Chain saw safety seminar

[Gary Fowler]

I just got back from an 8 hour chainsaw safety seminar sponsored by the Arkansas Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils and was I surprised. I have been using chainsaws all my life and there was a lot of stuff I didnt know. The instructor(s) covered not only safety but also how to treat injuries from chain saws. The program was directed mostly toward emergency response workers and most of the participants were from local fire departments. The instructor was a former logger/emergency response and rescue person from New Hampshire who admitted that if he hadnt go into safety, he would likely have died in the woods because he was taught by his father who was taught by his father and all the ways were not so safe. The course not only showed us how not to get injured and all the safety gear to use but also how to car for our saws. I really learned a lot there on what to do for the clutch, bar, chain and engine. He also showed us some specialty chains for cutting steel and a special chain and sprocket that he uses when rescuing someone that has been impaled by fallen tree branch. His name is Dana Hinkley and he does this all over the country and I would encourage anyone who uses a saw to attend one of his or other instruction in chain saw safety so they can maybe not be one of the 41,000 of the reported emergency room patients treated for saw injuries each year. I went immediately and bought a set of chaps which I had been meaning to get for over a year and just kept putting it off.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

One of my old links on here I have a diagram of all of the reported injuries from several years ago. It came with my set of chaps. Very enlightening. Thanks for sharing about that. Knock on wood I haven't been injured seriously in 43 years of running a saw.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The instructor was using Stil brand saws which he got for free from Stil and they all had a second chain brake on the handle above the throttle. When you released the top bar it automatically engaged the chain brake. That is a nice feature that my Husky doesnt have and I havent seen it on any other saw. Dont know if that is proprietary from Stil or not but it is nice to see on a saw. He said Stil asked him what he found wrong with Stil saws and he said that they were built TOO good. Lots of them still running after 40 years that dont have any safety features that are required today. One other thing I learned is that the dog (pointed teeth at base of chain bar) is not for feeding the bar into the wood but is another safety feature to help prevent kickup from the saw so it doesn't kick back and saw you between the eyes. I always thought they were for forcing the saw into the tree ( they work for that also). I have sure been lucky with using them in the years since I havent even been starting them them the right way. I had alway drop started them and luckily not got it into my leg when it cranked. I guess I will have to learn the way to hold the handle behind my knee or with my foot on the ground and my other hand on the bar handle which he claims is the only safe way to start one. Both of these ways enable the pull cord to be pulled straight out rather than to the side as with my other methods.

 

[Tollster]

Good for you, there are many a logger too "knowledgable" to step into a class after so many years unless its forced upon him through an employer or his insurance agent. I like to think there are still people that believe they just might learn something new in a class and choose for themselves to go, sounds like you're one of those!
I recall my father falling on a chain at deer camp, it ripped his palm open and left a .250" kerf. I recall they don't just cut flesh, they remove it. He healed up with minimal rehab.

 

[jonyyuma]

Stated 41,000 emergency accidents?

 

[RoyJackson]

Stated 41,000 emergency accidents?

That's reasonable...most were probably minor.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Here is that link. And these are the "reported" injuries. I never went to the Doctor for any of mine.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/chainsaws/133369-interesting-but-boring-chainsaw-facts.html

 

[6sunset6]

I felt the same way. Had to take a 2 day chain saw course to do volunteer work I do. Had some bad habits and got a set of chaps. Now I know why loggers work in the winter. Has nothing to do with machines tearing up the place and leaving ruts 3ft deep . You are HOT in those chaps and I don't mean looking good for the ladies. It is also very hard to run but if you do it right you should not have to run. If you do decide to run it is probably too late.

 

[beppington]

I cut everything I can with my Stihl polesaw ... very unlikely I'll ever get hurt by the saw itself since the cutting head is 4 or 5 feet away from me. Being very long it seems highly unlikely that it could kick back & cut me. First, it really doesn't kick back. It can kick straight up just a few inches, but even if it did somehow kick way, way back toward the user, it would go over the user's head.

Also nice to be able to cut trunks/ limbs that are laying on the ground while standing, rather than having to kneel or bend way down to cut them.

 

[brandoro]

I felt the same way. Had to take a 2 day chain saw course to do volunteer work I do. Had some bad habits and got a set of chaps. Now I know why loggers work in the winter. Has nothing to do with machines tearing up the place and leaving ruts 3ft deep . You are HOT in those chaps and I don't mean looking good for the ladies. It is also very hard to run but if you do it right you should not have to run. If you do decide to run it is probably too late.

I use the chainsaw if I have to when it's hot out. I have chainsaw pants and I suspect they are even warmer than chaps. Been doing quite a bit of cutting the past week cleaning things up between the warm weather and snow. Working in snow can be tough too when it gets too deep. I still have a few trees to cut up that came down in a windstorm this past summer.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

A couple of shots working up volunteering on an Island in Canada.. Notice the chainsaw chaps helmet and glasses.. You cut yourself open on an island that is a two hour boat ride from an ambulance could be a bad day.

