Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES

Eric Frei · 24th January 2010, 08:56 PM

SES rescue tree-lopper | Coffs Coast News | Local News in Coffs Coast | Coffs Coast Advocate

Quote:

EMERGENCY service crews raced to the aid of an injured tree-lopper trapped in a tree at Toormina late yesterday.

The man was lopping branches from the tree in Aquamarine Drive about 4.30pm when he hurt his shoulder and arm.

Eyewitnesses reported he was about five metres off the ground and was too badly injured to climb down.

SES personnel were called in to reach the man and lower him to safety. He was up the tree for about an hour, an ambulance spokeswoman said.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were also on hand to help. He was taken to Coffs Harbour Health Campus for treatment.

Garry Brockley · 25th January 2010, 06:42 AM

is he ok? Was it a dislocation? a kick back injury? falling limb? nice to know these things mr paper editor

paul_darrington · 25th January 2010, 07:06 PM

Funny how you find things at the right time - not having loooked at this forum before..

Yes i was disapointed with the details the media gave.
I thought my hand was shattered, as it would have easy been 300kg that crushed it, but was only a break& disolocation to the lower part of my thumb (bone was displaced by 1 inch). & stiches for the big 'impact split'

hardly any pain though lots of blood. my boss found it difficult finishing the tree off with all the blood.

Now this accident occoured at the end of the day, when i was exhausted & didnt take the time to really analyse the mechanics off the rigging.
Also, had i had more experience & rigging knowlege, I would have put a second rope on the log, to ensure the log went to the left of me, rather than the right.

The section of trunk I was cutting was leaning out over a roof, and had a rigging line attatched running up to a branch fork behind me. The groundies had alot of tension on the line, which prevented the log from falling foward at all. causing the log to jump towards me unexpectedly, without the cut opening up slowly as i'm used to.

Before making the cut, I had a very breif look at it, and said it would peel off to the left. however it came to the right, collecting my hand whilst i was cutting, as it smashed into a trunk on the right of me (with my hand as the 'cushion')

sorry i havnt drawn any diagrams, or if my lingo is incorrect.

to summarize, the accident could have easily been avoided if:
- I had more practical & theoretical rigging training (i'm unqualifed & just training)
- if i spent more time anylyzing before making the cut
- if i'd put a second rope on to prevent the log comming right
- if thered been some slack in the rigging line

Looking foward to doing more study whilst my hands in cast & starting my tafe course in arborculture!

however the accident has actually built my confidence.

Paul

paul_darrington · 25th January 2010, 07:18 PM

just remembered theres a picture there.

The secion of trunk that i was cutting was leaning out (away) from me in between the red and yellow helmets (in the picture).

The rigging line went from that section of trunk up to the top of the trunk that my elbow is touching... Which is behind me... making the cut dangerous.

I thought it would saftley peel off to my left... but it came to my right, knocking the saw out of my hand, & crushing my hand against the 'bottom right section of trunk' (in the picture)

hope that helps with the orientation

Garry Brockley · 25th January 2010, 08:23 PM

Nice one Paul good to see you here and your well, it takes balls to come on here and talk frankly about a publicised accident such as yours, it's good that you can give us an idea of how the accident happened hopefully it will stop someone else doing the same.

Jeff Darby · 25th January 2010, 09:32 PM

I second that Galbee, Welcome Paul to our forum, I'm glad your first lesson was not fatal so it should serve to hone your skills, always think twice and cut once.
I wish you good luck in your studies, while your here dont be shy to post some pictures of you working in our picture forum or if you have a video camera some action shots would be good.

JayD

stjawa · 25th January 2010, 10:28 PM

Thanks Paul for giving us the other side of the story.I hope everything is healing well and it is good to see you are using the down time productivly.

A large percentage of accidents happen due to fatigue which is usually late in the day.If you feel tired and uncomfortable doing a job dont be afraid to stop what you are doing.Inform the boss how you feel,the safety off the site and everyone on it is his responsibility.
Hopefully the boss has shown you how to fill out the incident report book,worksafe claim forms and gone through a full debrief on the accident by now.Looks like you will have to get someone to write for you though if you are right handed.

Could you tell us how the SES got you down from the tree?

