I'm an Idiot

[chris_girard]

I've always tried to be a safety conscious person while doing tree work, after all you have to in this game, but this past Fri I did something really stupid that cost me some teeth.

I had just rigged and felled a pull tree and was coiling up my pull rope to go get ready to set up for another tree. As I was coiling up the line, I wasn't paying attention and had forgotten to take off the prussic and steel biner that we had on it to set the connection to the come-a-long line. Well, as I yanked on the line, the biner flew up and hit me in the mouth and chin. I didn't get knocked out or anything, but I knew that I was hurt.

I called my ground guys over to take a look and it turns out that I chipped and broke 7 of my upper teeth and split my lip and chin open. I didn't need stitches, but boy the lip sure did swell up and I was seeing stars for a minute. After washing out my mouth and spitting out pieces of my teeth, we held a safety meeting to discuss how to prevent this from happening again.

Pretty simple really. First thing, PAY MORE ATTENTION (sometimes easier said than done), and after de-rigging a pull tree where we've used a prussic and biner for a connection, take it off rope, even if you are just moving to an adjacent tree, but have to coil the rope first.

After the safety talk, we finished up the job and then I went home and had 3 protein shakes for supper. I go see the oral surgeon tomorrow to see if the teeth can be fixed, or do they have to pull them and then get a partial upper bridge. Right now, the two front ones are a little loose.

 

[vharrison]

Glad you are okay, teeth can be replaced. Thank you so much for sharing the story so others can learn.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Sorry to read of the happening, Chris. Hope for a quick mend.

 

[PCTREE]

I'm in the idiot camp too! Thursday night I had just put a Wraptor together and it was about 9-30 and I needed to make some pegs for the timber frame I'm building. I was tired and knew it. Pegs are a bitch as you have to make 8 cuts with the table saw to make a hexagonal peg 7/8 wide. You guessed it I put my finger right into the blade. I was lucky as I just lost the very tip but stupid as I knew I was too tired

 

[woodworkingboy]

Ouch! Finger injuries really suck. Sorry, Paul. There is a safer way to make pegs on the table saw, if you'll be continuing to make them I can advise. Requires a dado blade.

 

[PCTREE]

Please do Jay, I have many more to make

 

[chris_girard]

Sorry to hear about your injury as well Paul.

As I always say, "Fatigue can make idiots out of all of us." My problem was, I wasn't even tired yet. It was just after lunch when my accident happened. Just pushing it too hard. I had a whole lot of work on that job and I bid it as a 10 hr. job (ended up taking us 11 hrs., long day).

My 2 ground guys are awesome and they knew the schedule. I'm just glad the accident happened to me and not one of them. Also goes to show you that no job should be rushed just to make the estimated time frame of the bid.

 

[pantheraba]

Sorry to read about that, Chris..I always end up kicking myself in the butt lots when I get hurt because I did something dumb that could have been prevented. Glad it's not worse. You sharing it should help all of us pay better attention. Even the mundane parts of treework can be dangerous.

About that table saw cut, PC..my cousin was working late years ago using a cross cut saw to cut aluminum pieces for the storm window company he worked for..about 4AM, working extra shift...he drew the saw through his left hand...cut it mostly off. They re-attached but the doctor that did it was a South GA doc, not a trained hand surgeon. My cousin should have come to Atlanta to see a hand surgeon here that probably could have saved his hand...we had one lined up ready to help. But the S. GA doc assured him his work was fine as is. It wasn't...the hand slowly withered and he slowly lost use of it. He always wore a glove over the hand because it looked so bad.

Follow up care by a properly trained doctor is critical for a chance to heal properly...good you are seeing the oral surgeon, Chris. He may very well be able to get you back on track.

 

[flushcut]

Do every thing you can to try and save the roots of your teeth! I speak form experience. I was a dental lab tech for 15 years. Once the roots are gone you jaw bone, weather mandible or maxilla, will resorb and that leads to problems down the road fitting a denture or partial or even further restorative work. The OS might just want to pull them but talk strongly about root canal, post and core, crown and bridge, and lastly implants all of these will preserve bone structure.

 

[Mick!]

Let's have a picture then gummy!

