For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/560672
18 FALL 2015 ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com TRAINING & EDUCATION that ends up with the trunk rolling over the operator, or a piece of wood springing back into them is not really a "good" cut — thus evaluating those forces first. While the dangers of compression wood and tension wood should be known to all chain saw operators, the additional pressure of storm-downed trees can add to their impact. Not only can the chain become stuck or pinched by cutting too deeply into compression would, it can also create a "pinch" kickback. Tension wood, or wood "stretched" almost to the breaking point, will have the opposite effect if cut into too deeply — shattering and splitting in fractions of a second as all the force is released at once. A little bit of extra time spent looking, listening and feeling for these forces, then coming up with a plan to release them as safely as possible, will not only make storm cleanup safer, but actually save time in the long run. TREE IED A spring pole can be thought of as an IED made of wood that has been created by the storm. While the tree IED does not have the malicious thought process behind it that an actual IED does, it will certainly cause some traumatic injuries to an unsuspecting tree worker who either releases its forces improperly, or is too close when the spring pole decides to let go. It may be a branch or an entire tree that has been pinned down by another tree or the weight of snow/ice. When it springs free, it will take saws, helmets, jaws, and whatever else might be in its path for quite a ride — if the rider is still conscious, that is. As with the examination of forces discussed earlier, the first step is figuring out where the forces are, and what's going where when the force is released. This examination will help show the safest place from which to work, which in turn may require some cutting and clearing to prepare. As part of this process, the saw operator should try to judge the path of the pole if it breaks free early, and take steps to make sure he or she is not in that path. Good footing and eliminating tripping hazards should be a key part of any ground saw operation, but are particularly important when dealing with something as "touchy" as a spring pole. The best way to release the incredible pressure on a spring pole is as slowly and gradually as possible. The point of greatest pressure on the piece should be estimated, then the pressure "bled off " by different methods on the compression side. One method involves "gnawing" away at the compression side of the pole horizontally, in essence shaving off small amounts of fiber and creating a very elongated shallow notch. The operator should step back between cuts to watch for movement; and, if any exists, let the pole move at its own pace to release the pressure. Sometimes, when a visual examination is not successful, the operator may be able to "hear" or "feel" the wood talking to them. An example of a storm-downed tree with a number of forces acting on it, thus a time for the crew to evaluate those forces prior to cutting and having a tree roll over them. PHOTO BY MICHAEL "HOUSE" TAIN