Young man killed felling tree

No we are not all right, COLB you are absolutely correct the decision to cut the tree was horrible and lead to the death, nothing else is needed to be said to try to explain or justify. I know in my jurisdiction it is not acceptable to work in this manner because people have been killed by struck-bys in the past.
 
@mrtree: what does the word "regardless", as used in my previous post, mean to you? Does it imply justification, or explanation? In my mind, it functions to the opposite end.
 
Regardless = despite

You are absolutely correct, despite correct falling techniques etc. it was a horrible decision.
 
If you put the ability to make a safe decision that it's an appropriate time to fell a tree, under the tent of falling skills, where it belongs, then you can correctly attribute a lack of falling skills as a causal agent in the unfortunate death of this tree worker. Had the feller been competent, they would have declined to undertake felling operations in such close proximity to another tree with a worker in it.

mrtree is absolutely correct. Workers not involved in the actual felling operation (The climber in the adjacent tree obviously wasn't) must be at least 2 tree lengths away from the tree being felled. Workers involved in the felling operation (pulling tag lines, etc) must be at least 1.5 tree lengths away from the tree being felled, with preplanned escape routes and a means of communicating with the feller.
 
The incident as described by an eye witness(a gentleman I play volleyball with) that had this crew doing some cutting on his property just prior to this said that for whatever reason when the tree was cut the piece came back and pinned the climber against the standing part and crushed him.
 
pdj317 said:
The incident as described by an eye witness(a gentleman I play volleyball with) that had this crew doing some cutting on his property just prior to this said that for whatever reason when the tree was cut the piece came back and pinned the climber against the standing part and crushed him.
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So they took a big top or branch, the tips touched ground before the butt came down, and the butt bucked back?
 
I think it was the top and it rolled around the tree and pinned him . Sorry for my lame description I am no professional like the rest of you.
 
did the climber know that they made a decision to drop the tree while he was aloft ? fk all the math , and felling expertise , was the guy in the tree on board with the decision to drop the tree near him? was the decision a group decision or " look out" I'd be pissed , I haunt those guys families for eternity . Not sure if I'd allow someone to drop a tree that close . Maybe that's why I'm still here . Shame . Hope his family is taken care of , is there a fund ?
 
I agreed... the tree shouldn't have been cut..... its the faller's job to make sure that the DZ is clear.....
mrtree said:
I don't get you, it is okay to fall a tree within striking of other employees, as long as you have falling skills!!!! That is absolute crap and stupidity.
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THAT'S not what I said.. I said he'd be alive if the tree fell the right way!!!
 
Therefore lack of falling skills is a safety issue... As with many accidents this one has multiple causes .... take any one of the mistakes away and no accident...... saying falling skills made the difference here doesn't justify the decision to fall the tree... a better decision there would have made the difference too.... nothing to argue about here... make good decisions... keep the DZ clear and put the trees down where you say... Get it right!
 
if a climber falls because he cuts his line.. one handing the saw from an awkward position and not using a second tie ... I could say bad saw handling in the tree was a cause.. he wouldn't have fallen if he had handled the saw properly..
then you could say "he shouldn't have made the cut with out using a lanyard"... then I would say "of course not but better saw handling would have made the difference"... then you would say "WOW"
 
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mrtree said:
Seems simple; never, ever are two trees worked on within a distance of 2 times their height at the same time.
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Even if I only ever worked on 15' tall crape myrtles, I would not be able to follow this rule. This is a kind of madness. What rules do you give yourself in really dangerous activities, like driving to work?
 
1.5 to 2 times the tree height for DZ distance is also recommended in case brittle limbs become projectiles upon impact.

Drop zone safety shouldnt be trifled with.
 
When I encounter a partially fallen tree hung up on another, I continue to cut 6 foot sections out of the base until the tree is stood back up and then push it back over. I have terrible control over fell direction, but I have used this technique a few dozen times. Wouldn't the fellers try to cut their felled tree to release the climber?
 
kellytrimming said:
When I encounter a partially fallen tree hung up on another, I continue to cut 6 foot sections out of the base until the tree is stood back up and then push it back over. I have terrible control over fell direction, but I have used this technique a few dozen times. Wouldn't the fellers try to cut their felled tree to release the climber?
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Maybe they tried, or maybe terrified to make things worse. Idk.
 
I follow the 2x rule and enforce it with my crew. We also move any move able hazards outside of the fell radius for big drops. Another climber is big fucking hazard not to move out of the fell radius. Daniel is right that better felling skills would have prevented this accident. Clearing the DZ is definitely one of those skills.
 
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