepare in every way except one of the more important ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJucBAVBfYc

Our guys went out to cut a pine that came down on some AT&T phone cable lines in the canyons of eastern Orange County. Edwin was positioned correctly for making the cut and he had an escape path cleared. However, since the cables were still under tension his mistake was he didn't anchor the line down. As a result when the cut went through, the cable flew up, flipping the cut trunk (about 75 lbs) up and back towards him.

He's alive because he had the proper cutting position, an escape path, he's young, and God watched over him. Otherwise this post may be under the Awakenings section. All that was broken was his 440 that the trunk piece landed on.

My tagline below is true again today!

 

[stubcut]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

WHOA! Scary stuff there. God was definately on his side that day. Glad to see nobody got hurt. That's a real eye opener.

 

[cerviarborist]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

Never ceases to amaze me how fast stuff can happen around trees. So much potential energy to unleash. I'm so glad to hear that he was unscathed.

 

[Blinky]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

That was a LOT or stored energy!

So did he need a moment or did he just keep working?

The times I've come close like that I tended to just keep working and then freaked out later.

 

[JesseHuffman]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

wow
Im glad hes ok

 

[tcsafety]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

[ QUOTE ]
That was a LOT or stored energy!

So did he need a moment or did he just keep working?

The times I've come close like that I tended to just keep working and then freaked out later.

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah, they all took a moment to review and catch their breath. Fortunately it was the last cut. The tree was on private property and the owner was taking care of the clean-up after we cleared it from the line.

The AT&T rep has a new appreciation for what we do. Normally we're just clearing ivy from poles to allow their tech to climb, or clearing some limbs so they can string a new one.

We'll be showing this at an upcoming safety meeting. Emphasizing proper procedure, stance, etc., and reminding them about tension...

 

[Winterbush]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

He should have yelled Boosh!

 

[tcsafety]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

Naw, that was a Hoo-rah moment if I ever seen one...that you're still standing and have all your pieces attached.

Well, I guess the line did make that sound on the way by his head. You may have to make it an octive or so higher, though...

 

[TreeCo]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

Glad he got lucky. It seems rather predictable though. It's much like a spring pole.

 

[utlarb4trees]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

why not tie down the cable, with some wraps, or p-o-w, then one can let the cable up after the piece is cut. Normal protocal to do that in line clearance work...just a thought.

 

[Kevin]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

The key to taking those down is to leave lots of weight on the line, cut the tree way back at the base and work your way up.
When the tree stands straight up pull it off with a rope from a safe distance.
There's no need to put yourself that close to all that tension.

 

[Neutron]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

Done a lot of that working storm work for the utility... it's more fun at night.

 

[theXman]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

I think most veteran people could have seen that one coming. Not some crazy unexplained incident. Nothing is unexplained by the way.

 

[easyphloem]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

[ QUOTE ]
. Nothing is unexplained by the way.

[/ QUOTE ]

How do you explain the fact that some people out there think that Sarah Palin is intelligent?

SZ

 

[Kevin]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

It isn't any different than having a home owner cutting his own tree down and getting hurt.
If you are not trained to do the job by someone competent then chances are the risk is high.
The other problem with letting the lines fly like that is sooner or later it's going to be fiber optics and that glass inside the tubes is going to shatter and you will be faced with a $20k bill because you didn't know what you were doing.

 

[theXman]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
. Nothing is unexplained by the way.

[/ QUOTE ]

How do you explain the fact that some people out there think that Sarah Palin is intelligent?

SZ

[/ QUOTE ]

Easy to explain; it is simply because she is intellegent and should be our next president.

no joke!

Actually, I kinda feel she might be more down to normal people level and not linked into so many favors like most politicians.

she might actually try to do what the majority of the people want.

...now that I said that; do you really think I'm crazy?...

 

[theXman]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

hey, it looks like she beleives in the right to keep guns for law biding citizens and seems to be on the side of the average hard working person, so I'm kinda for her at this time. Although, I haven't followed the political stuff too close for a while. too busy trying to make ends meet.

 

[jim454]

Re: Flippin\' Trunk

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
. Nothing is unexplained by the way.

[/ QUOTE ]

How do you explain the fact that some people out there think that Sarah Palin is intelligent?

SZ

[/ QUOTE ]

And some people actually believe Barack Obama was born in the USA.