little 9 year old almost killed = ladder and chainsaw

[rebocardo]

This nine year old girl was almost killed. imho, Another prime example of the person holding the ladder is almost in as much danger as the person cutting from it.

Girl Seriously Injured When Dad Drops Electric Saw on Her

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,458393,00.html

[Cedarman]

One of the best things the company I first went to work for out of college taught me was that there was no such thing as an accident.  Everything that is thought of as an accident has a cause.  Be aware of the things that can cause an "accident" and take appropriate measures to avoid them. I grew up on a dangerous farm where safety was paramount. Never spelled out like the company did, but we were taught to analyse situations and look for danger and avoid it. We were made very aware of every farm or bicycle accident that was reported in the paper and told how to avoid that situation.

Anything up can fall, saw in air can fall, father in air can fall, what he is cutting can fall, little girl has no business holding ladder or being underneath.

[DanG]

As usual, Cedarman is right.  We had ladder safety hammered into us constantly at the phone company.  The basic truth is, if you need somebody to steady a ladder, you don't need to be on that ladder.  There are ways to secure them for any situation where their use is appropriate.

I'm sure that Father is full of regrets for hurting his little girl, but he was being a real doodoo brain.  My question is, if the saw was directly over the girl, where was that limb going to go if he had succeeded in cutting it off?

*edit:  I reread the article, and it doesn't say the child was holding the ladder, just that she was underneath.  Her Dad may not have known she was there.

[Cedarman]

I had a self imposed rule when I backed up a vehicle.  If I couldn't see my kids, I didn't move the car.  I would have probably climbed the ladder with the saw, but first I would have told my kids to stay back to the side where I could see them or make them stay in the house.  And that there might be the chance that stuff would fall, me included and it would hurt them.  You have to look into the future in these moments.  Hindsight is very clear, but being safe means you have to have good foresight.

Thanks DanG for the compliment.

[metalspinner]

I couldn't bring myself to open the article. >:(

This past summer, I cut down a dead maple tree in the yard.  I made sure the kids were in the house and under no conditions were they to come outside.  Every 15 minutes or so, I would come get them and show them the work I was up to.  Then let them drag brush for a few minutes.  That squashed their curiosity real quick. ;)

We all know that kids can just show up anywhere.  They don't have that little voice in their heads yet that lets them know of danger.

[Rocky_J]

A few years ago I saw a neighbor on a ladder with an electric sawzall trying to cut a limb. His wife was underneath him holding the ladder with one hand and holding an infant in the other arm! The stupid was strong with that family. 

[DanG]

  You have to look into the future in these moments. 

You and I have the same safety ethic, Cedarman.  I always look behind the car.  Ever notice those orange cones all the telephone trucks carry?  The rule is, whenever you leave the truck, you put the cone out behind it.  The express purpose is to force you to go to the back of the truck to retrieve the cone.  Phone companies don't like lawsuits.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Its sad that the kid got hurt But a little common sence can go a long way But somehow ppl these days seem to be using it less and less I and my cousins grew up around a busy sawmill and there was plenty of opertunity for somthing to happen to us but because safty was drummed into us from day dot we have all came out the other end ok.
I just hope She makes a full recovery

Reguards Chris