 

[cory]

I was a dental lab tech for 15 years. Once the roots are gone you jaw bone, weather mandible or maxilla, will The OS might just want to pull them but talk strongly about root canal, post and core, crown and bridge, and lastly implants all of these will preserve bone structure.

Wealth of knowledge here at the House.

Heal up Chris and Paul

 

[Grendel]

Teeth can be fixed. Not the best situation, but better than an eye hey?

 

[woodworkingboy]

Paul, will be sending a pm.

 

[DMc]

Wow! So last week was play day for the accident gremlins. I am also sitting in the corner with the dunce cap on. Was working in an ugly Siberian elm this last Tuesday, working my way out a limb with a good amount of pressure on my climbing line. I was focused on where I was going so didn't notice that my line, apparently, redirected on a piece of bark. When it popped off I had about 5 more feet of slack than I wanted and was out of there. Somehow snagged my right arm on the way down and it did a number on my shoulder. Been wiping my ass with my left hand all week. It's the little things that can sneak up and bite you.

 

[BIGTWIG]

Great posts in this thread. Hope everyone heals up quick. Sorry to hear about your teeth, Chris. I did something similar 2 years ago, pulling my lanyard down from an overhead crotch, whipping it around to clear the biner and knot, instantly the biner connected with my face and busted it open right under my nose. Luckily I didn't lose any teeth. Maybe I could have if it were steel. Usually happens for me when rushing jobs. I like your saying "Fatigue can make idiots out of all of us."

 

[Mick!]

Sorry for the joke, hope you're ok, I cracked a piece of tooth with a Krab doing something similar. Makes me wince thinking about it.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Good luck with them teeth!

I chipped a couple a month or so ago eating a shot glass while horribly drunk, how is that for stupid?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I always have to remind my self to be patient and not yank things with a piece of steel on the end, like my flip line and clip. Still clocks me once in a while to remind me who's boss.
Heal up you two.
Just bought a band saw last year,.. damn thing scares me ..... I like being a bit leery and on edge using things that cut.

 

[Jed]

I've know of a couple guys who've take the steel biner in the teeth as it has zipped up off of the ground from the block in the tree. It happens.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Keep lips closed with any hardware on the line, like a lanyard termination.

I always liked face screens on top of glasses.

Heal up.

I've had a few, minor goofs, lately. No injuries, no damage.

 

[cory]

I chipped a couple a month or so ago eating a shot glass while horribly drunk

Im impressed, my question is how much did ya eat?

I always have to remind my self to be patient and not yank things with a piece of steel on the end

I once yanked hard on a chain choker that was hung up, the choker hook came flying and hit me in the forearm on the bone, blew open the skin from blunt force, thought I broke a bone but fortunatly didn't

 

[cory]

I always liked face screens on top of glasses.

I switched from face screen to vizir eye shield for more heavy duty protection. That's when you find out how much sawdust etc the screen was keeping out of your face

 

[sotc]

Dang fellas, this threads painful and expensive sounding! Heal up!

 

[squisher]

I've lost my front teeth a few times over the years, sucks. I've had them bondoed, crowned, and now I'm on a bridge. Root canals, extraction surgeries. Yuck.

 

[candoarms]

OK....it's my turn.

My son and I were out working on the bandsaw mill yesterday. It's relatively new to us, as I just purchased it from my son-in-law. We just got it running and decided to try a few practice cuts. We put a relatively large spruce log in the mill and removed our first slab. During the second cutting pass, the headrig carriage completely derailed and the whole thing tipped over. It all happened in less than one second. The carriage, which weighs about 800 pounds, narrowly missed my son as it first fell off of the rail bed then tipped over, while still running. No injuries to report, other than to the rewind cover on the gas engine.

Upon further investigation, we discovered that a very small green shoot got ran over, instantly derailing the entire carriage. Immediate action was taken to get the carriage back on the bed rails. We used the tractor to lift it back in place. We then fabricated two safety brackets that will prevent the carriage from ever leaving the rails again. Two small metal plates were also fabricated....one fitted on each side of the carriage......to act as rail cleaners. No longer will any foreign objects get between the rails and the carriage wheels.

Whew......worried sick for a minute there. That rapidly moving 1-1/4" bandsaw blade just missed my son's left leg.

Joel