Chainsaw safety

Well most people post up things that are neat new exciting, among others. I thought I'd share something I did that was really dumb and completely avoidable.



I was in a 45' boom taking down a 55' bean tree I think it was. Anyways I used a piece of short rope to tie part of this branch I was cutting to itself to swing it around lower the boom and cut it from there. I start making my cut, pull the saw out to adjust the rope to the side I wanted it to fall and as soon as I touched the branch it broke, I had the saw in my hand not running, and my dumb ass reaches out to stop the branch from falling <newbie mistake. Anyways I managed to swipe the chain across my finger. I came down pulled out the old first aid kit patched it up and finished the tree. I get home and my wife freaks out on me and makes me go to the er, it has already stopped bleeding by this point. And the guy butchers my finger more by cutting and peeling off the scabs that had started, to put random stickes in. Mind you it didn't hurt at all and I finished the tree and had full function before going, and after wards I'm in a finger brace and can't move my finger without tearing out the stitches. So the lesson I learned is, if its tied good and it falls unexpected let it.

OUCH!!!!! I feel for you, I know how bad that hurts!!! KEEP IT CLEAN!!!!

So how'd it happen if the saw wasn't running? Drug your finger down the chain?

Yeah, the first rule of chainsaw safety is "Don't grab the skinny end."


Not bad, nice little scratch.

Ouch! Lots of nerve endings in the fingers to feel pain.

woodworkingboy said:

Ouch! Lots of nerve endings in the fingers to feel pain.

Click to expand...

It doesn't hurt really thats the wierd part. And yes I drug my finger across the chain.

It looks macerated, you need to let it breath. Ease up on the neosporin.

MasterBlaster said:

It looks macerated, you need to let it breath. Ease up on the neosporin.

Click to expand...

Very good advice..the neo can do as much harm as good...

A lotta people don't know that. I prefer something like Campho Phenique.

That picture above was from when I first took the bandage from the er off. They told me to keep it covered but I've been letting it breathe today, can't heal if it can't breathe. Well I'm supposed to climb an oak tomorrow, I have a finger brace to put on it, I don't think I'll be able to run the saw in my left hand though, kinda hard to pull the trigger, maybe I'll ask one of my freinds to come in to work for me. I hate taking time off from work.

At least you have confirmation that you know how to sharpen a saw.

Good job, James. Always looking for the positive spin.

If you really wanted to see the inside of yer finger, we have this thing called "X Rays" now. Really, just came out. You can see the bones and everything, without the pain and the blood.

a good close call ... you can still use the base 10 numerical system w/out confusion ....

JamesTX said:

At least you have confirmation that you know how to sharpen a saw.

Click to expand...

Haha, don't try this method of testing in your learning process James!

NeTree said:

If you really wanted to see the inside of yer finger, we have this thing called "X Rays" now. Really, just came out. You can see the bones and everything, without the pain and the blood.

Click to expand...

Skwerl said:

Good job, James. Always looking for the positive spin.

Click to expand...

Yeah always looking on the bright side, hahahahaha