Fatal Tree Accident

TreeSpecialist · 21st March 2008, 03:22 AM

Shock at tree surgeon's chainsaw death - Bexhill Today - Back to Home Page

Even when you're doing everything right, stuff happens.

Quote:

Shock at tree surgeon's chainsaw death

A TREE surgeon died in a chainsaw accident.
Scott David Donnison, 28, was suspended 40 feet up a tree in the back garden of a house in Park Gate, Hailsham.

He died instantly when his chainsaw kicked back from a branch and hit him on the left side of his neck, under his chin.

He was wearing a helmet and full safety equipment at the time.

Emergency services received a call at 11.07am on Wednesday and rushed to the scene.

Police, firefighters, ambulance and a coast guard helicopter were present.

They found the harness attached to Mr Donnison's body tied to the tree.

They struggled to get to the body and had to use a cherry picker platform.

Phil Wilkinson, from Sussex Tree Services, was working in Old Town, Eastbourne, when he learnt about the accident.

He rushed to Park Gate to help.

Mr Wilkinson said: 'A group of us gathered and a policeman told us the chainsaw caught him across his chest and he died instantly.

'He was suspended and it took a while for them to get him down.'

Mr Wilkinson said Mr Donnison may have been reducing the crown of the tree in the back garden.

He added: 'I know a lot of tree surgeons and people in the trade, and it has affected us all.

'I have taken a day off because I feel so shocked about it.

'It is a dangerous job, statistically the most dangerous job in Britain.'

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a full investigation.

A spokesman said: 'The HSE is aware of the incident and are investigating.

'We are working with the police at this moment.'

The death
is being treated as an industrial accident.

It is thought Mr Donnison worked for Allan Russell Tree Surgery in Polegate.

A spokeswoman for the company did not want to comment.
An inquest has opened and adjourned for a full investigation.

A post mortem was due to be carried out today (Thursday).

Mr Donnison, from Hollingbury Park, Brighton, had been married for two years.

His wife was being comforted by family and friends in Winchester.
Email your tributes to sussex.express@sussexnewspapers.co.uk

Tributes:

Scott was such a lovely man and one of my son's closest friends, and my heart goes out to his wife and family.
He will be so greatly missed - such sad news. We were all so deeply shocked and so saddened by this tragic accident.
God Bless you Scott and rest in peace.
The Wallace Family

The full article contains 429 words and appears in Sussex Express Series newspaper.
Last Updated: 20 March 2008 1:38 PM

TreeDimensional · 21st March 2008, 04:23 AM

That is a real tragedy, and a reminder that work positioning is important.

Such a loss when a person trained in the awareness of the risks, passes.

Jamie Myers · 21st March 2008, 04:43 AM

Heres another one

BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Tree worker slashed with chainsaw

Eric Frei · 21st March 2008, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pomme

Heres another one

BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Tree worker slashed with chainsaw

It's the same one, poor bugger, condolences to family.

Ace Master · 21st March 2008, 10:39 AM

Condolences to this family and friends, not good news at all such a tragic to the tree community.

Jeff Darby · 21st March 2008, 11:00 AM

Condolence's to the Family and Friends. So sad to hear of our Tree Brother's demise...R.I.P.

treevet · 21st March 2008, 02:40 PM

Condolences also and a prayer. The kickback quadrant, upper half of tip of bar.

newguy18 · 21st March 2008, 03:05 PM

prayers for the family.Such a shame he was pretty young too.

Jamie Myers · 23rd March 2008, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekka

It's the same one, poor bugger, condolences to family.

note to self read the posts properly

quercus · 23rd March 2008, 05:55 AM

R.I.P mate... We'll think about you on the way up next time...

rich · 23rd March 2008, 10:26 PM

R.I.P. Scott. Our condolences and thoughts to all your family from up North.

Can't help wondering if the poor guy was working alone ?

arbdog · 24th March 2008, 06:39 AM

My condolences too. Its true and we all must remember that arboriculture is a dangerous job and accidents do happen, dispite safe working procidures! its a shame that a job that we all love can actually kill us !

Grizzly · 25th March 2008, 03:32 PM

Thats worse than getting sucked into the wood chipper. at leat when you go through it happend fast enough to were its just instant death. Besides that You could only imagin what his parents are going through if they are stiull arround. I know that if anyhing happened to me doing what I love, not just loseing a chunk of my finger or getting ripped up by the brush going throught the chipper, but actually losing my life would put my pops in such a drpression. it would be dramatic. I have a feeling that his parents are going through something similar. farwell and good luck. another reason why experience counts as well as how you posision your self before making that cut. I've had one too many close call where the chain got pinched and jumped out of my hand luckaly missing my other arm. With the chancr of that happening it may seem like a easy job, but put your saw where you want to cut before making the cut.

evil but true

Eric Frei · 9th October 2009, 08:10 PM

Freak accident killed worker - Eastbourne Today

Quote:

Published Date: 07 October 2009
A TREE surgeon was killed in a freak accident with a chainsaw in a Hailsham garden, an inquest heard on Monday.
Scott David Donnison, who lived in Brighton, died almost instantly after the chainsaw went out of control and severed a major artery in his neck while he was up the giant willow tree in Park Gate on March 19 last year.

