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Dangers of working alone

Dirtman2007

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
1,202
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
Well today my greatest fear happen, being injured on the job.
Today we were clearing trees with the excavator. Pine trees were around 80 ft tall and had an average diameter of 14-20 inches, some up to 30". I would knock down about 3 or 4 trees then myself and our other helper would cut logs out of the trees for the lumber mill. I was cutting one log away from the stump, tree was probably 16" around. I noticed that the chainsaw kept binding up, but this usually happens so I did not pay much attention until The famous word Oh SH*T. Within a second the 60' long log broke loose and came flying back onto me, smashing into me and landing straight on my leg pinning it to the ground. I still dont remember how the chainsaw whineded up next to me with the engine off and the blade in the locked position. I do remember looking down and seeing this massive log lying on my leg, from the knee down was under the log. I knew nothing was broke, but I could not get my leg out. The helper come running over to see what happened, then asks I he should get in the excavator and move the log. My immediate responce was NO!, If the log did not break my leg I'm not going to let an unexperience operator break it trying to move the log. I had Him run to the truck and get a shovel and dig my leg out. Thank god the ground was all soft, so it just pushed my foot down in the ground about 12". Once out I looked and only saw one small area where the skin was bleeding. Then Back to work, no more chainsawing for me today. One Stike is enough to get my attention.

Just makes you wonder what would have happen if I was working alone.
I still have that moment flashing in my head.
 
Last edited:

IH PULR

Active Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
27
Location
ct
Wow your a lucky man if threre were any rocks under that tree youd of had a busted leg , hope your not to sore tomorrow be careful !!!:angel (gaurdian angel)
 

Squizzy246B

Administrator
Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
3,388
Location
Perth, Western Australia
Occupation
Digger Driver
Glad you made it out OK Dirtman:thumbsup I bet you wont ever forget that.:cool2 . Go buy a lottery ticket quick.

I did a lot of clearing as a kid with not much more than farm tractors and a D8 when the local guy was available. Trick my Dad showed my when sawing the logs (especially in a windrow) was to put the blade on the tractor up against the log.....so the log could move away but not back toward you when you cut it. I imagine an excavator with a thumb could do the same.

Its dangerous work at time and you really have to keep your wits about.

Another trick my Dad taught me when you could put a blade up against the log was to put a chain back to the tractor with just a tensey bit of tension then work the other side....the only thing you have to worry about then is the stump squishing you!. Scarfing cuts help direct the cut when things want to move.

Good Luck and be safe.
 

Dirtman2007

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
1,202
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
Glad you made it out OK Dirtman:thumbsup I bet you wont ever forget that.:cool2 . Go buy a lottery ticket quick.

I did a lot of clearing as a kid with not much more than farm tractors and a D8 when the local guy was available. Trick my Dad showed my when sawing the logs (especially in a windrow) was to put the blade on the tractor up against the log.....so the log could move away but not back toward you when you cut it. I imagine an excavator with a thumb could do the same.

Good Luck and be safe.

Yeah, I had the excavator holding one of the tree while I cut it to length, but instead of holding up the others up with the bucket and thumb I just started sawing. Big mistake! Now we knock down one tree, cut logs to lenght, then move to another. That way the machine is always free to hold the log while it is being cut.

Another thing I don't like is when I have two or three guys on the ground to cut up the trees I knock down. They tend to get in the drop zone without telling me, and that makes for a stressful day trying to keep up with where everyone is at. I think I made a couple run the other day:D
Sometime I just perfer to have one operator and one laboror on the job. It's a whole lot easier keeping up with one person in the maze of trees and brush.
 

Wolf

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
1,203
Location
California
Glad You are OK

Wow, Chris, that is quite a story. Dangerous work, but I'm very glad you are OK. Take it easy, man, and be careful working with such big trees.
 

backhoe1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
93
Location
South Dakota
The same thing happened to my dad 30+ yrs. ago, only he was alone and he did get hurt (knee reconstruction etc.) luckily there was a roofer working about a block away that saw him and got him out. Can't ever be too safe!
 

PSDF350

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
725
Location
Richmond NH
Glad you are ok. But if I may be honest it sounds like your work enviroment is a accident waiting to happen. Maybe now that you got lucky you wont be so......

Another thing I don't like is when I have two or three guys on the ground to cut up the trees I knock down. They tend to get in the drop zone without telling me, and that makes for a stressful day trying to keep up with where everyone is at. I think I made a couple run the other day :D
 

pushcat

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2007
Messages
162
Location
USA
That's the only good reason I have for carrying a cell phone with me. I go out and cut a load of wood by myself most every weekend. Even farming I feel more comfortable with it.
 

Preppypyro

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
246
Location
Saskatoon, Sk.
Good to hear you are ok man. Falling trees can be a dangerous thing. My father broke his nose up really good one time when the stump kicked back and hit him in the face.

Ive been pretty fortunate, not one accident falling a tree, yet!
 

paulsoccodato

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2003
Messages
53
Location
yonkers, new york
Occupation
contractor
thats an unfortunate accident. glad your ok. when bucking a tree on a hill always stay on the uphill side of the tree, and make sure the tree is not under any tension from your machine or other trees.
 
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