Common Tree Felling Accidents and What You Can Do to Prevent Them Unfortunately, tree felling accidents are
quite common. Many videos of accidents are available on
Youtube. They are occasionally billed as humorous,
but to anyone who values life and limb, they are anything but funny. Accidents do happen, but fortunately, use
of professional protective equipment (PPE), good technique, and attention to detail can greatly reduce their occurrence and the injuries they cause. The importance of PPE can never be overstated. Head, ear, eye, leg, and foot protection are
mandatory. A chainsaw should never, under any circumstances,
be operated without them. A good pair of gloves is also strongly recommended. Handling a saw without PPE reflects poorly on the individual, the management, and the company. It also violates OSHA and ANSI regulations. No excuse for failure to use PPE is acceptable. Kickback Probably the most common cause of accidents
is kickback. Kickback occurs when the top quarter of the
saw blade, also known as the kickback zone, contacts a solid object (wood or metal). Because the chain is coming down the edge
of the saw bar in the kickback zone, the depth gauge is lower than it should be in relation
to the tooth. Literally, the saw bites off more than it
can chew, stopping or slowing the chain. The result is a rotational force that flings
the bar backward, into the operator. Kickback can also happen when the bar is pinched
by the tree being cut (pinch kickback). If the chain is pinched on the top of the
bar, the saw will be pushed back into the operator, if it is pinched on the bottom of
the bar, the reaction pulls the saw forward and can cause the operator to fall on the
saw. What can you do to prevent Kickback? Hold the saw with both hands, thumbs securely
wrapped. Have one hand on the rear handle and the other
on the front handle. Ensure that you have firm footing before starting
to saw. Stand to the side of the cutting path of the
chainsaw. Position yourself so that you are not near
the bar and chain when the saw is running. Know where the bar tip is at all times. Do not let it touch logs, branches, or the
ground when the saw is running. Cut only one piece of wood at a time, never
two branches at once. Run the saw at full power when cutting to
help prevent pinch kickback. Barber Chair The barber chair occurs when the force pulling
forward on the trunk is great enough to split the trunk but not great enough to trigger
the hinge to fold. It is often caused by heavy front leaning
trees. It can also occur by applying too much force
to a rope while pulling the tree over using mechanical advantage. The bottom of the tree goes up and the top
comes down (like a barber chair, feet up, head down). Workers can be struck by the trunk as it swings
up or crushed as it falls. What can you do to prevent being struck by
a barber chair? Have your escape route planned in advance. It should be away from the tree at a 45-degree
angle from the direction of the tree fall. Make sure the escape route is cleared. Change the direction of felling to avoid excessive
forward lean. Take care with your felling cuts and regardless
of the type of notch you cut, correct any undercutting or bypassing before making the
back-cut or bore-cut. Make sure the chain is sharp, and the saw
is running properly, this will decrease the time the wood is under tension. An open-faced notch, followed by a bore cut
through the tree to create the hinge reduces the chance of getting hurt by a barber chair. Using this technique, tree fibers in the trunk
are less likely to be pulled to the breaking point. Other techniques require the operator
to be standing at the tree, sawing through more of the hinge as the tree begins to fall. This puts the operator in a very dangerous position, right behind the tree should a barber
chair happen. Entanglement is when a tree being felled strikes
branches or the trunk of another tree. It changes the direction of fall or hangs
up the tree, leaving a dangerous overhead hazard. The best solution to entanglement is avoidance. It can be avoided by implementing the five
step felling plan. First, identify Height, Hazards, and Lean. Then make sure you have the needed equipment. Plan and clear your escape route. Cut the notch in the tree and finally, make
bore or back cut and use the escape route. If a tree is hung-up in another tree the best
option is to pull it out with ropes. Others techniques should only be implemented
by very experienced professionals. In storms, trees may become entangled in utility
lines. In this case, do nothing, wait for the utility
company to arrive and declare the situation safe before attempting to free the tree. Setback Setback occurs when the tree sets back during
the bore cut or back cut, pinching the chainsaw. In extreme cases, the tree may fall back onto
the feller. Setback occurs when a tree has back lean. Once again, application of the five step felling
plan will prevent setback. Lean should be identified prior to making
any cuts. If the tree has back lean, you will need either
wedges or rope. Remember, if you don't have the equipment
on hand and in working order, do not cut the tree. Putting a wedge in any tree you are felling
is good practice and will prevent setback. Stump Jump Stump jump occurs when the hinge fails, and
the tree detaches from the stump. At this point, the tree is in free fall and
completely out of control. The tree can jump onto the feller or the tree
trunk can strike the feller. The hinge can fail when the notch is too deep,
the angle of the notch is 45 degrees or less, or the back cut is too high. This accident is much less likely if an open-faced
notch (70-90 degrees) and a bore cut are used. Once again your best protection is the rigorous
application of the five step felling plan. The escape route should be identified and
cleared prior to cutting. When the tree begins to move, the workers
should be moving along the escape route and nowhere near the detached tree. Spring Pole Wood under tension is always potentially dangerous. A relatively small branch or trunk can cause
great damage. A spring pole is when a tree or branch is
under great tension and the chainsaw operator cuts into the wood, resulting in a violent
release of energy. The operator may be struck by the trunk, limb,
or chainsaw. This generally occurs during limbing and bucking
but not exclusively, it can also occur up in the canopy with storm damage. A tree or branch with a bow or sweep will
store energy, ready to be released upon cutting. There are two cutting methods that will safely
release the tension in a spring pole. First, identify the compression and tension
side of the wood. Never cut on the tension side. Next, look for the point of maximum tension. Mentally, draw a line along the trunk of the
tree and a line at a right angle from the top of the bow to the trunkline. Bisect those
lines with another line at a 45-degree angle. That is the point of maximum tension. The accordion cut is a series of small relief
cuts made on the compression side of the tree opposite from the point of maximum tension. This can be a handy cut for short people because
it is done under the branch. The shave cut will also release the tension. This is also made at the point of maximum
tension. One layer is shaved off at a time until the
branch relaxes, releasing all tension. We've covered the most common accidents that
can occur during tree removal, but this list of accidents is not all-inclusive. Your best defense is training, education,
and a keen awareness of your surroundings. Cut smart, cut safe!
Thanks for sharing that. I actually learned something today.
Videos like this are great but remember to wear chaps. Most chain saw injuries occur on the left thigh. The guy in the video has climber pants on with built in chaps. I have the same pair. Wear your chaps. And if you donβt know what your doing; donβt.
My uncle was pruning a tree and a limb kicked back and knocked him to the ground. He propped himself up and had to wait three hours until someone came home. They put him in the truck and took him to the hospital and when he asked them to drive more smoothly, they knew he must be hurt pretty badly, because he never ever complained.
Ends up his neck was broken. If he'd moved the wrong way he'd have been paralyzed. He was in a halo brace for months.
Cutting and/or pruning trees can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, and even if you do you shouldn't do it alone.
I'm too high, why am I watching this?
Most interesting part was how to safely cut the spring pole. Me with zero knowledge of cutting trees, I would have fucked up on that one.
I watched the whole thing because his voice was so soothing.
Great video. I will have to send this to some guys at work.
Useless but prob wont be in the future