Location of most chainsaw injuries while climbing?

Just because I am defending one handing a saw does not mean that is what I do all the time. I wear a hard hat and safety glasses...I know I practice safe work habits, and if it takes being a "certified arborist" before I am practicing "safer" work habits, then I do not want any part of that club. Like I have said, I KNOW what I can, and cannot do with my powersaw. If you guys want to call that cocky and reckless, go ahead. I will continue to do what I do, and am just bummed that so many "arborists" are such pansies. You guys preach so much about all this cut protective clothing, what about the rope that is holding you in the tree? If you are so reckless with your saw that you need cut protective everything, you had better start using steel cored climb line. Tell me I am not mindful...
 
It's mandatory for all of us to wear saw pants in Ontario (Even the loggers). You might be able to get away with it for a bit if you work strictly commercial and residential, but the ministry is cracking down on work at heights trades cause of those tards that fell off that scaffolding in Toronto last year. The industrial and farm suits that mandate the occupational work and safety act that pertains to us; did our WHIMIS training and he said they're on the look out for tree crews this year, especially ours cause were a fairly young crew. That's right arborists don't fall into a category of our own, so we get bumped in with farmers and other height workers. We have no Z133.

The thing is the guys they usually send out have no knowledge of arboriculture (knots, rigging practices, or even tree identification). But they will bend you over if you don't have your PPE on, area coned off, signs up and that your tied in at all times. They may ding you for something like not having a power saw that weighs over 18 pounds (It could be 20 I forget) hung on a separate line... who knows.

I've heard some rumors of some funny stuff they might try implementing, like you have to use a double tie in at all times (not lanyard), and a complete switch over to mechanical gear. We really need some help with our rules and reg's up here, cause they're going to all the wrong people for advice on what to implement. They standardize and then unionize, and there goes the trade. I wouldn't mind union dollar and a benefit plan but I don't want the rest, cause I actually like putting in a good days work and not getting to know the folks at Tim Hortons on a first name basis.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Exactly, Dave. Point is, while I endeavor to have good positioning at all times, to keep the saw and myself under control, there are times, perhaps more often doing pruning work, where the positioning to make a cut does involve part of the body closer to the chain then I ever would on the ground.

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Zeb, I know this may feel I am picking on you, but truly I am not. The point I was trying to make is consistently missed by so many and it appears, yourself included.

In the work positioning, closeness or proximity is not the danger. The danger is understanding cause and effect if loss of control occurs due to kickback or follow through, hand or leg movement, limb breakage, etc. If your position is such that the effect will put yourself or your positioning equipment in jeopardy, you need to reposition. Too many will work in dangerous positions because of the knowledge that the PPE will protect them. This is misuse of PPE.

In order for PPE to be effective, it needs to be the last line of defence, not part of the primary equation.

Dave

"If you do not understand your ignorance, you will be misguided by your knowledge."
 
Dave, maybe we are misunderstanding each other here. It sounds like we are saying pretty much the same thing. I try to always be conscious of the what ifs. In fact, that is the biggest argument against one-handing a saw and not wearing the PPE. What if the branch breaks while you are reaching out with one hand to nip the end of the branch. I'll tell you because I know personally one guy who fell 90 feet due to that scenario. He was not tied twice and was one handing the saw while limbwalking. I am sure you've seen this position before. He slipped when part of the foothold broke out from under him and instinctively reached for his rope. Problem was, he had the running chainsaw in his hand, and cut right through. PPE would not have protected him, but he wasn't the kind of guy that wore it anyway. The real cause of the accident was a combination of factors, most of which can be called a lax attitude towards personal safety.
My point is that when in a tree, mobility is limited. There are times when it is simply not possible to be in a work position that would put your body in the same position in relation to the saw as is possible on the ground. Yet on the ground, leg pro is required. PPE is the last line of defense, but it is the first step towards safety I take each day. Pants on when I get dressed for work. Helmet and eye pro on when I get out of the truck. So if you are taking all of the other steps to be safe, ie work positioning, keeping the saw in control, using your brain as a primary piece of PPE, why would you not also wear leg pro since you should be using it on the ground anyway.
Don't worry, if I thought you were picking on me, I would as Cody says, probably just curl up and cry since I am not the manly man that he is. Just make sure you don't pick on him, because he will find you and pummel you with those mighty cannons he has for arms.
smirk.gif
 
Hey Cody,

I found your FB Tarzan Tree page. I gotta say, I like what I see. Don't think for a moment that being a certified arborist puts in a pansy club. Plenty of Certified arbs feel exactly as you do. It looks like you've got a great understanding of what you do and how you do it. From the pics it also looks like you work safer than a lot of the arbs I know, certified or not.