The 28-year-old's body had to be cut down by firefighters as horrified neighbours and eye-witnesses looked on.
The accident, which happened in the garden of John and Rosemary Roberts' home, was not due to an equipment malfunction or the way in which Mr Donnison was using it, the inquest heard.
An inquest jury was told Mr Donnison had been operating the Stihl MS200T chainsaw correctly and had the relevant certification to climb trees and use a chainsaw.
After the day-long inquiry at Lewes Magistrates' Court, the five-man and four-woman jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
The court heard Mr and Mrs Roberts had decided to have the contorted willow tree, which was between 50 and 60 feet high, removed from their garden and had been given a price of £300 by Alan Russell Tree Surgery.
On the morning of March 19, Mr Donnison and colleague Simon Parsons, who worked for Mr Russell on a self-employed basis, arrived at the Roberts' home and parked their van with a chipping machine near to the tree.
Mr Donnison used a harness and climbed the tree. He began cutting branches down while Mr Parsons stayed on the ground feeding the branches in to the chipper.
Mr Roberts' brother-in-law Michael Gordon, a self-employed woodsman from Eastbourne, watched the two men and said he was impressed with how they worked.
Mr Gordon told the jury Simon was inside the house using the toilet when he suddenly rushed out.
"He must have heard something and rushed to the bottom of the garden," said Mr Gordon.
"I realised something was wrong and followed him. I looked in to the tree and saw Scott slumped in his harness. I realised we had to get him down."
Mr Gordon climbed the tree while Simon called for help. He said he could not reach Scott but saw the chainsaw covered in blood.
Firefighters and paramedics arrived at the house and the Health and Safety Executive was also called in to investigate.
In a statement read to the jury, Mr Parsons said he and Mr Donnison had worked together for some time and 80 per cent of their work was for Mr Russell, whose business is based in Greenleaf Gardens, Polegate. The pair had also worked for Eastbourne Borough Council.
Mr Parsons described his workmate as a 'very accomplished climber and very safety orientated'.
Mr Donnison's brother, Jamie, told the jury how his brother, who had got married just months before the fatal accident, was 'over-careful in life'.
Anthony Marshall and Paul Collins, both forestry and aboricultural experts at Plumpton Agricultural College, were called in by the HSE.
They said from the evidence they had seen, Mr Donnison was using the chainsaw within good practice guidelines.
Mr Collins said, "My feeling is that Mr Donnison made a cut on a branch nearest to him but as he went through, maybe the chainsaw made contact with another upright branch which could have caused it to kick back."
The two men also said the equipment was all in good working order.
Mr Russell said both Mr Donnison and Mr Parsons had the right qualifications for the work they were doing.
Coroner Alan Craze praised Mr Donnison's family for the 'dignity' they had shown during the inquest.

On a side note sounds awfully cheap to me, £300 for a 60' tree but hey, I didn't see the tree however it wasn't a drop.

21st March 2008, 04:23 AM	#2
TreeDimensional Mature Tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 421	Re: Fatal Tree Accident That is a real tragedy, and a reminder that work positioning is important. Such a loss when a person trained in the awareness of the risks, passes.

21st March 2008, 04:43 AM	#3
Jamie Myers Mature tree Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: england Posts: 252	Re: Fatal Tree Accident Heres another one BBC NEWS \| England \| Sussex \| Tree worker slashed with chainsaw

21st March 2008, 10:39 AM	#5
Ace Master Mature tree Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Australia, Vic, Melbourne Posts: 385	Re: Fatal Tree Accident Condolences to this family and friends, not good news at all such a tragic to the tree community. __________________ Website: The Mt Dandenong Ranges Tree Specialists YouTube: Ace Tree Master

21st March 2008, 11:00 AM	#6
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,059	Re: Fatal Tree Accident Condolence's to the Family and Friends. So sad to hear of our Tree Brother's demise...R.I.P. __________________ 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

21st March 2008, 02:40 PM	#7
treevet Monument Status Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 2,119	Re: Fatal Tree Accident Condolences also and a prayer. The kickback quadrant, upper half of tip of bar.

21st March 2008, 03:05 PM	#8
newguy18 Part of the Furniture Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: orlando,fl Posts: 4,948	Re: Fatal Tree Accident prayers for the family.Such a shame he was pretty young too. __________________ Have your say join us today. old schooler

23rd March 2008, 05:55 AM	#10
quercus Mature tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: belgium Posts: 368	Re: Fatal Tree Accident R.I.P mate... We'll think about you on the way up next time...

23rd March 2008, 10:26 PM	#11
rich Sappling Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: chester Posts: 10	Re: Fatal Tree Accident R.I.P. Scott. Our condolences and thoughts to all your family from up North. Can't help wondering if the poor guy was working alone ?

24th March 2008, 06:39 AM	#12
arbdog Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: england Posts: 108	Re: Fatal Tree Accident My condolences too. Its true and we all must remember that arboriculture is a dangerous job and accidents do happen, dispite safe working procidures! its a shame that a job that we all love can actually kill us !

25th March 2008, 03:32 PM	#13
Grizzly Sappling Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: California Posts: 44	Re: Fatal Tree Accident Thats worse than getting sucked into the wood chipper. at leat when you go through it happend fast enough to were its just instant death. Besides that You could only imagin what his parents are going through if they are stiull arround. I know that if anyhing happened to me doing what I love, not just loseing a chunk of my finger or getting ripped up by the brush going throught the chipper, but actually losing my life would put my pops in such a drpression. it would be dramatic. I have a feeling that his parents are going through something similar. farwell and good luck. another reason why experience counts as well as how you posision your self before making that cut. I've had one too many close call where the chain got pinched and jumped out of my hand luckaly missing my other arm. With the chancr of that happening it may seem like a easy job, but put your saw where you want to cut before making the cut. evil but true __________________

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode