Chain saw safety 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
I find this website very refreshing in knowing that there are even greater idiots than myself in this world.
About three years ago I commenced cutting down a large tree with a chain saw-from the top down. Safety rule No. 1 is never climb a tree with a chain saw-ever, but since I had the job to do, and being safety minded, I climbed the tree and tied a rope from the chain saw to the bottom of the large branch that I was to cut. This way, if I dropped the saw, I could retrieve it.
When the branch was 3/4 cut through, it fell, but split down past the rope, and took the chain saw with it. Not wanting to lose the saw, I held on, and went down, with the chain saw running.
Now, while traveling through the air with a running saw, the primary safety issue is to keep the saw away from your body, and is not breaking your fall. So began my day.
After bouncing off the fallen branch, and cracking the saw frame, I then returned up the tree for more idiocy. With the cracked saw frame, the saw now made C-cuts instead of straight, and I had to really lean into the saw to cut through. This caused me to fall out of the tree twice more-yes, with the saw.
Finally I got smart, and got a ladder. When the branch was cut almost through, it did not fall directly, but swung-you guessed it, into the ladder under me, knocking me and the running saw off and bending the ladder. Twice. The aluminum ladder was S-shaped when I was done. Fortunately, I had some nice large hard logs on the ground to absorb my fall.
I healed in good time, but the saw never ran well after that. Submitted on 07/10/2002
Submitted by:
Charles Mina
Reference:
personal-about 5 yrs ago
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