chainsaw safety-tips?

[pdubdo]

I've been doing a lot of chainsaw work recently, but never used a chainsaw before about 9 months ago. Wear helmet/faceguard, safety chaps, and regular leather gloves. A lot of my work is all alone so I'd rather be overly cautious than injured. Any tips or habits y'all do to keep safe?

 

[Bigfoot]

I've lost 2 family members to chainsaw accidents. I wear all safety equipment, and never saw above my head. That last one may not be a safety precaution, but that's what got them.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I generally wear hearing and eye protection for minor or short jobs. Bigger or more prolonged work I'll put on my helmet that has muffs and a face guard. The best piece of advice I could give would be to slow down and take your time. A sharp chain is also a must. Many try and push a dull chain to far and get into problems.

 

[inyati13]

I agree with Bigfoot on the over head. Is there anything as risky as trees and chainsaws? I do it to, alone in remote rural area. I have all the equipment you mentioned. Including hardtoes and instep guard. If I did what my head tells me - I would not touch a chainsaw.

 

[cowgirl8]

Dead trees are called widow makers.
My husband was injured a few years ago. He's cut trees his whole life and wears all the protective gear and this accident, he's alive because he had it on. Cut down a small tree with no limbs, just straight up. Went the direction he intended...gave a thumbs up when it hit....out of the blue, a limb hit him on the head..jammed his neck and back. I took him to the ER to have it xrayed and thank goodness his neck wasnt broken.
This is what happened. The tree fell, when it did, part of it tipped another tree up high. What he didnt expect was a limb from another tree to snap, spring up, then come down and land on him... He said it was weird...the tree was down, i think he had time to comment.....then boom..No helmet he would have died. Replaced his old safety helmet that was now broken, with one even safer..
Another thing i remember seeing someone do, is they put a ladder on a limb they were going to cut. Once cut, the limb jumped up after losing the weight of the part they cut off, leaving the ladder with nothing to hold it...lol
Oh, last year my guys cut up a tree that fell with its roots still attached. When they cut the tree, the roots snapped back into place. The root hole had filled with water and it was down long enough for fish and turtles to make it home....They said there were fish flopping around everywhere... but to think that someone might be standing near or at the hole, could be deadly..They knew not to because our son had watched a youtube of one snapping back.....

 

[pdubdo]

If I did what my head tells me - I would not touch a chainsaw.

Exactly! On one hand, I love the efficiency and work I can get done in a day...but I always wish there was a better safer way.

 

[M-5]

Injuries from chainsaws constitutes to less than 1% of chainsaws sold annually . if you would factor in the number of saws in use you would prolly be in the .0 % range.

I use a saw quite frequently , I do not own a helmet , I wear glasses and most of the time I will slip on some boots when using it. Its just like anything else . If its your time to go it doesn't matter what the mechanism is its time to go.

 

[M.Magis]

I think the biggest danger is what you're cutting, not the saw itself.

 

[skyhightree1]

ive used a chainsaw a couple times and outside of the equipment others have mentioned only things I have to add is use common sense with them and if you lack it ....LEAVE THEM ALONE.. Keep a clear escape route when felling. If you are nervous and unsure of using a saw contact a professional or someone more experienced than yourself... I have a nice cut across my ankle from a saw and that was 1 too many.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Most dangerous tree to cut is a dead one 99% of the accidents I have seen is not knowing how to fell a tree or where it is going.
After Rita we had lots of widow makers on the ground if you were not paying attention you had no idea if the stump with attached root ball was going to come flying buy yor head or break over on you.

 

[Nesikep]

I'm no professional, but I tinker with a lot of saws.. Best advice is to work slow and give yourself an 'out'... limb any branches that might be in your way...

There's LOTS of excellent videos on youtube... search "WorksafeBC chainsaw safety" and you'll come up with a lot of them, including how to prevent and deal with jammed bars, predicting which way things will roll, etc.

another danger are 'barberchairs', where you cut most of the way through a standing tree, but instead of the 'hinge' flexing, the tree splits... and it's a VERY violent force.. Some species of trees are more prone to this than others

 

[Nesikep]

Depending on your skill, Get a "safety chain" that's less likely to kick back, and learn why saws kick back... Safety chains are a little slower cutting, but won't grab as hard and send the saw flying into your shoulder or head because of it.

Arboristsite.com has a forum and lots of tips about safety around trees as well

 

[JSCATTLE]

I guess because I grew up learning how to use most tools and run every piece of equipment on a construction site , I've never put this much thought into it .. all power tools come with some danger .. don't touch the chain to any part of you and don't get burned on the exhaust and you should be good .

 

[dun]

Chaps, never cut without them. I also where hearing, eye and head protection . My chaps I've been using for about 15 years. The other day I was putting them on and noticed a deep nick in one leg. Don;t recall how/when I got that. But without the chaps I guarantee I would know and remember.

 

[Nesikep]

I guess because I grew up learning how to use most tools and run every piece of equipment on a construction site , I've never put this much thought into it .. all power tools come with some danger .. don't touch the chain to any part of you and don't get burned on the exhaust and you should be good .

As simple as driving right? stay in your lane and don't rearend the guy in front of you, and you shouldn't have any (at fault) accidents

 

[talltimber]

I've used a saw on occasion, but not just a whole lot. I can read a tree decent enough as well, but I still get nervous. I had one at a crossing a while back that was partially dead in the top and a section all the way to the ground, I guess. Man I was nervous as a cat. Should have left it alone but didn't want it falling on a cow. It sat on the edge of a creek that was under cutting it too. The side I needed to cut from was on the edge of a six foot drop, nowhere to run from that side. So I had to cut the felling cut with saw upside down and my knees. Bad deal for me. My sil was down one day and had him come with me and watch the top and told him when he seen it starting to pull me in the direction I needed to go, then gth out of the way. It's down, nobody dead, good enough.

 

[Nesikep]

I had a big fir tree leaning over an access road.. BIIIG tree.. I was wanting to fall it, but thankfully it came down on it's own.. it was about 150 ft tall and 40" at the base.. probably weighed over 10 ton. Was lots of fun bucking it up and getting it out of the way

 

[Brute 23]

I hate chainsaws. Two things that I have noticed cause a lot of problems are dull chains and cutting out of position. Most close calls I have seen people were fighting the saw and/ or were not in a good position to control the saw if it kicked back.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Take a break when tired. You get into it, and huffing and puffing and make dumb choices or mistakes. Sit down for a minute and relax then get back at er. Stay sharp, stay focused and keep a good grip on it. Its one of those things you may not get a 2nd chance if you mess up.

I likely put a hundred hours on a saw a year.

 

[slick4591]

Safest chainsaw I know of.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/KFZDgd0ruGs[/youtube]