Stupid mistake nearly went very bad

[gibbon]

I may be leaving myself wide open to abuse here, but this is what happened to me today.

 

I was dismantaling a big leaning sweet chestnut over a road today. Tree was about 20m+ with a dbh of around 1.5m.

 

Rigged/dropped everything over the road then dropped lumps of timber on to a timber crash mat. When I got to the last few sections over the woodland verge I was struggeling with my 18inch bar but couldn't be bothered to change to the 660 for 2 cuts.

 

The last piece was about 1000kg, maybe more. I was being lazy. Due to the lean I put my undercut in from each side as again, I couldn't be bothered to hang under the lean and put it in properly. There was about 8 inches below left uncut.

 

When I put my back cut in it cleaved and badly, about 2m below my feet. I was on my side strop on my hip rings. I took I bit of a pounding, but was very lucky. I think the only thing that saved me was that I wasn't using my steel strop with a grab. I have a small vt on the side strop and it pulled back all the way, until it reached my main line on my centre D the the lump fell clear.

 

I was very lucky indeed not to have sustained a major injury. My reason for posting is that my accident was due to being complacent. I have been in the game a while and work on very big trees often, perhaps weekly. I got complacent, and was sloppy due to the fact I was doing what I do every day. I know what I was doing wrong and on a sweet chestnut of all trees.

 

It was a slap in the face which I guess I needed,

[Andy Collins]

Thanks for being so open, I often feel we have more to learn from others errors, and it always serves as a wake-up call.

[David Humphries]

Well posted Gibbon, I commend your honesty.

 

Another timely reminder to us all, not to allow egotistical complacency sever uncuttable corners.

 

 

.

[MasterBlaster]

What is "cleaved?"

[treedave]

I'm reading it as the stem below gibbon split - forming a Y shape with him at the top of both uprights. Good to see this level of honesty around making human mistakes.

 

I've made a mistake for similar reasons with a similar result (on a much smaller Lime for the record), except I was using a metal strop. Fortunately I'd attached to my centre point (as was drummed into me on my training) so the strop held the split pieces together as I exited on my main line. I can still remember the adrenaline overdose to this day.

[Graham]

What is "cleaved?"

 

Split.

[MattyF]

good your still in one peice though to share the story...we all get complacent and its a dangerous job, a wake up call with out horrific injury is a good thing.

[tommer9]

Fair play mate. You were lucky! Gave the old sphincter a good workout i take it.

[gibbon]

It happened all to quick too get the old sphincter twitching. I just though, "Ohh no, I wander how bad this is going to be" when it happened" Afterwards I was cross with myself, but its a good reminder. I was always told, "Think twice cut, once.". I wasn't thinking at all.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Lazy? Or just over tired? I tend to try and cut corners when I,m overly tired.