Chainsaw mishap

[DSW]

While not directly forge related, many of us probably use chainsaws a fair bit.

 

Somebody was darn lucky.

http://www.kutv.com/news/features/na...vid_4962.shtml

 

http://www.today.com/health/close-call-tree-trimmer-survives-chainsaw-stuck-neck-2D79473521

 

 

 

 

Worth noting from the 2nd link. They were smart enough to leave the saw in place until he got to the hospital.

 

 

On Monday, 21-year-old James Valentine was pruning branches with a chainsaw when the blade kicked back, cutting through his shoulder and lodging in his neck. Valentine was hanging in a harness, wearing a helmet, and his co-workers lowered him from the tree while he held the chainsaw in place. They removed the harness and helmet, leaving the chainsaw where it was while they called for help.

“The co-workers were vital … in helping him down and keeping him calm,” said Greg Porter, assistant director of Ross/West View EMS, one of seven responders to the scene. “The decision to leave the saw in place and allow us to immobilize the saw, I believe, was a very critical life-saving decision.”

Allegheny General Hospital

James Valentine was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh on Monday, where this X-ray was taken that shows the chainsaw stuck in his neck.

While keeping the blade in Valentine's neck, the emergency medical workers took apart the motor and as much of the chainsaw as possible to stabilize him. Keeping an impaled object in a wound is essential for a patient’s survival.  

“In the world of trauma, we deal with a lot of impalements,” said Dr. Christine Toevs, medical director of the trauma ICU at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, who treated Valentine.

Leaving the object in place, whether a pencil or a pole or in this case, a chainsaw, Toevs said, staunches the bleeding and leads to better outcomes.

“Leave anything impaled in place,” she said.

 

 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Respect your tools, or they will bite you.

My brother's friend took one in then arm, mouth, and it was on his chest before he got it shut off. Cleaned his teeth off at the gum line. His harness saved him from falling out of the Eucalyptus tree he was topping.

[HWooldridge]

Chain saws can be treacherous. I knew an old boy who went out one Sunday afternoon after a few too many beers to cut some additional wood for a weekend BBQ. Wound up cutting most of one leg off - he lived but the leg had to be amputated just above the knee.

[Glenn]

Chain brakes, those devices that immediately stop the chain if the saw experiences kickback, are wonderful additions to any saw. I have had mine activate and not even know why.

 

Chain saws are right handed machines. That is the saw is on the outside of the motor when held in the right hand and on the right side of the body. If used left handed the saw blade is next to the left leg and the body is in a out of balance position when cutting. The strong right hand is not on the trigger but is now on the handle.

 

Safety is a major concern when operating a chain saw. Even if you have a stable body position, a clear ground where you put your feet, proper personal protective gear, and a clear head, you still have to have another person looking out for your safety. Trees are VERY heavy and are not always structurally sound. They can be hollow, grow in a twist, lean, and all manner of things that influence the direction of fall. Experience is a wonderful thing, but does not guarantee success.

 

Please be safe. There is no tree worth loosing an arm, a leg, or a life.   

[Dan C]

I used to work for a tree service and could tell quite a few stories.  I dropped one once into a pool while still running, retrieved it, pulled the spark plug, cranked it a few times to extract the water and put the plug back in and was able to run no problem.  Another time the branch I was standing on acted as a springboard, first thing I did was shut off that saw.  Then looked up at where I was tied in, praying that it would hold.  I was 40-50' up in the air in a huge cottonwood tree.  There's many, many tools in my garage that will kill or maim you, but I always give these the utmost respect. 

[metalmangeler]

I am surprised that Frosty has not put anything here. After all some of the rest of us are only speculating as to the hazards of using this tool, or have only 2nd hand experince.