Chainsaw Safety 3

7/28/2019 Chainsaw Safety 3

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Over 40,000 people areinjured by chain sawsevery year

How not to be one of them!


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How to OperateChain Saws Safely


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Chain Saw Statistics More than 40,000

people are injured

by chain saws eachyear.

The two mostcommon places for

injuries are thefront left thigh andthe back of the lefthand.


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Statistics, cont.

The two mostcommon placesfor injuries are

the front leftthigh and theback of the lefthand.

Statistics from U.S ConsumerProduct Safety Commission, 1999


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Facts and Figures The average chain saw injury required 110

stitches and cost $5,600 in 1989. The safety

equipment costs less than $100.

Total cost of all injuries was estimated at$350 million.

This does not include losses of productivity orquality of life.


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Just the Facts When a chain saw

is at full speed,

more than 600teeth pass a givenpoint per second.

One in 5 chainsaw injuries arefrom kickback.

A muffler on achain saw can

reach as much as900 degrees F.

A chain saw

chain can moveup to 68 milesper hour.


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Four Steps to Prevention


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Take all four steps tomake operation of a chainsaw a safer experience.

Dont Skip a Step


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Partsof aChain

Saw


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Look for these safety features Low kickback

saw chain

Hand guard

Safety tip

Chain brake

Vibrationreduction system

Spark arrestor ongasoline models

Trigger orthrottle lockout

Chain catcher

Bumper spikes


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How to Carry a Chain Saw The engine should

be shut off.

The chain brake

should be engaged. The scabbard is

covering the guidebar to prevent cuts.

The chain saw iscarried backward.

The muffler iscarried away fromthe body to prevent

burns.


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Chain Saw Operations Starting

Limbing and Bucking Felling


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CorrectStarting

1. Hold the chain saw

firmly in place.2. Remove all loose

debris and make surethe guide bar is nottouching anything.

3. Make sure the chainbrake is engaged.

4. Grip the front handle

with left hand.

5. Depress the throttlefor one second withthe right hand.

6. The chain shouldnot creep forwardbecause the brakeis engaged.


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How to Hold a Chain Saw1. Wrap your thumbs firmly

around the handles.

2. The right hand should befirmly on the rearhandle, so that theoperator can reach the

throttle latch and thestop switch.

Quick Fact: Eighty percent of chain saw injuriesare to the legs and hands.


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Limbing and Bucking Limbing is removing branches from

fallen tree.

Bucking is cutting a log into sections.


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Felling 101: Types of Cuts


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Make a Correct Cut

A Felling Notch doesnot exceed 20percent of the trees

diameter at breastheight. This cut ismade first.

The Hinge is the 10

percent that is leftuncut for theoperators safety.

The Felling Cut ismade last. Itoccurs on the

opposite side of thetree from the fellingnotch, but it doesnot go all the waythrough the tree.The notch and thecut are staggered,so they dont meet.


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Types of Injuries

Kickback

Vibration Syndrome Widowmaker

Entanglement

Stump Jump

Setback

Crown Shatter Barber Chair

Moving Tree

Springpole

Quick Fact: Kickback is the single greatestcause of injury to chain saw users.


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What is Kickback? Kickback is caused

by a spinning chaincoming in contact

with resistance.

It causes the chainsaw to kick backtoward your face.

It is very commonand can causeserious injury.


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How can Kickback bePrevented?

NEVER cut with the tip of the chain saw! Lock your front elbow.

Be careful not to cut through nails orknots in the wood.

Stand to the side.

Use a low kickback chain.

Use a chain brake.


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Vibration Syndrome Vibration syndrome causes frequent

users of chain saws to get whiteknuckles and a loss of feeling in theirfingers from the vibrations of the chainsaw.

It is not very common presently, dueto better working conditions and saferchain saws.


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Widowmaker Widowmaker is

caused by loose

branches fallingfrom the tree dueto vibrationsfrom the chain

saw.


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You can prevent awidowmaker injury

ALWAYS WEAR A HARDHAT!!!!

Remember that a branch falling

on you from less than 2 inchesaway can have enough force to killyou.


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Entanglement Trees that are being

cut down maysometimes drag or

snap other trees.

Free the branches ofthe tree you arecutting beforestarting to cut toprevent this fromoccurring.


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Stump Jump This is caused by

the hinge being cut

or breaking whenthe tree is falling.

The tree can jumpor roll, or hit other

trees in anydirection.


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1. Plan an escape route to preventinjuries due to stump jump.

2. When the tree begins to move,turn off the chain saw and escape.

Have an Escape Planand Use it!


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What IsSetback?

Sometimes a treemay tilt backwardand clamp onto the

bar of the saw.

If the hinge breaks,then the tree canfall backward.

You can use wedgesto make sure thetree will fall over inthe right direction.

You can tie a cableor rope in the top ofthe tree and apply

steady pressure.


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Crown Shatter This occurs when the

crown of the tree that has

been felled or a nearbytree snaps or shatters.

This causes hurlingbranches and can cause

serious injury or death. Notice three ways to be

struck.


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Barber Chair When the backcut

has been made, ifthe tree leans too

far, the butt of thetree can kickbackward.

This happens muchfaster than a normalreaction time.

Never stand in

back of the tree asyou are cutting.

Seek professionalhelp.


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Moving Tree A rolling or moving

tree can catch yourleg or crush you.

This can occur whenlimbs or restraintsare removed.

Prevent this bystaying uphill from atree on a slope.


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Springpole A tree can become

arched as it isfelled or if another

tree falls on it.When cut, it canviolently strike outat anything in itspath.

Always stay insidethe bow of aspringpole.


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Escaping From Danger Always plan an escape route that is a

path at a 45-degree angle away fromthe line of the trees fall.


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Preventing Injuries Personal protective

equipment (PPE)MUST be worn at all

times.

This can greatlyreduce injuries andprevent death from

chain saw injuries. Keep both hands on

the chain sawhandles.


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Safety Tips Keep the chain saw handle clean and dry.

Make sure that the handle is free from oil orfuel.

Keep your chain saw properly maintained.

Follow the manufacturers suggestions for

sharpening and maintaining the equipment.

Never use a chain saw to cut anythingother than wood!!!


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How Can You Eliminate Some

Hazards in the Area? Clear loose debris

from the area.

Removecombustiblematerials.

Look for broken ordead limbs in thetree to be felled.

Assure that thereare no power linesnearby.

Make sure you havean escape route.

Be aware of whereothers are inrelation to what youare cutting. Thisincludes people,

houses,automobiles, etc.


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When Do

You Call aProfessional?

Any time that a

situation requires moreskills than you have.

If a tree has a largerdiameter than the

length of the guide bar. If the tree is dead,

hollow, split, or rotten.

If there isnt enough

room to safely fell thetree or if there is noclear escape route.

If there are any other

obstacles to the tree.


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Partsof aChain

Saw:Review


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Always Remember to BeCareful!

Pay attention to your surroundings,wear the correct clothing, and call aprofessional when you are unsure ofyour ability to perform the tasksafely.


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Follow the four steps to

prevention and operatinga chain saw can be safer!

Be Aware!Be Alert!

Be Alive!


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For more information on thisand many other safety topics,visit the Florida AgSafe,

on the Web at:http://flagsafe.ufl.edu


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How to Operate ChainSaws Safely

Leanna Bass, Charles M. Brown,and Carol J. Lehtola

April 2001Revised April 2004

Chainsaw Safety 3

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