Common Sense Chainsaw Safety Tips

The chainsaw is notorious among users of power tools that tell stories of noise, vibration and serious injuries caused by the chain of a chainsaw out of control. In this article, I'm going to pass some important safety considerations based on my 30 plus years of wood cutting experience with my Still Chainsaw.

Safety goggles are mandatory the preferred models are made with a wraparound style that type seals to your face to provide the best protection against flying wood chips. Hearing protection will be required even during short periods of use. Do not underestimate the hearing damage that can be caused by the vibrating chainsaw. About ear cuffs or the style of in-ear foam are both good options. High work boots with vibrio sole.

Do not even think about going with tennis or running shoes. In a few minutes, they will be full of tokens causing total discomfort and distraction, not to mention the outburst of blasphemies. Thick chaps are recommended as the chips will literally be flying by the millions, along with larger lumps of wood. Members can fly out and kick their legs by scraping and gouging through their jeans.

Never once have I been in a wood cutting session where I left without a bad scraping or two made by jumping limbs and hitting my legs. Just get the chaps; you will be very happy that you did it at the end of the day when you tell the times that those guys saved you from a strong contact with a limb after cutting it loses from the tree trunk. Remember when planning a wood cutting day you need to make sure that your chain is sharp in the first place.

Take the chain to have it sharpened or simply buy a new sharp chain if you are planning a whole day of wood cutting. Nothing is worse than being in the woods and discovering your chainsaw is not simply cutting because of a boring chain. The most important aspect of safety when using your chainsaw is to familiarize yourself with its operation and safety features. You will be adjusting and chain, filling gas, mixing gas/oil and handling a chainsaw blade full of sharp teeth all day long. Take the time to do all this with common sense and a confident attitude.

Make sure that your chainsaw is equipped with a chain brake that stops the chain if the bar backs up. This chain brake is a moving protector between the chain and the handle where your hand holds the chainsaw. It is designed to make the chain stop if the guard is pushed forward by the movement of the chainsaw backing up and up towards the hands and face. Do you have a very old chainsaw without a chain brake? Remove it and get a newer model with a chain brake.

The safety improvement is worth it, as the accident rate of chainsaws with chain brakes are much lower and when we talk about accidents with a chainsaw we are talking ugly things we do not want to experience. Take breaks frequently and do not rush when using your chainsaw. Interruptions are important to keep the vibration of the saw from building numbness in your hands. This happens after a few hours of using a chainsaw without taking regular breaks. Numbness of the hand can cause you to lose your grip at a critical time that results in an accident.

Check local laws prior to shipment of wood cutting; sometimes local laws will require your chainsaw to be equipped with an approved umbrella. The most recent chainsaws are often well equipped, but why take a chance and risk a fine if your saw does not have an approved spark arrester? Another requirement in some areas is to carry water or fire extinguishers and stay in the wood cutting area for a few hours after finishing the chainsaw. This is to ensure that no fires have started due to their wood cutting activity.

Although Chainsaw Safety may sound complicated it is based on common sense and proven methods for working safely. Remember, you will never regret being too safe, but the consequences of not being safe with a chainsaw are unthinkable!

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Created on Aug 29th 2017 02:36. Viewed 556 times.

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