I assume the line in the picture is the lowering line and I cant see a life line,were you climbing with just a couple of flip lines?

Eric Frei · 26th January 2010, 08:25 AM

Thanks Paul, good to hear you're OK. What's the SES guy got you sucking on?

I reckon a tip tied winch up with a GRCS would have been ants pants for that sort of a job. Often the cuts can be made with the piece kept still, climber moves and piece is winched up. Nice bit of gear, but costly.

Did you or did you not have a scarf cut to direct the piece?

Was the piece balanced, tip heavy or butt heavy?

Bruce Hopf · 26th January 2010, 09:50 AM

I'm very glad that you are going to be OK, and it hasn't scared you away from doing this type of work. Things can happen so quick. I'm also glad, that you stated how the accident could have been prevented.
Others would have made an excuse, and put the blame onto someone, or something else.
You need to stand up, and take a bow for that, and you also deserve a pat on the back. Takes a lot of courage to admit where a person went wrong, which you proved to everyone here, that you do have.
Hope it heals quick, and good for you, and you can get back to work soon. Take care. Bruce.

kieren · 26th January 2010, 06:48 PM

We all have done things which teach us many a lesson. Good to hear your ok mate.

next time might be an idea to have a second climber or someone trained in arial rescue to get you out of the tree if you were badly injured. Hope you can get back up a tree soon and i hope you never have need to be rescued again

paul_darrington · 27th January 2010, 03:29 PM

thanks for all the supportive feedback!

Quote:

Could you tell us how the SES got you down from the tree?

I cant see a life line,were you climbing with just a couple of flip lines?

After the paramedic had done his checks, The rescue team extended the ladder to attach a pulley above me, then lowered me down on the line to an amazingly comfy stretcher..

had I sustained torso injuries, then i guess they would have hoisted the stretcher up to me. - that was why my boss chose not to lower me down earlier using the rigging line, he thought it had hit my shoulder.

Yes, I had no climbing/life line, just two flip lines.

Quote:

Thanks Paul, good to hear you're OK. What's the SES guy got you sucking on?

Did you or did you not have a scarf cut to direct the piece?

Was the piece balanced, tip heavy or butt heavy?

The green stick is a pain relieving inhaler, I told them i was in hardly any pain, but they insisted i use it... made me quite dizzy, so i spat it out.

I cut a scarf, but too much tension on the rigging line prevented the peice from 'falling into the scarf' as it should.

The 1m section of trunk was balanced in weight, but growing out on a 45' angle. The rigging line was attached to the tip.

Thanks again,
and as JayD said - Think twice, cut once

TrevMcRev · 27th January 2010, 06:15 PM

Good on you Paul for coming forward & talking about your experience.

You gained some tough lessons quick, and i admire your accountability. So many people can only blame everything but themselves when things go wrong. It's great that you could see your own weak points, as well as the outside factors, and grow from the experience.

Here are some threads on aerial rescue you might want to digest:
Four Days of Aerial Rescue

Aerial Rescue

It would be good for your crew & boss to understand the importance of this.

Also, the biggest tip i think i can give you is to always work with a climbing line tied in. Even if you "can" do the tree without it.

You may have been able to let yourself down or been rescued much quicker. If this were a more serious injury that time difference can be crucial and life saving.

Rest up, recover well & get back on the horse a more experienced treeguy

TrevMcRev · 27th January 2010, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul_darrington

and as JayD said - Think twice, cut once

Thinking of chainsaw injuries too, that could be extended to: Think twice, cut once, and only cut wood!

Jeff Darby · 27th January 2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevMcRev

Thinking of chainsaw injuries too, that could be extended to: Think twice, cut once, and only cut wood!

Gather round all Treeworkers, A Blessing from father JayD

May the only limbs you cut be wood

Take care out there, everybody

Treeson · 28th January 2010, 02:30 AM

Glad to hear you came through alright fulla, hope the hand comes up well and
doesn't give you too much trouble.
Always good to get feedback from those involved and to gain a better understanding
of how and why incidents happen and how they can be avoided and resolved.

kieren · 29th January 2010, 11:45 PM

In the photo you weren't wearing a helmet did you take it off or were you not wearing one at all? for the hundred dollars they cost they are well worth it a knock to the head and thats all folks! If you don't have one there are guys on this forum who can help to get one to you.

