Chainsaw Safety (1981)

[music] [music] [music] Chainsaws are useful tools which must be used with caution and common sense. The extra muscle these power tools bring to wood harvesting [music] demands in turn an extra measure of safety awareness on your part. No matter what [music] your level of experience may be, >> good job. Good job. >> Thanks to your good advice. Well, >> let's go clean it up. >> Okay. As with other types of power equipment, things can happen fast with the chainsaw. Dangerous things. Among the more treacherous of which is kickback. Observing kickback in slow motion. We can see that when the tip of a moving chain comes into contact with another object, the bar and chain may be snapped upward unexpectedly with considerable force. This particular >> knowing the cause of kickback leads many prospective chainsaw purchasers to consider a safety feature which is designed into some models. >> What's that for? >> This one, for example, has shielding on the nose of the cutting bar. >> Helping to prevent the whirling chain from making contact and helping to eliminate kickbacks on the back. Another worthwhile safety feature to consider when you're selecting a chainsaw >> is the chain brake. >> It will stop the chain from turning if you get in a kickback situation, which works like this. >> A device to stop the chain immediately after the brake is tripped or the power is turned off. >> We're going to be cutting trees down that are about 6 or 8 in in diameter. >> Size is another safety factor. to be a little heavy. >> Lightweight saws require less exertion, putting you under less of a physical strain. >> So, it's a good idea to buy a saw with a cutter bar no larger than will be required for the largest size timber you'll cut. >> 14. >> Hi. Do you have any questions about the saw? >> Yeah. Is this a safety device? That's right. That's a handguard. Look for guards over the sprocket and the rear portion of the chain, which will prevent your hands from coming into contact with the blades accidentally. >> Control the saw. >> I was looking at this one over here and I noticed it didn't have it. >> That's a professional type of saw. It's an option on these saws. Now, one feature they do have is a spark artor and a top-mounted front exhaust. What this does is keeps the exhaust blowing across the chips, >> but the chain is not the only source of danger. On gasoline powered saws, make sure the exhaust is directed away from you as you use the saw. >> Once you've decided on the right combination of safety and performance features for your chainsaw, there are additional measures you can take to asssure that your purchase cuts only what you intend for it to cut. First and foremost, read the owner's manual. Be sure you understand all the instructions before you attempt to operate the saw. Review the owner's manual frequently. With the exception of professional loggers, few chainsaw operators use their saws often enough to remember all the details, especially on procedures they haven't done before. The clothing worn while using a chainsaw will help to protect you from some of the hazards that are attendant to the work at hand. A hard hat with eye protection for the time when the chips start to fly or goggles or safety glasses worn separately, but always with the hard hat. Safety shoes will give you a margin of safety. Non-slip soles are especially important when working in the woods. Dure grip gloves are necessary for maximum control over your saw. And hearing protection of some sort, earplugs, ear muffs is recommended. Between your protective headgear and your protective shoes, all your clothing should be trim fitting. Choose garments loose enough for comfort, but snug enough not to catch on anything. Generally, operating a chainsaw safely is a oneperson operation, but it's recommended that you have a buddy along for help in emergencies. The answer may be to work with someone who can alternate with you on the more tiring tasks, thus reducing the fatigue of sawing and decreasing the chances of an emergency. While one of you is clearing the work area so that the chain will not touch anything except the wood to be cut, the other can begin to give the chainsaw itself a lastminute safety check. Look for any loose bolts and screws and tighten them if you find any. Inspect the chain for proper tension and sharpness. Check the chain lubrication. The owner's manual will spell out how to adjust the tension and illustrate how to sharpen the chain if either of these is necessary. A sharp extra chain will relieve you of more sharpening than the occasional touch-up that may be needed. Look over the guide bar for any signs of damage such as nicks, dents, or a bent bar. A damaged guide bar should be repaired or replaced before the saw is used. Check to see that the handles are clean and dry. The mechanical steps for priming and starting your saw may vary according to directions in the owner's manual, but the usually recommended safety procedure is to have the saw resting firmly on clear ground to start it. Never start it on your leg or knee. After starting, oil the chain and take the time to be sure that the chain does not rotate when the controls are in the idle position. If the chainsaw does move during idle, adjust the idle speed. Should the chain still move, play safe. Don't use the saw until it has been repaired. If you don't hold the saw correctly, your hand may slip into the path of the moving chain. Play safe with the proper grip. Grasp the forward handle with the left hand, wrapping your fingers over the top of the handlebar with the thumb around it from below. The web of your hand between index finger and thumb should always contact the bar. With the left hand maintaining its grip on the forward handle, the right hand grasps the rear handle with the index finger in contact with the throttle trigger. Always hold a running chainsaw firmly using both hands. Once through the wood, the saw will swing rapidly downward where you don't want any part of your body to be. So get in the habit of thinking about where the cutting chain will be when the cut is complete and move away from any downward or outward path the saw chain might take. Keep a picture in your mind also of the possible direction of kickback. In fact, the danger of kickback is so