What safety equipment do you have when running chainsaw?

[jjeff]

I've known a few people that were deathly afraid of chainsaws. If your not cautiously comfortable using one no matter how much PPE your wearing don't use it imo. When I make wood and have help I delegate them the limb hauling, wood splitter operator, and stacker jobs. Making sure my help knows before approaching I see them and they never approach me from behind same when I'm operating equipment.

 

[Rockbadchild]

My grandfather (like my father) was a lumberjack, he started cutting wood at 16 year old before the chainsaw was a thing. Later in life the saw mill he work for nominate him to go at the yearly lumberjack competitions, it was an honor to be sent there to compete amongst the best in the industry. The main event was he had to fall a post (simulating a tree) on a pin (the closest to the pin wins), he carefully made his notch and fell it, he got tunneled vision has he looked at it going down and hitting the pin dead center and sinking it to the ground.... But he didn't win because the procedure was (still is) to take 3 step back as the tree falls.... that story did stick in my dad head and when he was at his turn falling trees, one time he fell one and did his 3 step back and a dead ''widow maker'' that he failed to see fell right next to him where he would've been standing if he didn't step back... that was the beginning of the end for his lumberjack career, with 3 kids at home it was a wake up call and he called it a quit at the end of that season.

 

[dieselscout80]

Hearing protection, chaps, Tourniquet and gloves.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

First Aid?

At home, it's all in the house. When I do disaster relief calls, it's in the trailer but I'm not sure what we have. Setting up the trailer tomorrow, so now I know to make that a priority

 

[Jstpssng]

First: getting the job done
Second: making money (or for most of us, avoiding going broke)
Third: doing it as safely as possible while meeting #1 and #2.

Nope. Getting the job done is hard when you're on the way to the ER.
Making money is hard when you're laid up for 3 months.

 

[shooterdon]

Gloves, glasses, chaps when I was using the saw to buck logs or clearing a downed tree.

I had an accident 2 1/2 years ago and that was my wake up call. I fractured a vertebra, but it could have been worse. I was working alone.

I no longer use a saw much. The processor does the cutting.

BTW, I was tired and trying to finish up a load when I had the accident. An old man that still thinks he is 30 will get bit. A young man who is foolish will get bit too.

 

[319Quahog]

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.

These are pretty much the gold standard. They run sales from time to time.

Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T)

The CAT uses a windlass system with free-moving internal band to provide true circumferential pressure in the event of a traumatic wound with significant hemorrhage.

www.narescue.com

 

[319Quahog]

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.

This was only 15 stitches. Glad I had my stop the bleed kit nearby. Pressure dressing got it controlled so I could drive to the hospital. The thousand dollar bill from the emergency room visit was pretty darn annoying.

 

[paulsharvey]

Nope. Getting the job done is hard when you're on the way to the ER.
Making money is hard when you're laid up for 3 months.

If you didn't do anything that has some risk, you'd do nothing. It's about understanding the risk, managing those that can reasonably be managed, and being careful. That's all things in life. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have chaps and face shield; and in general, a first aid kit around. I also don't feel the need to have full welding sleeves, and leather jacket to weld, But I do make sure to wear a mask (I don't do the turn away for a quick tack method). I dont wear a seat belt in the SxS or tractor (unless I'm about to do something sketchy), but I do in a vehicle, on the road. It's all about acceptable risks, what is or is not acceptable to each person. I wouldn't tell someone to never use a saw without chaps/helmet/faceshield/turnicit, but I wouldn't discourage it either.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
There's a difference between risk and working foolishly. My plan begins with going home at the end of the day.