Chainsaw safety ... the Widow Maker!

[Someday isle]

We have a stand and trail we call widow maker. When we first bought the property there was a dead tree hung up in another tree that crossed near an old logging road. I told the boys at the time to stay away from that widow maker. They’d never heard the term but the name stuck and that area is known as the widow maker trail and the widow maker stand. My brother, who cuts down trees as part of his job eventually came out and safely took down the tree.

 

[Tree Spud]

I heard a segment on one of our local morning talks shows and they were interviewing a paramedic group. They said one of the top calls they received were from home owners who decided to climb a ladder to cut of a large limb with a chain saw. He said injuries occurred as when the limb would fall, it would sweep or the main limb would spring back off the ground and into the ladder. Injuries' ranged from minor, ro serious, to paralysis, to death.

 

[cavey]

I heard a segment on one of our local morning talks shows and they were interviewing a paramedic group. They said one of the top calls they received were from home owners who decided to climb a ladder to cut of a large limb with a chain saw. He said injuries occurred as when the limb would fall, it would sweep or the main limb would spring back off the ground and into the ladder. Injuries' ranged from minor, ro serious, to paralysis, to death.

Been to a few of those calls; had a guy fall off a corn elevator that he backed up to a tree and was limbing off of it - 15 feet off the ground,... or I guess I should say 15 feet to the ground. Never understood why people cutting off ladders would not tie off the top of the ladder, or belt in. You might go for a ride but at least not to the ground then to the ER. Tying off your chain saw with a drop rope helps too, just in case - better to have free hands.

I know from personal experience being belted in your in for the long haul, if topping off a tree and something snaps lose further up it almost always falls on you and you definitely cant run away.

 

[Bszweda]

This is a classic.

The Grandma with the chainsaw

Dangerously excited, a grandma cuts a tree with a chainsaw. As the grandma seems to have no experience with cutting, and the tree almost hit her while falling.

www.videoman.gr

 

[bigboreblr]

Had a interesting injury in december. I was planting a few crabapples up north in a pretty open site. I was cutting down some 12-15ft trees that'll block the light someday. Cut a V north in the little 3-4 diameter tree, and the notch came flying out and went right under the side of my kneecap. Wasn't wearing my chaps at the time like a dumb ass. Must of whack a nerve under there, just had this burning tingling feeling for like 2 or 3 weeks.

I was on a treestand a few years back on a sort of windy day. A stand that I didn't frequent too much. About an hour or two in a Huge widow maker right over my head. Picked another spot after that.

About 10 years ago, I played around with 4wd toys. Drving a s10 blazer through the PA forest, where you can ride around. Ran over a root on a dead tree, a big chunk of the top came down on my trucks roof. Dented it up a bit, but thankfully I wasnt hurt and the sunroof did get broekr or leaked. The thule rack helped out alot with the impact...

 

[Mortenson]

This is a classic.

The Grandma with the chainsaw

Dangerously excited, a grandma cuts a tree with a chainsaw. As the grandma seems to have no experience with cutting, and the tree almost hit her while falling.

www.videoman.gr

Wow, so many things wrong with that video. I can't count that high.

 

[Bszweda]

Honeymooners are closely saved from a tree fall

Milwaukee United States, a newlywed couple will live a terrifying day of the wedding. As the two of them turned the wedding video, the branch of a nearby tree will break and fall where you sit. But they respond quickly, avoiding the accident.

www.videoman.gr

 

[cavey]

Wow, so many things wrong with that video. I can't count that high.

Not that it was going to kick, but wonder how well the brake works while fist pumping and running wide open one handed...not to mention the sawing motion.... not to mention.......... every aspect of that video screams scene flight to a trauma unit or just calling the M.E.

That they let her keep cutting after the tree should have taken her head off - is the reason I now hate people, 30 plus years of Fire based EMS in a semi rural community and we still see this kind of Darwin stuff going on.

 

[Kooch]

Wow, so many things wrong with that video. I can't count that high.

First time I’ve seen that. I think it triggered me. Good Lord! I can’t believe she didn’t lose a body part. Who in the world let’s grandma do something like this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigbendmarine]

DANG! Granny reminds me of the honey badger video... when it comes to life and limb, Granny don't give a s#*+! Even with the widow maker aside, I truly had a hard time watching it with her running that saw WOT the whole time while walking around in shorts without a care in the world.

 

[cavey]

Honeymooners are closely saved from a tree fall

Milwaukee United States, a newlywed couple will live a terrifying day of the wedding. As the two of them turned the wedding video, the branch of a nearby tree will break and fall where you sit. But they respond quickly, avoiding the accident.

www.videoman.gr

Did you see the guy in the background go down !

 

[Bszweda]

 

[TreeDaddy]

Not that it was going to kick, but wonder how well the brake works while fist pumping and running wide open one handed...not to mention the sawing motion.... not to mention.......... every aspect of that video screams scene flight to a trauma unit or just calling the M.E.

That they let her keep cutting after the tree should have taken her head off - is the reason I now hate people, 30 plus years of Fire based EMS in a semi rural community and we still see this kind of Darwin stuff going on.

just watched

cringeworthy

Darwin in reverse.......survival of the stupid......

bill

 

[Tree Spud]

just watched

cringeworthy

Darwin in reverse.......survival of the stupid......

bill

Darwin's odds tend to improve over time ...

 

[Tap]

Look out for vines, too.
The tree that you are cutting may be a safe, straight forward, easy fell. But sometimes they have grapevines that are hard to detect and those vines can connect to one or more other trees that DO contain widow makers or other issues. When the primary tree starts to fall, the vines can cause all sorts of unforeseen stuff to fall or effect the fall itself. And it doesn't have to be a very large vine.
It's another reason why I don't really like cutting trees with foliage. You can't read what is going on above you within the dense leaf cover.
I despise vines.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Here are a couple pictures of a couple of widow makers I have to deal with. I have about 30 of them like this. I got a couple down, some by dropping other trees onto them, some with a tractor and chain. Not sure if there is a good way, but for right now, I am just waiting for them to fall on their own.