Safety clothing.

[husqycutter]

Hi, apart from my introduction in the welcome thread here goes for my first posting.

As I said in my introduction I am not a professional,and I wear all my safety clothing at all times no matter how small the job is. I have at times witnessed professionals not wearing items of protective gear such as leggings and even a hard hat.

It horrifies me to see some of the native workers in the likes of the Amazon and Brazillian rain forests wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a tee shirt wielding a 36ins monster:eek::eek::eek:.

The question I would like to ask you guys in this country is do most of you wear protective gear at all times or is it some kind of "macho" thing not to wear the gear.

[Steve Bullman]

sometimes i'll take my hardhat off if im on the ground dicing up a butt or something, but thats only if EVERYTHING is on the deck.....and then i wear safety glasses and ear plugs

[Andy Collins]

All the kit, all the time!! Too easy to have an accident, and saws love a bite of flesh!!

[Sevsafe]

as someone with a vested interest i'm pleased to hear you are all into wearing ppe

[Mr Ed]

I'll occasionally work without Chainsaw pants in the summer on deadwood's and prunes, but always wear a hard hat + boots. Chainsaw gloves are a waste of time.

To be honest, the latest PPE is so good nowadays, you'd be foolish or tightfisted not to wear it.

[Mark J]

Always, I've seen some pretty gruesome videos of the damage chainsaws can do.

[madmatt]

all the gear all the time! Been on the wrong end of a saw with full PPE on, It scares the hell out of me to think what might have been if I hadn't been wearing it!

[husqycutter]

I must confess, over 30 years ago when we first moved into our smallholding and I bought the Dolmar 114 one of the first jobs I gave it to do was to cut some ancient briar down............it was 2ins thick at the base!!. Anyway, as I was cutting this thick stem, covered in huge thorns, it started to come towards me, not wanting to get stabbed by the darn thing I stepped back and suddenly felt the chain slicing through the my denim jeans:eek:. I was expecting to see blood begin to ooze out my leg but to my amazement it had only cut the material. The next day I visited my local supplier (the saw was bought at discount through a friend of a friend) and bought the full safety kit which IIRC cost nearly as much as the saw, and it was because of that incident I have worn them ever since!.

[Treegeek]

i work mostly in the yard of a saw mill probaly out on site once twice a week allways wear all the cut if the saw out so is the kit and the wife says my arse looks good in strech-air trousers:011:

[Sciadopitys]

I have always worn full chainsaw trousers and chainsaw boots when climbing in UK. I just moved to USA for 6 months last Septemebr for a change and to do some climbing over here. First thing i noticed was how slack the US laws are in comparison to UK. No steel toes even need to be worn when climbing and no chainsaw protective trousers either - most of the arborists i am working with have never even seen a pair! I have been dismantling trees on spikes with big saws wearing jeans and hiking boots! Its gonna seem strange having those chainsaw trousers on when i get back home!

 

But i agree really - they should be worn! I think the US laws should be revised and follow in the footsteps of the british laws!

 

Only exception i think should be in very, very hot weather. I have heard stories of arborists in Arizona and Australia wearing shorts whilst climbing. I must say i wouldn't like to be wearing chainsaw trosers in 45 degree heat!!

 

What you guys think about the subject?????

 

Ed