Good job.
 
By god! How big an old boy are ye? I'm stronger than a dose of the Filipino clap, and I will stomp a mud hole in you and stomp it dry! LOL....Roy D. Mercer Rules!

Really? Not me! I am standing up to all this and saying that your way is not mine. You are the one that said you think more rules should me enforced. I most definitely am not telling anybody on here how to work, just how I do my work...we all have to know what we are capable of right? Obviously I am the minority here, but I do not really care what you guys think of me, until somebody shows up on my job and pinches their nose at how I do my job, and wants to get out the ticket book...If that happens I might just have to go fisticuffs and get out of this line of work:) I take pride in my work, and I am not bs'ing anybody when I tell you I KNOW what I can do with my powersaws.
 

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Hey Cody,

I found your FB Tarzan Tree page. I gotta say, I like what I see. Don't think for a moment that being a certified arborist puts in a pansy club. Plenty of Certified arbs feel exactly as you do. It looks like you've got a great understanding of what you do and how you do it. From the pics it also looks like you work safer than a lot of the arbs I know, certified or not.

Good job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the good words. I really do try :) I just get my hackles up sometimes.
 
According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commision; in 2004 32,436 injuries reported were related to chainsaws, out of those 40% were leg injuries, and 35% were to the left hand. The average chainsaw injury requires 110 stiches, the cost is estimated to be over $12,000, and the average recovery time is 12 weeks.
 
While the states have the Z133 it is not law. It's dog's breakfast of OSHA regs that are applied to us here as is currently the norm up your way. Arborist Safe Work Practices (ASWP) as taught in the apprenticeship program in Ontario are based on the OSHA regs as they are applied to arborists and the Z is used as the ideal. There is an effort to have OHSA in Ontario adopt the ASWP developed by the industry as the OHSA regulations. When I left Ont. it was still a long ways off before that happened. The talk of 2 TIPS is just that, talk. The problem is in the wording of the regs used because they were written for workers in an industrial or construction setting. It states you shall be tied into a "rated" anchor point. At last glance trees don't come with such and therefore the problem. All this is leading to the day where separate regs will be used to govern arboriculture.

I'm heading up to T.O. for a week so I'll have a chance to talk to some people about what the latest news on all this is.





[ QUOTE ]
It's mandatory for all of us to wear saw pants in Ontario (Even the loggers). You might be able to get away with it for a bit if you work strictly commercial and residential, but the ministry is cracking down on work at heights trades cause of those tards that fell off that scaffolding in Toronto last year. The industrial and farm suits that mandate the occupational work and safety act that pertains to us; did our WHIMIS training and he said they're on the look out for tree crews this year, especially ours cause were a fairly young crew. That's right arborists don't fall into a category of our own, so we get bumped in with farmers and other height workers. We have no Z133.

The thing is the guys they usually send out have no knowledge of arboriculture (knots, rigging practices, or even tree identification). But they will bend you over if you don't have your PPE on, area coned off, signs up and that your tied in at all times. They may ding you for something like not having a power saw that weighs over 18 pounds (It could be 20 I forget) hung on a separate line... who knows.

I've heard some rumors of some funny stuff they might try implementing, like you have to use a double tie in at all times (not lanyard), and a complete switch over to mechanical gear. We really need some help with our rules and reg's up here, cause they're going to all the wrong people for advice on what to implement. They standardize and then unionize, and there goes the trade. I wouldn't mind union dollar and a benefit plan but I don't want the rest, cause I actually like putting in a good days work and not getting to know the folks at Tim Hortons on a first name basis.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
As already said, we don't have the option in Ontario, which is fine by me.They saved me before from a possible cut in the tree, Dr.Scholls medicated foot powder down the pant legs keep you dry and cool on those hot days. Nothing worse then explaining to the boss you can't work due to a gnarly case chaffe.
 
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