Dangerous things that maybe don't get talked about so much

woodworkingboy

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I'm wondering what sort of things that you guys have experienced with tree falling or removals that maybe don't much get talked about in literature or whatever. I know that we have discussed this somewhat before with nightmare stories, but maybe to formalize it a little.

One that easily comes to my mind is falling trees with more than one large lead and the possibility of separation at the lead union. i had a heavy tree that i was falling that would quickly be encountering the limbs from another tree, but i was sure that the weight was going to drive the tree through the limbs without getting hung up. It went as planned as far as breaking through, but one of the leads broke at the union from the encounter and the whole thing shot back like very rad, and well beyond what had been the base of the tree. There may have been some rot in the union is my recollection. There could easily have been no tomorrow depending on where i was standing. Being very careful of multiple leads and branches breaking and firing back when encountering obstacles as the tree is going over, is what i want to say.
 
2 things come to mind.

1) Converstions kill. Meaning, when outsiders (custys, for example) strike up conversation and interrupt the flow, bad things can happen. Isn't that basically how Jerry's foot got injured?

2) Taking trees down where there isn't a clear, unobstructed view between the ground crew and the climber/bucket op due to limbs/foiliage encroaching from adjacent trees.
 
To add to that Cory, a tight skirt will do the same thing. My Ecological Engineer has a habit of showing up two hrs after we start in the sweetest Little outfits. When she leaves its chaos for at least half an hr.it wasn't so bad when I had a female working for me.
 
Id rather be distracted by that than any ol conversation!
 
To add to that Cory, a tight skirt will do the same thing. My Ecological Engineer has a habit of showing up two hrs after we start in the sweetest Little outfits. When she leaves its chaos for at least half an hr.it wasn't so bad when I had a female working for me.
Along those lines, I did some charity removals for a lady with cancer. My groundie had a huge crush on my daughter who showed up to help drag limbs. I was in a large red oak and we were lowering everything. I rigged a fairly large limb, gave my usual holler and thumb and thought I received the correct reply but he was talking and motioning to my daughter and not me. As the limb started down, the line went around his foot and turned him a flip before coming loose. He was okay and all those on the ground thought it was funny but I was furious. I knew we were very, very fortunate and it could have ended with crying beside a grave instead of laughter. Looking back, I don't know how he missed the sound of the saw but since then, I never take anything for granted and always double check before making the cut.
 
The comm helmets have alleviated a lot of potential dangerous situations for us. Our biggest issue has been in small neighbourhoods when the neighbour comes over to talk to the HO about our work. I have been up spars with people walking right into my LZ. Now the groundie can warn me and I can just stop and let the ground clear again. I prefer to focus on my cutting with my finger on the trigger.
 
About the only dangerous thing that I do that I don't talk about involves pine TD's. I keep my climbing rope rolled up (hanked) tied on the back of my saddle and on lanyard only I go up cutting as I go. I'd like to say I use a steel core lanyard, but I don't.
 
The comm helmets have alleviated a lot of potential dangerous situations for us. Our biggest issue has been in small neighbourhoods when the neighbour comes over to talk to the HO about our work. I have been up spars with people walking right into my LZ. Now the groundie can warn me and I can just stop and let the ground clear again. I prefer to focus on my cutting with my finger on the trigger.
THIS!
 
I have a girl climber starting with us on Monday.
I pray that she's not attractive.

That could be a very dangerous situation!
😂
 
2 things come to mind.

1) Converstions kill. Meaning, when outsiders (custys, for example) strike up conversation and interrupt the flow, bad things can happen. Isn't that basically how Jerry's foot got injured?

2) Taking trees down where there isn't a clear, unobstructed view between the ground crew and the climber/bucket op due to limbs/foiliage encroaching from adjacent trees.
Funny you say that, I've had 2 incidents where clients have engaged me in conversation whilst starting a climb. Both that resulted in a lesson in gravity. One left me with 6 broken ribs.
 
Jay mentioned leads separating at the fall-That has happened to me a couple of times making me very cautious about bad unions.

I had a big heavy back leaner deviate significantly from the face and projected lay. It smashed a fence but the fence was scheduled for demolition so the only bad consequence was more difficult clean up....but the why was freakish yet it could easily happen on some other tree.-Someone had stubbed off a very low branch several inches long The tree spent years growing and encapsulating that stub with no decay. My face was cut just under that encapsulated stub and when the tree came over it rode the stub instead of following the face.

Drove by the site of a weird experience last night. I was actually on site when storm damage occurred. We were packing up at the end of the day as a severe thunderstorm blew in and broke out a large branch on one of the trees we hadn't pruned yet. It hung up hanging over a major intersection. We got a rope on it and rigged it down in 50 mph winds......if we had left just a little earlier it could have wound up through a car roof.
 
Flopping a trunk onto a pad of cut logs to protect the lawn. Depending on where the log pile is, it makes the butt jump up when it hits. I do it often, and know every time that I'm asking to get whacked by the butt. I'm not referring to a short fat bole. I'm talking about a lanky pecker pole. The kind that have a little wiggle in them.
 
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Know what you are saying, Chris, lots of tall lanky pines around here that can flop around like a fish on a deck.
 
MB, why would you do that. Always tie in twice. I thought you were into the basic safety measures, like no free climbing even though everyone did it back in the day. Cutting on the trunk with just a lanyard? Way too risky for this tree guy. Way too easy to make a small, fatal mistake. I like to keep it simple.
 
Lunatic, compared to moi anyway. Be safe.
 
..., like no free climbing even though everyone did it back in the day...

Haha! Sometimes it is good to remember why you became a tree man. I love free climbing trees! I don't allow myself the pleasure much any more but earlier this week I strapped a hand saw onto my leg left my helmet in the truck and free climbed 30 young 25 and 30 foot ponderosa. So much freedom! That was a good day.
 
I don't go up any more period with out setting my rope first.

Used to with out any thought given to it.

Regarding unsafe stuff I've had uneven ground cause a snag that didn't exactly go to the lay when it hit do a pretty serious weird dance.
Pretty spooky when you see the evidence of all that energy you've released unfold in an unplanned way, right there in front of you.
Nobody hurt, no damage done. But seeing stuff like that seems to solidly plant a reminder in ones head.
 
MB, why would you do that. Always tie in twice. I thought you were into the basic safety measures, like no free climbing even though everyone did it back in the day. Cutting on the trunk with just a lanyard? Way too risky for this tree guy. Way too easy to make a small, fatal mistake. I like to keep it simple.

Of the corners Ive cut and mistakes Ive made, Ive been diligent since day 1 about 2 POA when cutting. I even prefer they be spaced apart a bit somehow.
 
one thing that scares the wee wee outa me is getting a rope into the chipper. Ive had it happen twice and luckily nobody was hurt badly but that gets ugly instantly with a drum chipper.
 
Bandit has something like a second anvil, above the drum, that is designed to cut any cable or rope that gets sucked in, preventing high speed wrapping around the drum. That probably happens a lot with BB, the controls are so bloody complicated. But it helps makes nice chips.
 
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