There was an era when only professional lumberjacks used chainsaws. Today, many homeowners and farmers, in addition to loggers, use them to make land clearing or firewood cutting a lot easier.
A chainsaw is a powerful tool. Unfortunately, that same power tool in the hands of a careless, inexperienced, or tired operator can be very hazardous.
Using a chainsaw can be five times more dangerous than driving a racecar. Each year, approximately 40,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries from using chainsaws. The potential risk of injury increases after windstorms and other natural disasters, when chainsaws are widely used to remove fallen or partially fallen trees and tree branches.
Do You Need to Use a Chainsaw?
Before you rush out to buy a chainsaw (or out to your storage shed to use it), assess the task at hand. If you have only small branches (four inches or less), use a hand saw or axe. Chainsaws are not suited for cutting such small branches.
On the other hand, if your yard is strewn with leaning trees and tangled branches, the job is probably too large to be handled by a part-time chainsaw operator (that would be you). Call a professional chainsaw operator who has training and experience in safe chainsaw use and cutting techniques to safely fell and remove limbs from trees.
If you have determined a chainsaw is the right tool, ask yourself "Do I know what I'm doing?" A chainsaw is a useful tool, but it might be the most dangerous piece of equipment you get your hands on. Treat it with the respect due a potentially life-ending piece of machinery. Unless you've had proper training, you are NOT the right person for the job. Put the chainsaw down and call an expert.
Finally, be sure that you are in top physical and mental condition when operating a chainsaw. Medications, alcohol, and lack of sleep can cause you to be a hazard to yourself and others when working with chainsaws. Your chances of injury become much less when you are alert, well rested, and healthy.
Use it Safely
So, you've determined you and your chainsaw can handle the job. You still have a few safety precautions to consider, complements of the National Agriculture Safety Database and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Operate, adjust, and maintain the saw according to manufacturer's instructions provided in the manual accompanying the chainsaw.
- Properly sharpen chainsaw blades and properly lubricate the blade with bar and chain oil. Additionally, the operator should periodically check and adjust the tension of the chainsaw blade to ensure good cutting action.
- Do not smoke when handling a chainsaw.
- Choose the proper size of chainsaw to match the job, and include safety features such as a chain brake, front and rear hand guards, stop switch, chain catcher, and a spark arrester.
- Wear the appropriate protective equipment, including hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy work gloves, long-sleeve shirt, cut-resistant legwear (chainsaw chaps) that extend from the waist to the top of the foot, and steel-toed boots which cover the ankle.
- - An object the size of a pea traveling at six miles an hour can knock your eyes out. Flying wood chips have the potential to cause even more damage.
- - Operating a chainsaw for longer than 12 minutes without hearing protection can damage your hearing.
- Clothing should be well-fitted (not baggy) and be free of dangling or ragged edges which can become tangled in the saw.
- Never drop-start a chainsaw. Start the saw by either placing it on firm ground or by holding it between your legs just above the knees. Make sure the guide bar and chain are clear of any obstructions.
- Always hold a running saw firmly with both hands. Whether you are righthanded or lefthanded, your right hand should be at the rear handle and trigger and your left hand should be on the front handlebar.
- Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground.
- Do not cut around power lines until the lines are verified as being de-energized.
- Always cut at waist level or below to ensure that you maintain secure control over the chainsaw.
- Cut to minimize kickback, the cause of many chainsaw accidents. Kickback is the reactive force that happens when the nose or tip of the guide bar comes in contact with a solid object or is pinched and recoils toward the operator. To avoid kickback:
- - Never cut with the tip of the saw.
- - Stand at an angle when cutting, so the saw will miss your head and neck.
- - Keep your left elbow stiff while cutting.
- Do not cut on old wood unless you are positive the wood is free of nails, screws, and other metal objects.
- Take frequent breaks. Many injuries occur because the operator got tired or withstood long periods of saw vibration.
- Keep bystanders or coworkers at least two tree lengths (at least 150 feet) away from anyone felling a tree and at least 30 feet from anyone operating a chainsaw to remove limbs or cut a fallen tree.
- If an injury occurs, apply direct pressure over site(s) of heavy bleeding. This act can save lives.
Now, go out there and cut some wood! Or, you could call in an expert. |