Bruce Hopf · 4th February 2010, 11:44 AM

Just thought I'd touch base, and ask how the hand is doing? Haven't heard anything more about it, so I'd take a minute, and ask.
Here is a picture of my hand, that I injured, almost a year ago. I was working on a three point hitch fork lift, for one of my tractors, and got it caught between the two halves of the mast, after they got separated in the bush.
All that was holding the one half of the mast, was the hydraulic cylinder of the boom. I had some weight off of the boom, but not enough, and once I was able to drive the pin out, and the weight came down, I got my thumb caught.
It ripped right down to the bone, and across the palm of my hand. 11 stitches later, but everything is good as new, well except the battle scare, from the incident.
Hope your hand heals like new again. Take care. Bruce.

paul_darrington · 5th February 2010, 09:54 AM

Yeh I was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but am looking forward to getting a proper climbing helmet soon, the new one with the anti-fog visor looks very comfy.

my hands healing well, just 2 weeks from the injury now, and i've got almost full movement in my fingers (undamaged) and some movement in my thumb (has a pin in it - so can't move much till they remove the pin).

Is difficult having a hand injury, as every week goes by you loose more strength, but hopefully in a couple more weeks my thumb will be healed enough life some weights, chinups/pullups will be safe to do, so looking foward to that.

Nice photo of your hand Bruce, good to hear its healed well. I'm still waiting for my sister to get my photos to me, so i can post them on here... soon hopefully.

Also, in my time off i've written up a JSA - should be attached below.
Please feel free to edit & add things i've missed.
(its just a simple pre-work hazard checklist, not a proper 'Risk Assessment' that big companies require)

and I'll soon post the other document i've been working on, which is a brief list of every arbor accident & injury I could find details on..

Thanks again everyone
for the earth,
Paul

Jeff Darby · 18th February 2010, 07:25 PM

Hey Paul,
How are you going, Paul, Have you started to heal up ? give us all a update on your health...

paul_darrington · 19th February 2010, 10:50 AM

Thanks JayD,

Been 4 week since the accident & am healing well, but am still in some ways 'disabled' with what i can do around the house & farm, which makes life depressingly boring, with a daily sense of unachievment haha.

also, injuries are difficult, as you have a sudden drop of physical exercise, which drops your energy & motivation levels pretty quickly.
(dont know who's made the connection with regular exercise & energy/motivation levels - but its really affected me).

So, yes my hands healing well, but there's other effects of an injury.

The pin comes out in 2 weeks, then it should be another 6 weeks before i could use a chainsaw or climb again - 3 months in total.

The tafe Arb course is good, sounds like the Arb industry is going well - with many jobs available, for those who can relocate.
Look foward to being cert 4 level in a few years.

Thanks for the support everyone

Be Safe,
Paul

glennak · 15th March 2010, 10:38 PM

Hope all goes well with the repairs Paul, and thanks for sharing. Just a question you said "The 1m section of trunk was balanced in weight, but growing out on a 45' angle. The rigging line was attached to the tip." I can't understand what you mean.
I'm sure we all made mistakes when we were learning, if we didn't we wouldn't have learnt much.

25th January 2010, 06:42 AM	#2
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,649	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES is he ok? Was it a dislocation? a kick back injury? falling limb? nice to know these things mr paper editor __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

