Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsaw...

Blinky

Blinky

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
This is second hand from a guy I contract for.

His #1 groudie, who has 14 years of FT experience cut both legs about the knees with an 026 while flushing a stump. He was not wearing chaps, he'd worn them all day long but failed to put them on for this last stump of the day and it cost him big. The story is that he was kneeling and took a hand off the saw to lift the stump and it came through across the tops of his knees.

I don't know the details but one leg is badly damaged with lots of skin loss and internal sutures, the other got only 10 or so external stitches. He won't be working for a while and I'm told he's struggling with severe pain.

I've worked with this guy several times now and he is an expert ground operator, he can do anything, including read your mind... and he's a brute of a man... human log loader. Funny as hell too. He was always good about PPE, very professional. It was a classic end of the day, 'get it done and lets go' kind of a lapse.

He was lucky in that the climber was first aid trained and got the bleeding under control immediately and the ER was only five minutes away... even so, he lost a lot of blood.

WEAR YOUR FOCKIN' CHAPS!
 
No chaps here, sorry.

Every click a different pic!
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<font color="brown">The TreeHouse</font>
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

Truly unfortunate.

sounds like the stump sat down on the top of the chain, binding it, with a reactive force back on the saw. Maybe not. Were there wedges involved.

My friend owes the hospital $10 a month for life because his MS660 bit him in the way stated above.

If I don't have a wedge handy, I'll use a stick with a taper, or several, and keep working them in closer to center.

Everyone be safe out there. Woulda Coulda Shoulda... doesn't help. I know lots of people that only use wedges for felling. In the Forest Service wedges and an ax are standard parts of PPE, like chaps.

Best luck to this guy for a quick and full recovery.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

[ QUOTE ]
Truly unfortunate.

sounds like the stump sat down on the top of the chain, binding it, with a reactive force back on the saw. Maybe not. Were there wedges involved.

My friend owes the hospital $10 a month for life because his MS660 bit him in the way stated above.

If I don't have a wedge handy, I'll use a stick with a taper, or several, and keep working them in closer to center.

Everyone be safe out there. Woulda Coulda Shoulda... doesn't help. I know lots of people that only use wedges for felling. In the Forest Service wedges and an ax are standard parts of PPE, like chaps.

Best luck to this guy for a quick and full recovery.

[/ QUOTE ]


I dont think wedges are the issue. 2 things...took hand off the saw...no chaps....

I hope he heals quick and complete.


By no means am I perfect as I think you all can see in my posts.Just listing my opinion here.
 
[ QUOTE ]
he'd worn them all day long but failed to put them on for this last stump of the day

[/ QUOTE ]

I just did this the other day, thanks for posting.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

Ya, I did the same sort of thing a few days ago but not on a stump cut. Its good to have reminders along the way to keep you in check.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

I know what it is like to compromise sometimes too. I feel naked when I don't use chaps. And I'm always worried if I don't put them on.--For the unexpected stuff.

The description of the groundsman is like my friend Ivan. Nothing better than having a guy like that on your team.

I hope he doesn't suffer a disability in walking or something.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

Sucks to hear, hope the best for him and his family. As far as chaps go, wear chap pants! no takin' them on or off, no excuses!
 
A saw needs to be gripped . do you understand this? This is not a game , an 026 is a weak saw , don't get hurt with this , PLEASE! Honey . i can't feed the kids this week , because I got cut using my 026 on a stump. DIVoRCE! I married an idiot!
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

[ QUOTE ]
I test this person for substance abuse ! Sounds like a complete idiot. Tell wheel chair to call me .

[/ QUOTE ]

Substance abuse/use is a possibility but he has a 14 year accident free record and I'd have him ground for me any day... he's not an idiot, he had a lapse and it cost him. If you've never made a mistake then my hat's off to you. I've gone without chaps when I should've worn them; I've taken a hand off the saw to lift a stump... I just didn't end up getting hurt like he did... I'm no idiot either.

The 026 is great saw with plenty of [bad word] for most residential ground work and this particular one stays very sharp at all times. It wasn't the saw though, it was an error in judgment brought on by the usual factors, fatigue and hurrying.

I work with these guys regularly and at the end of the day, everybody is pretty exhausted, especially late in the week like when this happened. His boss wouldn't have hurried him, this is one of those crews where everybody gives as much as they can to get the job done, he was trying to wind up... probably so he could help with the cleanup.

Definitely NOT an idiot. Solid ground man. That's the point of this post... I don't give a damn who you are, take your eye off the ball for a millisecond and you can ruin your whole day.

As for chaps, it IS a personal choice, and I choose to wear them. As cheap insurance goes, wearing chaps is some of the cheapest you will ever buy. Just going home for half a day because of a bloody nip will cost you more than several pair of Husky chaps.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

[ QUOTE ]
going home for half a day because of a bloody nip

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought we were done with the racial comments
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Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

Chainsaw protection isn't a personal choice. It is one that is directed by OSHA. The ramifications of his actions will be added to an actuarial table thus impacting on overall rates for insurance.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

accidents happen...it dont make you an idiot. I cut the shat outta my hand climbing without gloves.....am I an idiot?...maybe, but I still aint gonna were em'. I'm slack about putting chaps on...I'll admit it. I own my actions but I try not to judge others about thiers.
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

Accidents do happen - even to the best, thats why chaps and even better chain saw protective pants were invented, not to allow morons work with chainsaws (they don´t usém anyway). As far as I can see this was a typical "last cut syndrome" accident and not an act of a moron. It should be a lesson to us all and not an object of picking on the poor guy.
Svein
 
Re: Highly experienced ground man cut with chainsa

agreed, it is not to denigrate this guy but to learn from him. As for owning your actions No Bivy, that's fine but when an accident occurs such as this we all end up owning the results. That's the butterfly effect. WC rates stay high or go up, liability insurance goes up, medical insurance rates, etc.... We are judged by our collective actions by the insurers with some consideration given to our individual attitudes and behaviours.

Put the chaps on for everyone else, including your wife/gf, kids, mom, dad and siblings. They really don't want to see you hurt. If they do then you've got bigger problems!!
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