Logging Accident Reviews

[SwampDonkey]

A tree faller was recently killed in Canterbury, NB when part of a dead tree lodged into the tree top of the one he was felling came loose and struck him in the head. Don't forget to look up. 

[Kevin]

updated link

http://www.ofswa.on.ca/industry_alerts/industry_alerts_logging.asp

[badpenny]

   Don't know all the details yet, my sister called to say a worker on a job near them was pulled into a machine yesterday while greasing it, the life flight chopper was canceled as not needed. Her husband is a deputy sheriff, and this was heard on their scanner. Details to follow as I get them, but sounds like he was servicing a running machine.


   Update from 10 pm news, a 35 yo was killed near Leader when he was caught up in a conveyor on a wood chipper. Leader is about 5 miles from my sisters house.

[Black_Bear]

This article doesn't tell if the fella was an experienced cutter, but he is 61.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/136602.html

In an unrelated recent accident, a local logger was severely hurt when a hot saw, which wasn't under power but was slowly spinning, removed his calf muscle and shattered one of the lower leg bones. At last report he is doing OK, but expects a long recovery. The two guys mainly involved are under 30; I'm not sure of their experience levels.

I'm not sure how the first accident happened, but the second one sounds like it was completely avoidable. I don't know why they were working around a spinning saw?

[Onthesauk]

BREMERTON, Wash. -- A Hansville man died when his safety harness malfunctioned, causing him to fall some 70 to 100 feet down onto a concrete walkway on Wednesday.

Kitsap County sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson said the incident occurred at Rocky Point Road NW and NW Montwood Lane at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Aaron B. Waag had been hoisted up by a boom crane, and was trying to reach the limb of a large fir tree when he fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene. (View photos of the scene >>>)

Wilson said Waag, 28, was wearing a safety harness at the time, but "for reasons not yet known, the harness detached from the boom crane hook," causing him to fall to the ground.

The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating the incident.

Waag was a member of Waag Tree Service, a family-owned business based in Poulsbo.

[nsmike]

I found this story this morning

Man dies in Chippewa County, Wis., logging accident
Associated Press

Posted: 01/31/2012 12:01:00 AM CST



A logger has died in a Chippewa County, Wis., accident.

Sheriff's officials say two men were logging in county forest land near Bob Lake, just west of Cornell, on Monday afternoon. A skidder slid down a hill and dumped some of the logs they were cutting.

Lt. Rick Starck tells WEAU-TV the men were at the bottom of the hill and were tightening the cables when the skidder rolled down the hill and hit one of them. Stack says steep terrain and snow conditions made it difficult to reach the victim, believed to be in his 30s.

An autopsy is expected to be done today. The other logger wasn't hurt.

[Kevin]

FATALITY - Safety Alert 2012-01-16 Grapple Skidder

On Monday, January 16, 2012 in the southern interior of British Columbia, an operator of a grapple skidder was fatally injured. The investigation into the incident is still at an early stage and no final determination has yet been made as to the cause of the incident; however preliminary findings has determined that the operator died as a result of being run over by his skidder while he was outside of his machine.


FATALITY - Safety Alert 2012-01-30 Faller

It is with great sadness that we advise that the BC forest industry has experienced its second direct harvesting-related fatality this year. On Monday January 30th, 2012 a faller in the Terrace area was fatally injured while carry out falling-related activities.

[Phorester]

A couple days ago a Virginia logger was injured while he was cutting a tree.  A large limb fell out of the tree toward him.  Evidently he heard it, looked up and put the running chainsaw up over his head to ward off the blow. My guess its that it was a reflex action.   The saw was slammed down onto his hard hat by the falling limb.  Cut through his hardhat and into his skull.  Last I heard today was he was still alive but in serious condition.

[beenthere]

Lost a WI tree faller yesterday in Iowa County, when apparently a limb fell on him after he dropped a different tree. Don't know any details, other than was on private land. Nothing about a hard hat either.
Was sad to hear it.

[Ernie]

I just heard that last week that a mate of mine for whom I have done some milling was in his bush felling a few trees with his son.  The son left as they were almost done, Warren just wanted to drop one more.  The newspaper wrote it up as he was trapped under his tractor but that is where he dragged himself to wait for rescue.  The tree came back on him and smashed one of his legs below the knee.  Broken in 16 places on the one leg.  It happened around 4 pm and when he didn't show up for his meal the family went looking and eventually found him sheltering under the tractor.  The volunteer fire brigade people carried him out to where the chopper could pick him up; that was around midnight.  They were the same group that attended our fire.  Thank the Lord for the thousands of people who volunteer all over the world, where would we be without them.