Wear those saw chaps people!

I never expected to join the “I made a mistake with my chainsaw” group. Spent a day this week working on a Helene downed red oak mostly with my Stihl MS 400. Since my old MS 290 looked a little forlorn sitting on the shelf with no use in a long while decided to give it some love too. Fueled it up started on 3 pulls….great!!

After using both saws and getting the red oak limbed up and everything cut to 8ft lengths I went in for a sandwich for lunch. Came back out and filed the 290 chain to cut down a couple of standing dead trees in front pasture.. first one a double trunk water oak went well. Put my face cut in a twisted leaner of 16-18” diameter cherry, all good. Putting in the back cut and as tree began to break at the hinge it must have twisted a bit and caught the saw slightly (I think so anyway). As I pulled the saw back out of the cut I somehow managed to bring the saw across my left leg just 1/16” above the knee cap and now I have a nice long gash and bleeding like a stuck hog. Threw the saw in the Mule and raced to the house, Hollered for wife to bring towels and scissors so I could cut my pants leg off and try to get the bleeding stopped. Called son and he took me to the closest Immediate care facility about 20 minutes away.

Great Doc there and turned me loose after 15 stitches and instructions not to bend the knee for some time or will tear stitches out. So here I sit….After thinking earlier in the day of the accident that I should put on my chaps before doing any sawing.

The only reason I’m sharing this lapse of judgment is to advise others to not be this guy! Everything considered I’m extremely lucky that I didn’t hit the kneecap, cut any ligaments or tendons and still have my left leg from the knee down.

So, PLEASE WEAR YOUR PPE

 

That's good advice, and it certainly can happen in a matter of seconds, unexpectedly, to any of us. Thank you for taking the time to share this as a reminder to everyone that PPE can literally be a lifesaver.

I've always worn an old-school full-brim helmet in the woods (along with chaps, gloves, ear plugs, and large polycarbonate prescription glasses). All these years I've had a few things bounce off or fall on my head, but never anything major. About two months ago I was cutting in a tangle left by Helene (yeah, I'm still cleaning up that mess, too!). I cut a branch about waist level but somehow missed that it was connected somehow to something else just above my head and line of sight. I never did figure out exactly how it was all connected before I cut, but somehow about a 3" diameter oak branch whacked me almost sideways in the left temple hard enough to stun me and leave a lump on my forehead for a few days. Had I not had that helmet on, I feel sure it would have knocked me unconscious or worse. Figuring my luck had run out, and not feeling great, I quit for the day.

I try to ALWAYS wear chaps if I'm running a saw, even briefly, because I've seen how many accidents happen when performing "this was only going to take a second" tasks. I wasn't always as good about wearing my helmet, but unless I'm just bucking in my woodpile, I always wear it now. I should wear it more in my woodpile, too, as it could be the last ditch protection against a hard kickback if I'm not paying attention and get my head in line with the cut.

Take it easy, let that leg heal, and thanks again for the reminder. Hope you heal quickly and well!

 

Glad that didn't turn out worse for you down there. I'm guilty of not wearing my chaps 100% of the time, usually when it's hot out. I do always carry a tourniquet in my truck as a last resort; whether I need it while at a cutting site or if find myself or someone else needing one in an emergency... I've had a couple close calls where the chain ripped right through my pants just above the knee. We all have too much to lose. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Sorry to hear of your accident. Glad it wasn't any worse. About the only time I don't wear mine is if I'm cutting on the woodyard, usually on the ground or off the tractor forks...I probably need to change my habits.

 

A great character from a great show!

 

I am glad you are okay and recovery should go well

 

After using quick clot over in the war, plus being on blood thinners, that's another first aid item I always have close by when firewood processing (in addition to a tourniquet). Living out in the sticks you're pretty much on your own for immediate first aid until help finally arrives.

I'm also guilty of not using PPE as often as I should.

 

Glad your alive to live and learn

 

Agreed! I carry a clotting gauze pad and tourniquet on my chaps belt, and a little more extensive trauma kit with my gas/oil/tools carrier. I work by myself most of the time, which is not ideal but is necessary, so like many of us here I don't have expectations of a quick trip to the emergency department - I'll have to fend for myself for at least a little while.

 

Thank You for all of the kind wishes and the very helpful advise on the emergency items that should be on hand for these types of emergency situations..things that I will source and keep in a go bag that will accompany me on future firewood and felling activities. At 75 years old and running saws and equipment for about 50 of those years it is a reminder that you’re never too old to learn and adopt better safety practices!

Appreciate Y’all very much

 

A good reminder. Another thing, as I get older I try to limit the number of tanks of cutting on any particular day. Yes, easier to do around the home property. Doing so one can stay fresher, not get fatigued, as much.

If I want to cut more, try to put something different between tank fulls. That could be picking up brush, splitting, loading, whatever.

As we know, some types of sawing is easier, less dangerous. Cutting down trees is usually up the list a ways. I have also incorporated lighter saws for minor work, Echo cs-3510 as an example.

 

Glad you’re ok for the most part. I’m one who wears them, sometimes not when I mill tho.

 

Thank you for the reminder. I do have a pair but admit I'm not good at wearing them. Should pull them out tomorrow while cutting. Years ago I went out to help a neighbor with a willow tree. Another neighbor volunteered me to do it so I wasn't all that happy about it. Set the saw down but the chain was still turning when it nicked my finger. No real damage but you should never be running something like a chainsaw, plenty of other equipment included, when you have attitude or bad mood.
Glad you will be OK JD Guy and will make a full recovery.

 

You are absolutely correct! I was already a bit tired and should have just called it a day after the red oak tree. Guess I need to also remind myself that I’m a long ways from 30 now. It’s not that I have to work to get more accomplished it’s that it’s the way I’m wired. Always been that way but I’m going to have to re-engineer my brain differently

 

It's tough to remind yourself that as you get older, you don't quite have the stamina for running a saw from sunrise to sunset like you used to. And I am speaking from experience; this change has become obvious to me just in the last couple of years. But like it or not, fatigue is real and I wholeheartedly agree that we need to call it a day, or at least take a good break, before we start to get sloppy and careless. I also find I need to pay closer attention to hydration than I used to, for some reason.

 

Glad you aren't worse and will heal. I cut yesterday for the first time in a long while. I gased the saw, put my safety glasses on and walked to the tree ready to cut, something wasn't right, felt naked, chaps.

 

Good news JD Guy, that the cut wasn't worse. Hope you heal up real quick.

 

Scary stuff. Yeah accidents happen in a blink of an eye. I know this first hand from my splitter accident.
Hydro Accident

Glad you are okay save for few stitches and an inconvenience sitting immobile. It could've been a lot worse.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I personally don't wear chaps. I tried them once and way too clumsy for me.

 

X2 as much as I hate to admit it. Longer day and being fatigued lead to the likeliness an accident will happen.