War Stories

Weta

I thought that it might be interesting/educational to start a thread on close calls that arborists have personally had, and what was learned by it. Admittedly, accidents are kind of embarrassing and thus people are a little loathe to share such experiences, so I'll get the ball rolling...
Around 5 years ago, when I was within my first month of graduating from my arb course, we were taking down a big poplar - no embellishments here; it was big, we had to use the 42" bar to fell the spar. My boss Stu and I were up the tree, and we had removed most of the tree's canopy. I must have looked like I was handling it, because Stu got me to remove a large lateral branch. It was roped off for lowering, and I step cut it. Being very green, there was poor communication with the groundie, who had the rope too tight and didn't allow the branch to fold, and I cut too far with the second (top) cut, going all the way through the branch. The branch swung back, caught me in my midriff and took me on a massive swing upward, before dropping me back down. I was roped in (of course), with a high TIP. The reasons I weren't seriously injured were that:
- I didn't lanyard in, so the branch swung me up without any resistance
- There wasn't anything behind me to get squished against during the swing
- The branch caught me in my centre of gravity. Face or neck, no good!

I had to act like I was cool, but there was a little bit of trouble getting to sleep for the next wee while. My mistakes, that I could see, were:
- A step cut was inadequate for the size of the branch
- I should have stopped cutting long before I did, and moved away from the branch, allowing the groundie to fold it down
- I also should have discussed with the groundie about not holding the branch winched tight, but allowing it to run with the weight of the folding branch.

Now that I've finished humiliated myself, it's now up to somebody else to tell a war story worse than mine...

Sean Freeman

Got nothing quite as dramatic or potentially deadly but here we go, first year working with Stephen, pruning a large spreading Albizia saman raintree, high TIP lateral branch walk (shuffle) to take the end off before making final removal cuts. the diameter of the branch at my first cut 300mm length out beyond my position maybe 7m. The walk out was made ok, my rope angle was not too great so pretty comfortable, undercut the branch then began the top cut...next thing you know the branch snaps away well before my expectation and I'm flying through the air running chainsaw in hand, reach the stretch on my rope and begin a very large swing through the air heading under the long stub from my cut then arcing up the side...not much I could do since I was below one limb and above others, had to wait till the swing subsided by which time my revolutions had made me feel quite unwell, managed to clip the saw (stopped) back on by then. Just like Weta felt I had to maintain the air of control and confidence despite it being plain that neither were the case!

Lessons
....always, always run through scenarios in your head before you put the saw in timber, how much tension, which way, will make the limb do what, will effect me how.
....should have had 2nd point of attachment rather than trying to give the impression of great balance in my branch walk (simple eh?)
....when older more experienced climbers tell you or suggest something to you listen to them and think about what they just said, before you go ahead and do what you thought was right.

__________________
Sean

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.
- Kahlil Gibran

JohN Dee

I havn't got any half good stories to tell like yours, Weta and Boa, but I have had a scary near miss to this very day I still ponder on.

I was removing a liquidambar. I went up to cut a significant branch in size, I had then started the under cut then proceeded for the finishing top cut. Well as I finished my top cut the chain actually caught the branch that I was dumping! Luckily enough the day before I had bought a brand spankin' new breakaway lanyard - $50 later, It tore away and dumped the saw on the ground. There were no targets under the tree so it was all top n flop'.The saw was an old 019 so it's lanyard attachment wasn't a breakaway.

I remember looking at the chain after that cut... It was a little loose, just loose enough to grib and catch the branch (which it did). So the lesson to be learn't here is always inspect your gear everytime you go up the tree.

__________________
Climber with slow climbing speed, must make up with mighty chainsaw roar.

Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory

Red : Green : Blue

allmarktree

I was once so in love with this girl I almost married her. Luckily it turned outto be a nearmiss so my life was spared

Treeman587

A few years ago I had a gang of pines to take out. We had been going at it all day long. I was on the last tree I was going to do for the day. Not many obstructions on the ground so this is a quick one, right. Well I was ready to go home so I climbed with the flipline in one hand and the saw in the other, just lopping away. I get to the top and tie in getting ready to blow out the top and start blocking down. Well my haste had the groundies swamped. they were all out front chipping away. So now I am bymyself at the top of the tree. I look around and decide just to go ahead and cut the top off and be done with it.

Heres where it really goes wrong. I made a face cut. and then made my backcut waaaay too fast. I cut my hinge before the top had really got going. So now it is loose. The butt end pops backwards. Hits me in the left chest area. then slides down my side, cutting me (not dramatically). Then as it cantilevers over the top of the spar it hooks under my left arm. Which then tries to catapult me over the tree. My buckle on my climbing harness caught the top of the spar as I was going over with the top. Luckily it was enough of a stall that I finally broke free. Well after all that force the spar was loaded up. So I go from looking like a parade balloon on top of the spar to being slingshotted backwards. My flipline came over the top, But climbing line stayed put. Then I swung into the trunk having the wind knocked out of me. As one of the groundies came in the backyard and spotted me danglin' he pulled out the phone to dial 911. That was when I got my breath enough to let him know I was OK.

It was three days before I felt good enough to climb again, or even do ground work. It was two months before I cut another top. I could not do it. Then one day I had to do it, I was the only climber and it had to be done. Once I got back on the horse I was good to go.

What did I learn?
-Sometimes it is faster to take your time
-Don't be left alone at the top of a tree, Who knows how long they could have been out front if I had fallen or had been seriously hurt.
-I always tie in twice when blocking or topping now

One more, The first time I climbed I slipped at twenty feet. Gaffed out to each side of the tree and slid down on my ballocks.Yeah that killed a lil pride

Ekka

another similar thread here.

http://www.treeworld.info/f9/home-ow...ents-1711.html

__________________

Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory

Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping | Stump Grinding and Stump Removal Brisbane

Brisbane Tree Care, Consultations, Developer, Tree and Arborist Reports

Forum Sponsors