25th January 2010, 07:06 PM	#3
paul_darrington Sappling Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Coffs Harbour Posts: 10	Hey thats me! Funny how you find things at the right time - not having loooked at this forum before.. Yes i was disapointed with the details the media gave. I thought my hand was shattered, as it would have easy been 300kg that crushed it, but was only a break& disolocation to the lower part of my thumb (bone was displaced by 1 inch). & stiches for the big 'impact split' hardly any pain though lots of blood. my boss found it difficult finishing the tree off with all the blood. Now this accident occoured at the end of the day, when i was exhausted & didnt take the time to really analyse the mechanics off the rigging. Also, had i had more experience & rigging knowlege, I would have put a second rope on the log, to ensure the log went to the left of me, rather than the right. The section of trunk I was cutting was leaning out over a roof, and had a rigging line attatched running up to a branch fork behind me. The groundies had alot of tension on the line, which prevented the log from falling foward at all. causing the log to jump towards me unexpectedly, without the cut opening up slowly as i'm used to. Before making the cut, I had a very breif look at it, and said it would peel off to the left. however it came to the right, collecting my hand whilst i was cutting, as it smashed into a trunk on the right of me (with my hand as the 'cushion') sorry i havnt drawn any diagrams, or if my lingo is incorrect. to summarize, the accident could have easily been avoided if: - I had more practical & theoretical rigging training (i'm unqualifed & just training) - if i spent more time anylyzing before making the cut - if i'd put a second rope on to prevent the log comming right - if thered been some slack in the rigging line Looking foward to doing more study whilst my hands in cast & starting my tafe course in arborculture! however the accident has actually built my confidence. Paul

25th January 2010, 07:18 PM	#4
paul_darrington Sappling Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Coffs Harbour Posts: 10	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES just remembered theres a picture there. The secion of trunk that i was cutting was leaning out (away) from me in between the red and yellow helmets (in the picture). The rigging line went from that section of trunk up to the top of the trunk that my elbow is touching... Which is behind me... making the cut dangerous. I thought it would saftley peel off to my left... but it came to my right, knocking the saw out of my hand, & crushing my hand against the 'bottom right section of trunk' (in the picture) hope that helps with the orientation

25th January 2010, 08:23 PM	#5
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,649	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Nice one Paul good to see you here and your well, it takes balls to come on here and talk frankly about a publicised accident such as yours, it's good that you can give us an idea of how the accident happened hopefully it will stop someone else doing the same. __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

25th January 2010, 09:32 PM	#6
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,031	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES I second that Galbee, Welcome Paul to our forum, I'm glad your first lesson was not fatal so it should serve to hone your skills, always think twice and cut once. I wish you good luck in your studies, while your here dont be shy to post some pictures of you working in our picture forum or if you have a video camera some action shots would be good. JayD __________________ Member: Australian Tree Association Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard ! Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others © Jeffrey J Darby 2011

25th January 2010, 10:28 PM	#7
stjawa Sappling Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vic, Australia Posts: 39	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Thanks Paul for giving us the other side of the story.I hope everything is healing well and it is good to see you are using the down time productivly. A large percentage of accidents happen due to fatigue which is usually late in the day.If you feel tired and uncomfortable doing a job dont be afraid to stop what you are doing.Inform the boss how you feel,the safety off the site and everyone on it is his responsibility. Hopefully the boss has shown you how to fill out the incident report book,worksafe claim forms and gone through a full debrief on the accident by now.Looks like you will have to get someone to write for you though if you are right handed. Could you tell us how the SES got you down from the tree? I assume the line in the picture is the lowering line and I cant see a life line,were you climbing with just a couple of flip lines?

26th January 2010, 08:25 AM	#8
Eric Frei Admin - Razor sharp and independent 2 X Diploma Level 5 qualified arborist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,820	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Thanks Paul, good to hear you're OK. What's the SES guy got you sucking on? I reckon a tip tied winch up with a GRCS would have been ants pants for that sort of a job. Often the cuts can be made with the piece kept still, climber moves and piece is winched up. Nice bit of gear, but costly. Did you or did you not have a scarf cut to direct the piece? Was the piece balanced, tip heavy or butt heavy? __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

26th January 2010, 09:50 AM	#9
Bruce Hopf Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North of Sebringville, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,176	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES I'm very glad that you are going to be OK, and it hasn't scared you away from doing this type of work. Things can happen so quick. I'm also glad, that you stated how the accident could have been prevented. Others would have made an excuse, and put the blame onto someone, or something else. You need to stand up, and take a bow for that, and you also deserve a pat on the back. Takes a lot of courage to admit where a person went wrong, which you proved to everyone here, that you do have. Hope it heals quick, and good for you, and you can get back to work soon. Take care. Bruce. __________________ McCulloch chain saws 1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's, 2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener, 1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver 2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10 Stihl chain saws 2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084, Strunk chain saws 1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

26th January 2010, 06:48 PM	#10
kieren Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Adelaide Posts: 104	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES We all have done things which teach us many a lesson. Good to hear your ok mate. next time might be an idea to have a second climber or someone trained in arial rescue to get you out of the tree if you were badly injured. Hope you can get back up a tree soon and i hope you never have need to be rescued again

27th January 2010, 06:15 PM	#12
TrevMcRev Mature Tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 1,605	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Good on you Paul for coming forward & talking about your experience. You gained some tough lessons quick, and i admire your accountability. So many people can only blame everything but themselves when things go wrong. It's great that you could see your own weak points, as well as the outside factors, and grow from the experience. Here are some threads on aerial rescue you might want to digest: Four Days of Aerial Rescue Aerial Rescue It would be good for your crew & boss to understand the importance of this. Also, the biggest tip i think i can give you is to always work with a climbing line tied in. Even if you *"can"* do the tree without it. You may have been able to let yourself down or been rescued much quicker. If this were a more serious injury that time difference can be crucial and life saving. Rest up, recover well & get back on the horse a more experienced treeguy

28th January 2010, 02:30 AM	#15
Treeson Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 177	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Glad to hear you came through alright fulla, hope the hand comes up well and doesn't give you too much trouble. Always good to get feedback from those involved and to gain a better understanding of how and why incidents happen and how they can be avoided and resolved.

29th January 2010, 11:45 PM	#16
kieren Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Adelaide Posts: 104	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES In the photo you weren't wearing a helmet did you take it off or were you not wearing one at all? for the hundred dollars they cost they are well worth it a knock to the head and thats all folks! If you don't have one there are guys on this forum who can help to get one to you.

4th February 2010, 11:44 AM	#17
Bruce Hopf Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North of Sebringville, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,176	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Just thought I'd touch base, and ask how the hand is doing? Haven't heard anything more about it, so I'd take a minute, and ask. Here is a picture of my hand, that I injured, almost a year ago. I was working on a three point hitch fork lift, for one of my tractors, and got it caught between the two halves of the mast, after they got separated in the bush. All that was holding the one half of the mast, was the hydraulic cylinder of the boom. I had some weight off of the boom, but not enough, and once I was able to drive the pin out, and the weight came down, I got my thumb caught. It ripped right down to the bone, and across the palm of my hand. 11 stitches later, but everything is good as new, well except the battle scare, from the incident. Hope your hand heals like new again. Take care. Bruce. Attached Thumbnails __________________ McCulloch chain saws 1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's, 2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener, 1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver 2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10 Stihl chain saws 2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084, Strunk chain saws 1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

18th February 2010, 07:25 PM	#19
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,031	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Hey Paul, How are you going, Paul, Have you started to heal up ? give us all a update on your health... __________________ Member: Australian Tree Association Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard ! Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others © Jeffrey J Darby 2011

19th February 2010, 10:50 AM	#20
paul_darrington Sappling Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Coffs Harbour Posts: 10	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Thanks JayD, Been 4 week since the accident & am healing well, but am still in some ways 'disabled' with what i can do around the house & farm, which makes life depressingly boring, with a daily sense of unachievment haha. also, injuries are difficult, as you have a sudden drop of physical exercise, which drops your energy & motivation levels pretty quickly. (dont know who's made the connection with regular exercise & energy/motivation levels - but its really affected me). So, yes my hands healing well, but there's other effects of an injury. The pin comes out in 2 weeks, then it should be another 6 weeks before i could use a chainsaw or climb again - 3 months in total. The tafe Arb course is good, sounds like the Arb industry is going well - with many jobs available, for those who can relocate. Look foward to being cert 4 level in a few years. Thanks for the support everyone Be Safe, Paul

15th March 2010, 10:38 PM	#21
glennak Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Melbourne Posts: 179	Re: Coffs Harbour Tree Lopper rescued by SES Hope all goes well with the repairs Paul, and thanks for sharing. Just a question you said "The 1m section of trunk was balanced in weight, but growing out on a 45' angle. The rigging line was attached to the tip." I can't understand what you mean. I'm sure we all made mistakes when we were learning, if we didn't we wouldn't have learnt much.

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