The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: pgkevet on April 16, 2015, 06:27:32 pm
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My part timer and I went off to cut back some over-hanging boughs. Big stuff. Since I was planning on using my long stihl pole saw I was lazy about PPE. But at one point i had a low bow to trim and grabbed my big ordinary saw with the 26in bar. Over-reached to cut the overhead and had it swing back down as i went through. Hand was off the throttle but a long gash through my jeans..but not a mark on me..phew. I went back and put my chainsaw trousers on! When you see the ragged mess those jeans are in it'd have been a messy bit of repair work.
A graphic reminder. And also a reminder to always try and work with another person - just in case.
(yeah, I know. Every one of you always wears the full PPE, sleeves, gloves, trousers, boots and helmet, visor and ear deferders don't you?)
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Buy a lotto ticket! Congratulations on still being two legged!
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:o glad you are okay!
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Thank you for sharing! Look after yourselves!
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Ooh, good reminder how easy it is, close call
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You must know my OH ::) - casualty do...
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I ALWAYS wear the right ppe as my job is a tree surgeon. Its just not worth the risk. You are playing Russian roulette if you dont. Bad enough cutting yourself with a hand saw let alone a chainsaw.
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I would love a pic of the jeans to show my OH. We have a running battle over PPE as he hates wearing it and gets cross when I nag. Ultimately I bought the chainsaw so he's not allowed to use it without the kit. You just don't get a second chance with a chainsaw!
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If you use a chainsaw then do a google search for chainsaw accidents then click the images tab, if that dont change your mind then nothing will
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If you use a chainsaw then do a google search for chainsaw accidents then click the images tab, if that dont change your mind then nothing will
OR.... believe the man but don't look at those pictures. Horrific doesn't begin to describe them
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The importance of the right gear was finally confirmed for my OH when he managed to catch his chainsaw trousers with his big Stihl. They did exactly what they were supposed to do and stopped the blade. He only started wearing them when I absolutely put my foot down. He would have chewed up his knee without them. Always wear PPE!
Helen
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My bro decided he would take out 35 mtrs or so of a nine foot tall hawthorn & privet hedge that took up two sides of his property . Armed with all the PPE you can get and a can of two stroke mix away he went .
All on his lone some save for his wife looking out the kitchen window at his antics.
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Like a bloody loon he waved the racing chainsaw like the guy in " The Texas chains saw massacre " laughing like the same & shouting " Come on ya mother f....ers , I'll get you ....... Wahoooo !"
Arrrrragh....... screaming like a banshee he fell back like he was pole axed , luckily the chainsaw fell away from him as he fell back.
Sis in law is Polish and tends to phone me when things needed a bit of help .. she thought he'd tripped then she saw blood .. phoned me first as I lived two miles away, luckily I was near the phone , grabbed an arm full of fresh dried towels and tore off to their place .
His brain was just starting to show through the saw cut.
I wrapped him up and expertly drove him to the nearest hospital having done a 999 call to advise them of the situation and my car number etc.
They gave me a blues & twos escort to the casualty dep at the back & front and had kept the control advised of our progress . The casualty folk got him out the car & wheel chaired him away whilst I filled out the forms etc.
That was 34 years ago , two weeks ago John suffered a massive stroke from a tumour that is directly under the saw cut site ... it's not looking good either .
What caused the injury ?
Him being stupid and also failing to see that there was no chain link or barbed wire etc in the fence line before he started to cut .
The saw climbed up some six foot tall plastic covered old but well protected chain link fencing and cut right through the peak of his hat , deep into the safety goggles and down through his skull to his brain .
Had he actually had his peaked safety hat correctly secured on his head with the chinstrap set up is it highly likely he'd have just had a sickening fright, as it was he had not bothered with the chinstrap.
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My oh wasn't so lucky, momentary loss of concentration, sliced 1/2 his hand off, almost 2 years ago now.
How a split second can change your life forever!
So please everyone, life's too short not to wear PPE and have your brain in gear and concentrate on the job!
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I would also recommend the proper long boots not ordinary steel toecap and safety spats. My OH broke his leg when he got a twig caught up a spat as he was turning stacking the cut logs...