Chainsaw Manual for Homeowners. Brian J. Ruth
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Accident Location and Frequency
Here’s why:
■ The chain in a chainsaw can move up to 68 mph. That is incredibly fast and you are holding that speed in your hands.
■ At full speed, more than 600 teeth will pass a given point per second. You cannot possibly react fast enough to get a hand, arm, leg, or your head out of the way.
■ Eighty-five percent of chainsaw injuries come from contact with a moving chain.
■ There are more than 100,000 chainsaw-related injuries every year in the United States. In 2007, the U.S. Product Safety Commission estimated that more than 26,000 chainsaw injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms.
■ The average number of stitches from a chainsaw accident is 110.
■ A chainsaw is one of the world’s most dangerous handheld power tools—especially in the hands of a new user.
■ There are good reasons why the chainsaw is a prop in many horror movies.
Had enough? Me too.
Rather than giving you a long list of safety rules at this point, I’m going to discuss the problem more broadly, to help you understand the risks involved as well as your strategies for minimizing each risk.
LEARNING SAFETY
If you are a new chainsaw user or even if you have used one a few times before, here is my recommendation for the best way to learn about chainsaw safety. First, read this book cover to cover to get an understanding of how a chainsaw works and how to use one safely. Then, read the owner’s manual for your particular chainsaw, because it should make more sense after reading this book and will have additional information that will apply to your particular saw. Next, read the “Important Safety Rules” in your owner’s manual, because by then you will understand why they are important. And finally, think about safety and ask about safety while you learn how to use your chainsaw. Make it a habit to put on your safety gear, and think about safety, every time you use the saw. Take personal responsibility for not hurting yourself or anyone else while you work. Make it a point of personal pride.
Danger Points
I would like to mention right up front that I think there are three danger points when using a chainsaw.
■ Danger No. 1: The Saw.
■ Danger No. 2: The Tree.
■ Danger No. 3: You.
We have already discussed the frequency and seriousness of chainsaw accidents, that in a recent year more than 26,000 chainsaw injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms, and the fact that it takes 110 stitches to close the typical chainsaw wound. There is no question that the chainsaw is a dangerous tool. However, you might be surprised to learn that although eighty-five percent of injuries come from contact with the moving chain, ninety percent of deaths related to chainsaw accidents are caused by trees or branches falling on the chainsaw operator or on bystanders.
Trees and parts of trees are large, heavy, and unpredictably springy. A large limb weighs several hundred pounds and a tree trunk might weigh several tons. A limb that is bent under the weight of the fallen tree can spring free with deadly force. For this reason it’s important that you learn to tell when a tree is leaning (here), what is a widow-maker (it’s any chunk of tree that might break loose while you’re standing underneath), how to read the tension in a limb, how to plan an escape route (here), and what is the correct sequence to follow when you want to fell a tree (here).
As for you, a casual attitude about chainsaw safety is perhaps your biggest risk. By this I mean you deciding for whatever reason that you can do without your personal protective equipment. You deciding that you are fit enough to hoist a heavy saw all day long, without stopping to rest. You deciding you can continue working even when the daylight has faded into dusk, and even though you’re tired, hot, and thirsty. You deciding that you are immune to the risks, and exempt from safe practices. You forgetting even for a moment that you yourself are responsible for not hurting yourself or anyone else with your chainsaw.
As for me, I find that taking the time to put on my safety gear helps me anchor my attitude in the safety zone and focus on what I’m doing.
A widowmaker is any large, broken limb high up in a tree, so-called because when you start to work on the tree, the limb is liable to bust loose and fall. The wind blew this one down just two days after the first photo was taken. Anyone underneath would have been severely injured, if not killed. More here.
It’s physically demanding to work with a chainsaw, so you need to take breaks often and stop when you are tired. With the physical work of sawing while wearing a full kit of safety gear, heat stress may also become a risk. Drink plenty of liquids, stop to cool down, and plan your work for the coolest part of the day.
Sawing Overhead
It’s very tempting to reach overhead to cut low limbs and branches from the tree trunk. There are two problems. The first problem is, the branch may suddenly break free and fall on you. If you are on a ladder, it will knock you off. The other problem is, the end of the branch may start dropping well before you sever it completely. When the tips of the branches hit the ground, the supple young growth may behave like a spring, propelling the whole limb back toward the tree trunk. And that is where you are standing—or perched up on your ladder. Down you go, with a running chainsaw in your hand. Not good!
To remove low branches, use a hand-powered bow saw. For overhead work, try a pole saw or a long-handled pair of loppers (see Chapter 5, Project 4, here).
THE RULES
I have a few safety rules that I always follow. There are only five of them. I agree that lists of rules are tedious and boring, but this is a chainsaw we’re talking about. Please read and think about these five rules.
■ Rule No. 1: It’s smart, not wussy, to know your own limits and know when to call in a professional. The cost of the pro will always be less than the cost of an accident. A lot less.
■ Rule No. 2: Do not work without personal protective equipment. Just don’t. Take the time to put it on especially when it is only a few cuts. If the weather is too hot for safety gear, it’s too hot for you to work. Maybe start again in the cool of the early morning.
■ Rule No. 3: Do not attempt anything that you aren’t sure about. You can always shut off the saw to plan the sequence of cuts and rehearse the moves. Make sure you understand when and where that heavy limb is liable to fall, and how you won’t be in its path.
■ Rule No. 4: Keep two hands on the handles of the running saw. If you need to use one hand for something else, first shut the saw off and put it down on the ground. You can’t cut your hands when they’re wrapped around the saw’s handle, and you’re much less likely to lose control of the saw.
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