great when working near small, flexible, thick set branches that this kind of trimming should always be done with other tools. Chainsaws and small branches, brush or shrubbery can be killer combinations. At the other extreme, felling large or even medium-sized trees is a complicated job. If you're only an occasional wood harvester, you'd be wise to leave the big ones to the professionals. Even when the power is off, get in the habit of carrying the saw with the cover on and with the guide bar and chain pointed behind you. Point the bar to the front only if you're going downhill. When a saw is in use, the muffler can get hot enough to burn you. So, carry the saw with the muffler away from your body. >> A guide bar sheath will protect the saw from accidental damage should you drop it or bump something. And anything that protects the saw ultimately protects you. >> This looks like it ought to go right in there. >> In felling [music] a tree, as in diving into a pool, look first. Look for wind. If wind is moving the top of the tree, it's introducing an element of unpredictability. Do your cutting later on a still day. Look for those dead limbs or branches called widow makers that may shake loose and fall on you while you're cutting the tree. Look for other trees or buildings that the falling tree might encounter, compounding the problem of bringing it down. Call the power company about power lines that may be in the way. They'll work with you usually to clear lines safely. Look at the structure of the tree itself. Is it unbalanced with heavy limbs on one side so that it will be more difficult to manage the direction of its fall? If your good look reassures you that the tree you selected is relatively free of hazards, the next step is to pick a clear path to a safe place to stand when the tree falls for both yourself and anyone with you. You usually are safe standing behind a larger tree off to the side and away from the tree being cut. If you're on a hillside, you must stand on the uphill side of the tree. Stand with your feet well braced and comfortably spread for good balance. With the chain oiled and the throttle fully open, start the undercut. The beginning of a notch on the side of the tree in the direction of fall. Cut the notch about 1/4 the diameter of the tree. The second cut finishes the notch or undercut, angling down to meet the first cut. The back cut is made opposite the notch, square with the trunk, and parallel to the bottom of the notch. But note that the back cut should be an inch or so higher than the bottom of the notch to provide for a hinge. The felling cut should not go through to the undercut the first time. As the saw approaches the notch, slow down and control the rate of cut very carefully. You should have your wedges and maul handy because you may need to drive a wedge behind the saw to keep from pinching the cutter bar. >> Wood or plastic wedges should be used if there is any danger that the wedge tip might come in contact with the chain. >> Take it down, Jim. >> Always make a lastm minute check to see that other people are out of danger before completing the back cut. When the tree starts to go, call your warning and be ready to set the saw down and go. TIMBER. >> Keep an eye out for falling limbs or bouncebacks when the trunk of the tree hits the ground. A tree small enough so that an assistant can push it probably will be too small for a wedge. But both you and your assistant should maintain a heads up attitude, alert to any reasons for leaving the area and super alert not to fall over each other should a gust of wind or a rotten place in the trunk cause the tree to fall in the wrong direction. Freeing a tree that has lodged in a nearby tree or trees is an extremely hazardous undertaking. It shouldn't be left to snare the unsuspecting, but you'll need professional help to dislodge it before it comes tumbling down on you or someone else. Trimming and bucking the fallen tree calls for all the precautions you observed while bringing it down, plus a few more. Specifically, do not work too close to your helpers, especially to anyone swinging an axe, and never allow anyone else to hold the wood as you cut it. Trim the limbs from the fallen trunk while standing on the opposite side of the tree. If the down tree is on a hillside or if the trunk is likely to roll when some of the limbs are cut, stand on the uphill side. Let the chainsaw do the work. Don't try to force the saw through the cut. >> Must be out of gas. >> An opportune time to bring up ways to avoid burns and fires. The chainsaw should always be turned off before adding fuel. Clear the area of any flammable debris before placing a hot saw down to cool. Avoid spilling the fuel if possible. Replace the fuel caps on both the saw and the gas can tightly and wipe up any spills. move well away from the fueling area and the fuel container before trying to start the saw. Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Trimming and bucking. You may have noticed that an experienced wood cutter starts cutting the limbs at the butt end of the tree and works toward the top. If the part you're cutting is compressed, cut partway through on the underside first and then make the finished cut on the top side. Some bent limbs or small trees may split lengthwise when the tension is released and spring back to injure you. When the branches have been removed, start bucking the wood into lengths appropriate for your fireplace or wood stove. Stay alert to the situation. If the saw seems pinched in a cut, make a new cut opposite coming through the wood from the other direction or use a wedge to relieve tension on the saw. Take your finger off the throttle trigger between cuts, but start all cuts at top speed, full throttle, and continue to cut at top speed. The saw may chatter, bounce before biting into the log. Chatter is worse at low speeds. First aid ought to be the last resort of the chainsaw operator. While you should always have a kit along just in case all that work raises blisters on your hands, if you observe all the rules of chainsaw safety, and if you never [music] attempt the risky operations that should be left to experienced wood handlers, you should be able to come away without ever opening up that kit. Cut wood and only wood. Practice chainsaw safety.