Potsdam Man Badly Injured by Chain Saw

[SirTreeRat]

FR 9-10-2010 Injury – SBCS

Potsdam Man Badly Injured by Chain Saw

CANTON, NY -- A Potsdam man was seriously injured Friday when he accidentally cut his neck and chest with a chain saw, St. Lawrence County emergency dispatchers said. Edward L. Merrill, 36, of 46 Sisson Road, was trimming trees shortly before 3 p.m. near power lines with partner Justin Perry about 125 yards off Pollock Road when the accident occurred, state police said. Both men are employed by Asplundh Tree Expert Co. Asplundh was contracted by National Grid to trim trees near the power lines, National Grid spokeswoman Karen Young said. Troopers said Mr. Perry was trimming branches when he heard Mr. Merrill scream and called 911. Mr. Merrill reportedly cut himself with the chain saw from his chin down to his stomach, emergency dispatchers said. http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100912/NEWS05/309129954

 

[Blinky]

Uugghhh!
I have to take stuff like this in small doses.

I hope Merrill recovers well.

How would you like picking up a chainsaw for the first time after something like this?

 

[Toparboring]

Ouch I just wonder how could that have happened thats about 28-30" .

 

[Kevin]

Cutting branches, sounds like kick back.

 

[Toparboring]

Was up in the north country over the weekend and some word around town was one handed kickback. I worked as a sub with that crew during the 97 ice storm. Good guys good crew, not much beyond that. That area is small college town Potsdam one side and Clarkson on the other. Tree guys and loggers share the same stomping ground and both are saying the same thing. Sorry to hear what happened up there, but another notch for 2 hands on the saws.

 

[Winch]

I'm with you there, Toparboring. We had a discussion about this on another board recently, and I was defending 2-handing, always! I was asked if I never one-hand. Since then, I haven't. I only did previously maybe once a month. Really. It definitely makes me wonder about the reasoning behind one-handing.

I'm pretty sure it's a laziness thing. I can't come up with another reason. I do all sorts of pruning and removals, and can't figure a reason why one HAS to do it, ever. Usually if one is motivated to one-hand, it is because one is in a precarious position (out a limb, holding on with one hand, body totally slanted sideways, hoping your footing doesn't slip), which is probably the WORST place to one-hand.

Off my soapbox now.

 

[kiwitreeman]

Yeah but when your stretched out on that limb and can't quite reach it sure is tempting. On a more serious side i normally revert to my handsaw in that type of situation. But yes i am guilty of one handing , and yes i probably shouldn't.Reports like this sure makes me think about not one handing,thats for sure