Thank God for Protos

oldoakman · Jan 8, 2023

Pruning a couple small Live Oaks today for a long time client. They are located on top of a wall behind his pool and between the 2 trees is a brick fire pit. I was backing up as I was pulling my rope and fell backwards into the pit. I landed hard and felt my head bounce hard on the brick and steel grating. The outcome could have been very different if not for my Protos helmet.

southsoundtree · Jan 8, 2023

Walking backward is something I try to avoid as much a possible, unless dragging on a clear surface with nothing to fall over.

Backwards walking sounds to be good cross training.

Treetopflyer · Jan 8, 2023

oldoakman said:
Pruning a couple small Live Oaks today for a long time client. They are located on top of a wall behind his pool and between the 2 trees is a brick fire pit. I was backing up as I was pulling my rope and fell backwards into the pit. I landed hard and felt my head bounce hard on the brick and steel grating. The outcome could have been very different if not for my Protos helmet.

Thanks for sharing oom, glad your posting and ok.. I wish more people could swallow their pride and talk about little things like this that could help others possibly avoid similar mistakes. Just walking backwards a little you don't think about too often leading into a bad accident but thas the simple shit that gets us.. I stepped into a hole while walking once looking up talking trees with someone, and I thought it was gonna be life changing like surgery cause I hurt my back so bad.. in one step.. once I started operating a remote control crane , I became super aware about walking backward while operating it , mostly for fear id move a function for crane accidently and it be catastrophic if there was a slip. Once I said to myself no more backwards steps it was wild how often I caught myself doing it without thinking.

oldoakman · Jan 8, 2023

Thank you all for kind words of wisdom. I will certainly heed and limit walking backwards. I know for certain that had I not had the Protos on I would have sustained a major concussion if not death. It was a hard hit.

GregManning · Jan 8, 2023

I bought the very 1st Retail Protos in the USA from Luke at TreeStuff.
(I ordered it because it sounded like the best "available, side Impact, etc., etc.
Then had to wait nearly a year for them to get into the country)

Years ago I was at an ITCC comp helping to set up the Work Climb.
An in-tree tech was working above; I got hit in the head/Protos with a falling limb !
Certainly not expected at an ITCC SetUp !

No damage to the head or Protos !

Steve Connally · Jan 8, 2023

Yikes. Close call

colb · Jan 8, 2023

It's crazy how safe I can be while climbing, then cut myself in the kitchen or get hit hard by a stick while setting lines. Glad you're okay, glad you had your helmet on.

Serf Life · Jan 8, 2023

You said it Colb! I took a backwards fall last week tugging on the chipper winch line when it broke at a defect, smacked my head but had a helmet on. It’s the seemingly inconsequential tasks.

Dan Cobb · Jan 8, 2023

Now just hold on one red hot minute. Y'all are getting me all confused. I distinctly remember a thread titled "helmets are dumb."

Glad your helmet saved you from serious injury. It's not the high risk, high attention tasks that tend to bite you, it's the low risk, low attention tasks.

GregManning · Jan 8, 2023

Dan Cobb said:
Now just hold on one red hot minute. Y'all are getting me all confused. I distinctly remember a thread titled "helmets are dumb."

Glad your helmet saved you from serious injury. It's not the high risk, high attention tasks that tend to bite you, it's the low risk, low attention tasks.

I think the thread "helmets are dumb" was intended to be satirical.

Barc Buster · Jan 9, 2023

I’m glad to hear you are alright @oldoakman ! I too love my Protos as it’s the best option for safety on the job. Tree work is dangerous enough no need to make it worse leaving yourself under protected. Thanks for having the courage to share!

dmonn · Jan 9, 2023

I used to wear eyeglasses all the time for my horrible nearsightedness. I had cataracts removed in November, and the implanted lenses corrected my distance vision to 20-20. I am now very sensitive to the risk of getting something in my eyes in situations where I never used to give it a thought. I keep safety glasses EVERYWHERE now. It's a big change in my mindset, and has increased my overall attention to PPE.

RogerM · Jan 9, 2023

oldoakman said:
Pruning a couple small Live Oaks today for a long time client. They are located on top of a wall behind his pool and between the 2 trees is a brick fire pit. I was backing up as I was pulling my rope and fell backwards into the pit. I landed hard and felt my head bounce hard on the brick and steel grating. The outcome could have been very different if not for my Protos helmet.

yikes! glad you posted this vs. being unable to...

oldoakman · Jan 9, 2023

dmonn said:
I used to wear eyeglasses all the time for my horrible nearsightedness. I had cataracts removed in November, and the implanted lenses corrected my distance vision to 20-20. I am now very sensitive to the risk of getting something in my eyes in situations where I never used to give it a thought. I keep safety glasses EVERYWHERE now. It's a big change in my mindset, and has increased my overall attention to PPE.

I too have had one eye cataract done as well. My Dr. said I was legally blind in that eye before the surgery. I have always had excellent vision and the surgery brought me back to 20-20+ vision. Can't say enough about it. My wife just had her second one done at the end of November and it still is not right. She could feel the cutting and flinched which caused some tense moments. At any rate, it sucks getting old.

Bart_ · Jan 10, 2023

Walking while looking up at a tree with customer - they had a weirdly tiered deck and I stepped off a small ledge, my next foot step contacted 10" of air and I pancaked face first, caught my fall with my forearms and hands and didn't make actual face to wood contact. Highly embarrassing. Could have been worse. Be slow, look down, move, stop, look up again. So what if it's slow.

Get yer noggin checked just in case of delayed response/effect.

oldoakman · Jan 10, 2023

Bart_ said:
Walking while looking up at a tree with customer - they had a weirdly tiered deck and I stepped off a small ledge, my next foot step contacted 10" of air and I pancaked face first, caught my fall with my forearms and hands and didn't make actual face to wood contact. Highly embarrassing. Could have been worse. Be slow, look down, move, stop, look up again. So what if it's slow.

Get yer noggin checked just in case of delayed response/effect.

From time to time we all do things that make us look foolish. The trick is to respond with humility in those situations.

The noggin is fine, no adverse effects. Not even body soreness from the hit. Thanks for your concern.