safty first

[goodaking]

Clocked myself in the corner of my eye to day . I could have used a couple of stitches, but I didn’t want to climb down out of the tree. I had to much work to do and I just got started. I was dead wood pruning two massive oak with big crowns. On my way out of the right side of tree I realized that I missed a small dead branch. I thought I could hook the branch with my 15 ft lanyard. I through my lanyard over the branch and yanked back as hard as possible, when smack right in the corner of my eye. Blood was gushing everywhere. If I had worn my safety glasses I don’t think I would have gotten hurt as bad.

Lesson learned

 

[Blinky]

Yep, lesson learned the hard way, I busted a tooth sorta like that. Keep a bandanna in your pocket to wipe your specs when they get coated with sweat and trash, you're more likely to keep them on that way.

Try to remember, especially when your head is involved, that your judgment can be irrational after an injury in the tree like that.

You're off the ground where you can't be easily rescued and another mistake could lead to you being ON the ground but in much worse shape.

In aviation you learn that when something goes wrong you get the plane on the ground a soon as possible. You don't wait for the second and third things to go wrong because they usually happen in rapid succession. In that way tree climbing is like aviation.

 

[JesseHuffman]

I saw this happen to a guy at a seminar once.
Ouch!
Way to go on the "pack a lil much in it and keep working " mentality.
stitches smitches

 

[jomoco]

That's what butterfly bandaids are for in your med-kit.

Hydrogen peroxide to clean out the cut is handy too.

jomoco

 

[BostonBull]

Any pictures?

 

[southsoundtree]

Mesh face shields on the helmet have saved me from so many hits to the face. An extra layer of protection to for the eyes, and a single layer for the rest of the face, teeth included. I figure--two eyes per lifetime.

Hard to get used to at first, at first. To me I feel sorta underprotected for chipping without it. Its nice on western red cedars 'cause there are so many little whippy things curving down and back up.


There are regular and anti-fog glasses available. I don't know how it works, but it seems to work.