Dangers and Accidents on a Homestead

HAVE A GREAT FIRST AID KIT & know what is in it & how to use it.
But flares an EPIRB & know your late & longs.
LEARN CPR & gather worthwhile medicines natural are best.....

Stay tuned to your environment!!! Some call this situation awareness...

I would add that the 1st aid kits I have seen are not adequate for serious injuries. Something to keep in mind if one is in a remote setting.

And old friend of mine used to say, "The first rule of life is don't do dumb things "

I would say my best advice for chainsaw work is to quit while you’re ahead in terms of physical energy. Be aware of what your goals are when you set out to cut firewood, keep it real instead of trying to cut and junk 5 cords. Continued work while fatigued is a real danger with all power tools.

Wear safety gear appropriate for the equipment/activity.

Stay well hydrated.

Stop when you are tired.

And this isn't what happened here, but once you stop for the day, put away all the tools before you open a beer. Tired, dehydrated, alcohol and change of mindset is dangerous.

A bunch of us used to go out each Fall into the woods and cut up the felled and standing dead hardwoods to supplement and top off our wood piles for heat. End of the 2nd day, he didn't put on his chaps, he was just going to do a little bit more as we packed up. The chainsaw slipped and went into his thigh down to the bone, and we took him to the ER. A hike to the trucks and an hour to the nearest hospital.

I think about what if he had been alone.

Eta - Hey Michael - we were thinking the same thing at the same time, I took longer to hit submit. Great post.

Lee Gee wrote:Wear safety gear appropriate for the equipment/activity.

Stay well hydrated.

Stop when you are tired.

And this isn't what happened here, but once you stop for the day, put away all the tools before you open a beer. Tired, dehydrated, alcohol and change of mindset is dangerous.

A bunch of us used to go out each Fall into the woods and cut up the felled and standing dead hardwoods to supplement and top off our wood piles for heat. End of the 2nd day, he didn't put on his chaps, he was just going to do a little bit more as we packed up. The chainsaw slipped and went into his thigh down to the bone, and we took him to the ER. A hike to the trucks and an hour to the nearest hospital.

I think about what if he had been alone.

Eta - Hey Michael - we were thinking the same thing at the same time, I took longer to hit submit. Great post.

Ha, well you one -upped me with the importance of staying hydrated and safety gear. ..:) and putting away tools and maintenance too. I prep my saw so it’s ready to go the next morning...cleaned out, sharpen chain and refuel and oil.

I’m a person who has grown up pushing myself physically with most tasks...but not with chainsaws...:)

My husband will not let me go out to our woods to collect fuel because of the storm damaged trees and branches forming a myriad of wido makers. As he was explaing this to me, two more branches came down.  Dont go out on your own, wear chaps and hard hats.  We need all the permies we can get.

Michael,

Thanks for the post.  My wife bought me chaps for Christmas of 2018.  I have never worn them.  I  will change my ways.

John F Dean wrote:Michael,

Thanks for the post.  My wife bought me chaps for Christmas of 2018.  I have never worn them.  I  will change my ways.

John - my mate came to help me clear a few persistent little buggers in my field and saw my husband's chaps. ' Can I try those on for comfort? Ive never used them before'.
Guess what happened?
He always wears them now and I shudder to think what would have happened if he hadn't worn them that day.

First aid kits need to be adjusted for the region and the individual. No poisonous snakes where I live, but I'm highly reactive to wasp stings, so I make sure I've got an antihistamine in my backpack.

Jay Angler wrote:First aid kits need to be adjusted for the region and the individual. No poisonous snakes where I live, but I'm highly reactive to wasp stings, so I make sure I've got an antihistamine in my backpack.

For several kinds of insect stings and some bites, a paste of baking soda applied to the sting takes away a lot of the pain.
It neutralizes the alkaloids reducing the reaction the sting has on your nerve endings.
Water is best to use in making the paste.  But, other water based liquids will work in a pinch.
The sooner the better.

Some things I'd like to add from personal experience:

Stop working to take a breath if you're getting tired. I know we all get to a point that we're hurrying to finish something, even though we are getting tired / worn out. Throw some frustration in the mix and the result is that you are becoming a lot less aware of your actions, and as fatigue sets in your control over your muscles and limbs become a lot less, let alone your loss of focus when you're getting tired. Almost all of the stupid injuries I've acquired over the years happened because my body was getting tired and I - even just for a second- lost control over it. It's a hecking lot easier to roll and sprain your ankle if you've been walking and lifting all day already.

For people with sloped land: Don't go cutting / sawing when you don't have level footing. It's so easy to slip when working on a slope. Know of someone in our village who put an axe in his leg because the earth slipped away from under one of his feet when chopping wood on the mountain. He was alone on the hill without phone reception. He had to drag himself to his car while bleeding profusely. Drove home so his wife could bring him to a hospital! His leg survived, but he was immobile for most of 2 months. Slopes and sharp materials don't mix well!

Lastly, don't lift and twist at the same time. Discovered that the hard way. Injured my inguinal ligament by doing something as silly as lifting myself out of a low car with some stuff in my arms, twisting my torso and hips while my foot was still flat on the ground. I wasn't even lifting something heavy but that wrong movement had me virtually immobile for a few days. Even worse still, it seems to have permanently damaged the ligament, because ever since (and it's been 7 years!) each time I overstress that leg, the ligament starts inflaming and I'm crippled for a few days again.
I'm still angry about it. Hiking in the mountains is my great passion, but I can never hike longer then a few hours before it starts hurting and I know I have to back off.

John F Dean wrote:I would add that the 1st aid kits I have seen are not adequate for serious injuries. Something to keep in mind if one is in a remote setting.

And old friend of mine used to say, "The first rule of life is don't do dumb things "

It is my firm belief that anyone with a high-risk type home, like a location that's fairly remote from emergency services, has livestock (including rabbits and chickens!), where heavy equipment, power &/or sharp tools are used would be wise to keep a few basic first aid kits in key areas, like workshops, barns, garden sheds, on tractors/work-truck, etc., but also, at least one trauma kit centrally located, for each 1/4 mile square on which these types of work would be done. And, at least as important, everyone who works &/or lives with the stuff needs to know how to use all of it, to the best of their ability. It's not always an easy feat, but if only one person knows how & when to use those kits, they are useless if that person is the one in need of the assistance.