What safety equipment do you have when running chainsaw?

[Panik]

I've had over 60 years experience using and being around chains saws. An accident usually will require one of two things. A band aide or a Para Medic squad and a surgical team.

Take your pick.

Truth ^

Perception and situational awareness are funny.

I don't do a whole bunch of saw work at home, mainly the typical actions that go with trimming up smaller trees associated with maintaining 4 acres of somewhat landscaped field.... PPE is usually only eye and ear pro...... and then occasionally a hardhat if circumstances in the overhead really seem to warrant it. (don't do a lot of true falling)

On the other hand I do prescribed fire in the winter time and absolutely refuse to use a saw on burn ops. (I don't get paid enough for the risk, and there are a lot more & better qualified people than I available).

However, if someone from the crew I'm running with is using a saw and I'm around I do my darnedest to make sure there's a small trauma/TQ kit immediately available and I have a radio in my hand.

 

[dodge man]

Loggers helmet, chainsaw chaps and boots that probably is a composite toe. I run a chainsaw a couple of hours and that’s usually enough for me.

 

[RjCorazza]

Gloves, helmet, ear and eye protection, steel toe boots, and ballistic pants. No chaps, but I should wear them.
The commercial tourniquet is an excellent addition, preferably one designed for one hand application, but I don't have one. Prevention first, but a tourniquet is going to be the life saver.

 

[MTGreen]

I haven't seen mention yet but in addition to personal safety equipment I keep a fire extinguisher close

 

[dougtrr2]

I guess I could put my logging winch into the safety equipment category. In my forest I have issues with trees getting hung up. Now I can use the winch to pull them until gravity finally wins.

Doug in SW IA

 

[jjeff]

Steel toes, and sunglasses. Worse physical thing a chainsaw ever did to me was when I was sharpening chain in a stump vice and the vice popped out of stump the saw slid down my leg and ripped open my pants and the skin pretty grotesquely. Later that day went to hospital to visit someone else the nurses thought I was there for me lol. Most expensive mistake was when I was first given permission to use chain saws on my own, limbing a tree nicked the toes of my brand new school shoes and ruined them I was 12. Will wear added PPE when available but unfortunately I'm stubborn and don't go out of my to wear additional protection. Best thing about using a chainsaw/making wood is most annoying people know to keep there distance and don't try to talk to me when I'm cutting. Like most I assume it's one thing if you injured yourself using equipment, its completely different if my occasional get it done mentality hurts someone else.

 

[2manyrocks]

I guess I could put my logging winch into the safety equipment category. In my forest I have issues with trees getting hung up. Now I can use the winch to pull them until gravity finally wins.

Doug in SW IA

I would add that adding pulleys to a winching rig can radically improve the power to free a stuck tree and redirect the fall so you aren't in the path of the fall.

 

[Egon]

Hard hat, face shield, proper boots, ( not just steel toes ) chainsaw pants, hearing protection, small hands no gloves, roll of duct tape, rags of various sorts.

 

[jyoutz]

Not just gloves, hard hat, eye/ear protection, chaps, steel toed boots with ballistic nylon tongues.

What first aid do you carry, while hoping that you never need it? I have a blood clot sponge and a military tourniquet, all in the pocket of my chaps. I'm thinking about moving them to someplace more accessible.

I wear the same, but don’t carry the first aid gear. I don’t cut alone.

 

[jjeff]

Wonder how many folks when dropping larger trees in wooded and hilly areas plan an escape route with multiple routes based on what the tree may do, if sheet hits the fan. I do anyway. I understand kevlar chaps would have definitely prevented my unfortunate but thankfully cosmetic leg injury but so would going into the woods with a sharpened chain beforehand.

 

[Oaktree]

Nothing... No glasses, no hearing protection, mainly wear shorts and sneakers.

I hope you're kidding.
I don't drop many full grown trees anymore, mostly smaller stuff, cleanup and cutting firewood. Glasses (which I wear all the time anyway), hearing protection, good quality boots (though not steel toed) and no loose clothing. Agree with comments about not using a saw when tired.
Last year bought a set of pallet forks to handle the logs when I cut them to length. Lot easier/safer to do that at waist height than either on the pile or ground.

 

[319Quahog]

I keep a small stop the bleed kit readily accessible. Tourniquet, quikclot, and a pressure dressing in a bright yellow pouch(cheapest and brightest I found). I don't always carry it with me, but keep it close by. I had to use it once when I was a dummy.

I need to make another kit for my UTV and tractor.

 

[jjeff]

Bug and tik repellant?

 

[jjeff]

Snake bite kit if your cutting in southern areas. Works good in northern regions however for getting embedded tik heads out in my experience.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Ear protection. Gloves if cold. Otherwise nothing. Wife wants me to get protective pants. She didn’t think it was funny when my carhartt got knicked and the red lining showed.

Not trying to be a wise guy, really want to know. How does one cut pants? What are the situations? Limbing/bucking, blade always headed away from my legs.
I wear glasses, sometimes, ear protection, sometimes, steel toe shoes, sometimes. yes, flirting with injury, but very situationally aware of dangers and surroundings.

 

[5030]

shorts, t-shirt, flip flops…..you know, the hard core protective gear.

But seriously, I wear a Stihl helmet with face shield & ear covers. Steel toe shoes. Can’t seem to warm up to wearing the chaps.

You will the first time you perform 'surgery' on your leg or some other soft tissue part of your body. Been there, did that and last time it took 130 stitches to close the 'field surgery' up and I have a real nice scar to remind me of my stupidity. I actually wear competition chaps now. Those, light gloves (I wear TIG welding calfskin gloves), a Stihl hard hat with muffs and a screen face shield (even though I have Echo saws, the Stihl helmet is one of the best available). Their saws, not so much. Too expensive and I'm not fond of electronic controlled carbs.

 

[jyoutz]

You will the first time you perform 'surgery' on your leg or some other soft tissue part of your body.

And chainsaw cuts are nasty.

 

[5030]

And chainsaw cuts are nasty.

Even a dull loop will cut pretty clean in soft tissue. My last one was with a 404 full tooth chipper, one I will never forget either.

 

[jjeff]

You cut enough you'll rip your pants with a chain hopefully it's not going full bore when it can really do some damage. After reading this thread and various experiences I may invest in some more proper PPE at minimum
use when I plan on making wood all day.

 

[jjeff]

Do they make fire resistant kevlar chaps? I can see myself getting sidetracked and starting another project or fixing something with a welder while still wearing chainsaw chaps.