Near miss trimming a massive oak in zone 6 MN - what lessons you learned from close calls?

Out here in zone 6 Minnesota, winters hit hard but spring tree work is a crapshoot with those gusty winds. Last week I was trimming a huge oak for a client, quoted them $2800 for the full job using my Stihl MS 661 chainsaw, but damn near lost a limb when a branch kicked back unexpected. Me and my helper were hustlin' to beat the rain, and I forgot to double-check the tension on the rigging line. Got lucky the rope held, but it shook me up bad. Anyone got stories of near-misses on tree jobs? Saw a thread on r/Contractor about this, mixed advice. Tommy Mello talked about safety protocols in one of his videos too.

Insurance companies LOVE these stories, they jack rates every time one gets out.

Had a widowmaker drop 10 feet from where I was standing last summer, heart was poundin for hours.

Man, that sucks. Been there with a similar kickback on a big limb.

Close calls make you better, but they suck in the moment.

My near miss was on a roof, but same vibe - wind shifted and I was hangin' by a harness.

Feel ya, brother. Lost a buddy to a tree job years back, never forget.

Happened to me on a commercial prune, branch swung wild and grazed my shoulder.

What was the biggest lesson from your oak trim? Rigging tips?

We all been there, man. Those moments keep us sharp.

SharkBite for plumbing, but for trees? Never skimp on quality ropes, fight me if you disagree.

Get secondary anchors on big jobs, saved me $5000 in potential damage last month.

Sorry that happened, zone 6 weather is no joke for outdoor work.

Idiot homeowners always want it cheap and fast, leads to these messes.

SharkBite fittings are garbage for high pressure, same with cheap tree gear.

We've all had em, just glad you're okay.

Pisses me off how understaffed tree crews run, one slip and it's over.

You're alright, that's what counts. Shake it off.

Commercial clients demand safety certs now, good thing after my close call.

Screw the wind, always have a spotter no matter what.

Hit 20 years without a major incident, but near misses? Too many to count.

GCs pushing timelines cause half these issues, rage inducing.

Never work alone on big trees, learned that the hard way after a fall.