 

[creekbend]

A couple of shots working up volunteering on an Island in Canada.. Notice the chainsaw chaps helmet and glasses.. You cut yourself open on an island that is a two hour boat ride from an ambulance could be a bad day.

I respect you for your volunteering efforts. Safety should always be considered when using a chainsaw, but being located such a long distance from a medical facility, would surely be a viable concern. It would surely be beneficial for everyone to attend a seminar such as was described, if possible.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I respect you for your volunteering efforts. Safety should always be considered when using a chainsaw, but being located such a long distance from a medical facility, would surely be a viable concern. It would surely be beneficial for everyone to attend a seminar such as was described, if possible.

Good point. I was in the Fire Department for a few years. And have plenty of experience in first aid. There were enough other people at this Bible camp that are first aid trained as well. Same thing with loggers working out in the woods you have First aid supplies available. And you work as safely as possible.

 

[Gary Fowler]

One of the best points of advice given was to lock the chain brake everytime when you finish cutting. I really never used it before. The instructor said some folks believe in the 3 step rule prior to locking the blade but he goes with the 0 step and locks if as soon as the cut is finished. For those worried about it wearing out, he said he has never seen a chain brake wear out even on professional logger equipment.
With regard to pole saw safety, my Brother in Law said he saw in the new where a man cut his wifes head off with a pole saw. He was standing on a ladder to get a rather tall branch and his wife was holding the ladder. Somehow he lost his balance (likely from the limb hitting him), fell and the saw was running full throttle and just cut her head off. One of the problems with a pole saw is that it doesnt have any kind of brake mechanism for safety. You may not get cut, but you can easily cut an onlooker, so best to keep watchers far away.
Another gruesome thing he mentioned was a guy cutting up a tree that had blown over and his grandkids were playing around the area. When he had cut off the last tree length, the root ball flopped back into the hole. Later they could find one of his grandkids and after calling out all the local emergency personnel for searching, a fire chief asked him when was the last time he saw the child and when he said it was while cutting the tree up, they called for a front loaded to come in and lift the root ball. The child was under the root ball and had suffocated to death (not crushed as I would have thought).
One more item of interest on the chaps. Seems that they are like safety belts, one use and they are finished. If you ever get the saw into them and they pull out the liner that stalls the saw, they should be discarded. The liner material is pulled up to the cut and make thin spot or voids in other areas so they are a one use item. Also they need to be kept clean, wash the grease and oil out of them so the fibers inside stay fluffy so they can do their job.

 

[creekbend]

This is an informative thread in regards to accidents. Most users of chainsaws become complacent when it comes to safety issues, but we veteran users can always learn something new. I just learn something new about taking care of chaps. Can you just imagine being the parent or grandparent of that child that died under the root ball? Safety--yes. We should all expect the unexpected and do our best to prevent the chances of accidents occurring. Hopefully more people will get the chance to attend a seminar like the one described, especially the people that use their chainsaws around the farm. It might get us to thinking more in advance in relation to our cutting techniques.:thumbsup:

 

[sandman2234]

Complacent, I have a nice little cut on the tip of my steel toed boots. Nice reminder to pay attention to what I am doing, and not get in a hurry...
David from jax

 

[Gary Fowler]

Everyone might want to check with their local conservation district or emergency services provider to see if they can organize a safety seminar. My brother in law and myself were the only land owners in this seminar, everyone else was from area fire departments and job corps students. The course was paid for by the state and was originally designated for areas that had ice damage and thus lots of chain saw accidents. It was such a hit, that they expanded it to all of Arkansas.

 

[creekbend]

Complacent, I have a nice little cut on the tip of my steel toed boots. Nice reminder to pay attention to what I am doing, and not get in a hurry...
David from jax

It was a good thing you had steel toes. Glad that everything ended well. Be safe.

 

[GE222]

I always wear chaps when using my chain saws. They are as important as my hard hat, face shield and ear muffs.

For anyone using an electric saw - pay very close attention when using one. While chaps will in most cases bring a gas saw to a stop, they typically will not stop an electric saw due to the high torque.

 

[D7E]

Many large felling and tree care companies i've worked for wont allow chaps and insist on pants . I prefer pants as they allow you to move more freely and dont get sticks up the leg tripping you when cutting through dense undergrowth . I have these "HEAVY" oregon pants that i wear in winter ( and am very glad of at -25) but have lighter nylon type pants with equal speed rating that i wear in summer . For me or any places i've cut Legal boots/helmet and pants are the req . usually husky helmet , any thing else is optional .