Facebook video. Graphic accident

[Haironyourchest]

I would have ratchet strapped the stem before cutting. No way it can barber-chair then, belt and braces.

[Wonky]

2 hours ago, Haironyourchest said:

I would have ratchet strapped the stem before cutting. No way it can barber-chair then, belt and braces.

I sort of asked the question earlier, but I understand more than one way to do it.

[Gnarlyoak]

6 hours ago, Haironyourchest said:

I would have ratchet strapped the stem before cutting. No way it can barber-chair then, belt and braces.

Or if you don't have a ratchet strap handy, I find that on pops & willows if you make two small cuts (10-15% the dia. of the stem) either side of the tree parallel and level with the bottom of the gob cut before making the back cut.  This helps to dissipate the tension at the back of the tree when making your back cut & greatly reduces the risk of the tree barber chairing.

 

Seems to work for me. Recently felled a stand of big heavily leaning willows. Put a side cut on either side of each stem before the back cut & every single one fell as planned bish bosh bash with no dramas. There was one stem which I decided not to bother using the same method, the biggest fattest of the lot with a 50-60 degree lean into a big wide open area on site.  Figured to myself this was only ever going to go one way & didn't need to bother with the side cuts, I hadn't gone the width of the bar on the back cut when the bugger barber chaired in an explosion of splinters and sounded like a mortar bomb had just gone off. The 441 I was using propelled about 10 ft up and over my head at about 100 mph just missing my face & landing about 20 ft away!!

 

But even then given their unpredictable nature I always try to stretch out and lean back in my harness and move head & body as far out of the way of the tree as its comfortably possible to do so before I do my felling cut. All trees have their own certain predictabilities in these situations, and given that (in the video) this certainly looks like a pop I wouldn't be leaning in over the butt end making my cut as this fella appeared to be just because they have that propensity to do exactly what happened! ie: Barber chair without warning and try and take your face off!!

EDIT Just realized that obvs in this vid the guy cutting was'nt actually in the position I just described , but perhaps even worse is he's cutting more or less at forehead height. He really should of been stropped into the other stem & slightly higher up so that his cut was in line with the trunk of his body. Cutting from that position at head height really is a recipe for disaster.

 

Complacency is an easy trap to fall into and karma can be a bitch in these circumstances, but as others have said hope the individual in the vid makes a full and speedy recovery & he's able to make a positive out of a bad experience. ie: Ooh, I'll not make that mistake again......

Edited December 18, 2018 by Gnarlyoak
Different scenarion in vid. Correction made before I get burned by the flamers!

[MattyF]

The accident report is unbelievable! Now it recommends that it’s arborists use battery chainsaws and have three anchor points...... three anchors would of held the guy so ridgid it would of probably killed him.
So now there climbers will have an even harder time trying to bail out if it goes tits up and double the likely happening of barbers chairs with a slower cutting saw .... what tits make up these rules???

[Darrin Turnbull]

10 minutes ago, MattyF said:

The accident report is unbelievable! Now it recommends that it’s arborists use battery chainsaws and have three anchor points...... three anchors would of held the guy so ridgid it would of probably killed him.
So now there climbers will have an even harder time trying to bail out if it goes tits up and double the likely happening of barbers chairs with a slower cutting saw .... what tits make up these rules???

Crazy, totally agree with you.

[monkeybusiness]

14 minutes ago, MattyF said:

The accident report is unbelievable! Now it recommends that it’s arborists use battery chainsaws and have three anchor points...... three anchors would of held the guy so ridgid it would of probably killed him.
So now there climbers will have an even harder time trying to bail out if it goes tits up and double the likely happening of barbers chairs with a slower cutting saw .... what tits make up these rules???

I’d be interested to read the report - got a link? 

[Mr. Squirrel]

16 minutes ago, MattyF said:

The accident report is unbelievable! Now it recommends that it’s arborists use battery chainsaws and have three anchor points...... three anchors would of held the guy so ridgid it would of probably killed him.
So now there climbers will have an even harder time trying to bail out if it goes tits up and double the likely happening of barbers chairs with a slower cutting saw .... what tits make up these rules???

Utterly ridiculous. Where did you find the accident Tory and what company was it? Would be interested to see what they think went wrong...

 

I saw the longer version on Facebook and aside from all the climbers cock ups, you can hear these guys trying to talk him through getting himself down. Honestly, I think I'm more shocked about that. Come on man, get up there and get him down...

[MattyF]

Yeah but personally I think they did the right thing talking him down as it was the quickest way after evaluating the situation he would of got out the tree and his harness off and he was still conscious ... by the time he was down it would of taken longer to get your rescue kit and put your harness on.. getting the casualty out the tree, I’ve seen quite a few in tree accidents now and every one has got them selves out damn quick, there is way to much emphasis on Ariel rescue IMO.
Maybe he didn’t wanna come down as he was scared they would of all called him a &:&;: for messing it up so bad... I’ve had that happen when guys have hurt them selves bad.
Sorry lads this is all I have of it but try and get a grasp of the last few paragraphs and there recommendations for safer tree work.

[Mick Dempsey]

Well that’s confirmation that he lived anyway. Good.

 

 

 

[The avantgardener]

At least the company now have genuine concern for their climbers exposure to vibration and emissions whilst getting clattered by half a tonne of hardwood.