Chainsaw Safety. Let's Be Careful Out There!

I don't care if your chainsaw cost $600 or $99 or $15 - Spend $60 or so on a good, UL-rated, set of saw chaps, and use them Every Single Time you start the saw. No exceptions. Don't have a set? Don't use your saw until you have bought a set. Cheaper than the ambulance ride, cheaper than the emergency room visit, probably cheaper than the emergency room copayment. And think of the time you'll _save_ by not needing to go to the emergency room.

"Ecnerwal" wrote: Cheaper...cheaper...cheaper... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ By concentrating on that aspect of a chainsaw injury, you force us to think about what you have not said: injury, pain, and possibly death. Very effective--sort of like whispering in a noisy room.

I'm wondering how this actually happened--kickbacks generally kick the saw blade UPwards. Did he have his leg above where he was cutting?

Or cutting with the top of the blade? Not a good idea, but I do it occasionally (like yesterday).

Keep your feet and legs as far from the cut as possible. Always have a buddy with you, and watch out for him/her also. I'm glad your friend wasn't hurt worse!

Ken Grunke

[snip]

Not a good idea IMHO...

Safety rule number one - the buddy system. All the protective gear in the world won't do you much good if nobody knows where you are. Susan can't use a chainsaw, and she's not very strong, but she has a cell phone (and keeps the Gatorade coming), which is what counts in the woods.

Lucky piecemaker the other day was found by his buddies when he didn't come out of the woods when called. Steel, chaps, the works. No good when you're limbing and get pinned when the stick you're trimming rolls on you.

Felling without a buddy, even with hardhat, is beyond stupid.

I really don't know what brand or how old. I expect it is a fairly new saw. I'm sure it has a chain brake. Chainsaws are made to cut wood, but they are not especially discriminating on that point. I don't even know if my friend was using the chainsaw in a dangerous manner..............except for the fact that he was using it without any protective equipment at all.

We were talking about the accident at church yesterday. One of the guys told about an accident his grandfather had with a chainsaw. He, too, got a kickback. The chainsaw made contact with his face.........ripping through one side of his face, barely missing his right eye and nose!

Barry

I really don't know all the details. Like with other saws, all body parts ought to be kept out of the line of cut/kickback. Or, as you say, as far away as possible.

I do know he was working alone........which could have been his biggest mistake of all..........especially if he had lost consciousness after cutting a major artery.

Barry

No..........absolutely not!

Barry

Barry et al. I have worked with a chain saw most of my life. When I was much younger I spent summers working with Grampy in the pulp woods although we cut some lumber logs and firewood. I notice I did not take it up as a life trade? Hard work. I recall patching my first chain saw cut at the age of 14. Not fun. A couple of things:

1) stay out of the line of fire 2) the kick comes mostly from the nose, keep it out of the wood 3) keep the chain tight, it loosens as it heats so snug it up now and then 3) if you must fell alone, use a come along to direct the tree 4) do not fell alone 5) we call it protective clothing for a reason 6) be cautious, not afraid I have seen cut hands (not easy but it can be done), legs, arms, boots, feet, and heads. I assume backs and bellies are possible. I have not had a chain cut myself and do not want one. Glad your friend is ok.

7) NEVER drop start the saw with the throttle lock engaged.

What do you mean by "drop start"?

Barry

Hold the starter cord and drop the chainsaw. I've seen it done by pros on a closed course. Not something I'd do, but I'm a might cautious.

Drop starting a chain saw means holding on to the cord and letting the saw drop to start the engine. The left hand continues to hold the saw so it is more of a controlled fall than a drop. Most pros I know would not do it if the safety inspector was handy. I would not do it anyway. The safe and professional way to do a drop start is to rest the bar on a log and then let the weight of the saw pull the cord for you. That way the bar can not swing down and hit your leg. There has got to be a better way to amputate.

I was afraid that was what it meant. Sounds dangerous either way to me. Maybe not in experienced hands, but it would be in mine.

Barry

Always dangerous, but with a warm saw people get lazy. In 25 years of responding I've used a tourniquet twice. Both were chainsaw accidents.

My Stihl makes you go out of your way to be dangerous by forcing the choke on in order to engage the throttle lock. Have to disengage the choke to start a warm saw, and don't really need the throttle, but ....

Actually its "NEVER drop start."

It doesn't matter what precautions you take its a very convenient, very dangerous way of starting a saw.

One of our club demonstrations was by a Stihl regional rep. He had a projector, and very professional presentation. Everything: sharpening, maintenance, use, and safety. It was very eye opening. If you can arrange it, do it for your club. robo hippy

One of our club demonstrations was by a Stihl regional rep. He had a projector, and very professional presentation. Everything: sharpening, maintenance, use, and safety. It was very eye opening. If you can arrange it, do it for your club. robo hippy