Hello
I'm a new member of Arbtalk, but have visited the site many times in the past. However, I finally think that I have something that should be thrown open to a wider audience, hence this post!
I have been a working arborist for 7 years, have attained the cert arb, I run my own business, and hold CS30, 31(a,b), 36, 39, 40, 41, AE1, AE2b, as well as Chipper, MEWP, Pesticides etc. I insure the business with Trust, and have sub-contracted directly on power line clearance work in the past. I have also had a random HSE audit 3 years ago, that was a bit scary at the time but actually put my mind at rest that I run the company in a safe manner as dictated by those that know best... As a result, I feel that I have a fairly good working knowledge of arb equipment and ppe etc.
I had an accident a couple of months ago where I was very fortunate not to be badly injured, and I feel that the outcome and response from the importers of my boots (I will omit all names etc for now as requested by the importer, but the boots in question are regarded as some of the best available, certainly they are amongst the most expensive) should be seen by as many people as possible. I apologise for the long winded post - the following are copies of emails that went back and forth between myself and the importer (I'll have to split it into 2 because it is too long for one post)-
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Following our telephone conversation on Tuesday, please see the attached photos of my damaged boot. I have included some pictures of both boots, so you can see what little use they have had. This is my 4th (or possibly 5th) pair of these boots, and I have generally been very pleased with them up until now. As I'm sure you are aware, once they get worn the sole becomes very smooth, and they rip at the back above the heal. This pair are in excellent condition, having had very little use, and are (or were at least!) still waterproof.
The reason I have got in touch is that whilst de-limbing a tree a couple of weeks ago, I was a little complacent and caught my left boot with the chainsaw (Stihl MS361 with 20' bar) on the side of the boot, just behind the toe cap. The saw was not at full revs or under power, and I stopped it as soon as I realised my mistake, but by then the chain had cut through the boot, through my sock, and just nicked the skin at the bottom of my little toe. There was no evidence of any blocking material in the chain, and the boot appeared to do absolutely nothing to slow the saw down.
I am unable to make it to the trade fair next week in order to speak with the ? representative, but I am more than happy to chat with someone on the phone, or meet up if there is ever anyone up in the North West, to show them the boots.
I have discussed this with a number of my colleagues in the local area, and we are all interested to hear the views of you and your experts on this. The majority of us wear your boots everyday, as most people seem to agree that they are a good quality, comfortable, well made product. However, if they don't fulfill their role in stopping a chainsaw (which no one would ever be likely to find out until something like this happened, and thank God the consequences weren't more serious!) then they don't suddenly seem so appealing!
I haven't mentioned this accident on any of the arboricultural forums yet, as I feel it is only fair to give you guys a chance to investigate your products and ascertain whether this is a one off, or if there is a more serious underlying problem with the boots in general. However, I do feel that if there is a problem then something needs to be said sooner rather than later, to help reduce the chances of any nasty accidents. Obviously, the best thing would be for people to not try and saw their toes off, but unfortunately accidents do happen!
If you need to speak to me, please call me on 07970188050.
Best wishes
Dan Hinde
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Hello
Thanks for the photographs; we can now see the damage to your boots.
The area of protection on a pair of chainsaw boots is laid down by the CE standard and not by the manufacturer. All manufacturers work to the same standard. The area which must be covered by protection is the metatarsal area which is the top of the foot. Consequently there is no protection at the sides where the saw hit your boots. This is the same on all brands of chain saw boots.
I hope this answers your query.
If we can be of any further assistance in this matter please do not hesitate to contact us
Regards