![]() You can also engage the brake manually by pushing forward on the chain brake. The inertia chain brake usually stops the chain in the event of a kickback. The good news is that chainsaws are safer nowadays than they were previously, without compromising utility. Unfortunately, if you have an accident with a chainsaw, you’re never going to need just one stitch.” Most professional loggers also wear bright safety vests as an added safety measure. As Anita Gambill, spokesperson for Stihl power equipment, explains it, “Chainsaw chaps cost about as much money as one stitch in the emergency room. Ken Palmer, a professional arborist and safety expert, estimates that 75 percent of all chainsaw injuries could be avoided by wearing these three pieces of PPE. There are three critical pieces of gear a logger’s helmet for head, face, eye and hearing protection, chaps to prevent cuts to the legs, and steel toe boots for good footing, ankle support, and toe protection. Even if you’re just trimming a tree or cutting a little firewood, proper safety gear is the single most important factor in preventing injuries. It is easy to rationalize that you don’t use a chainsaw enough to invest in safety gear. So let’s take a look at what it takes to safely cut down, “fell,” a tree. It may hit a dead snag on the way down, or hang up in another tree, leaving you with the dangerous task of getting it the rest of the way down. Falling trees can kick back, roll, or fall in an unintended direction. Dead branches – called “widow-makers” – can come crashing down at any time with the slightest gust of wind, or even the vibration of the chainsaw. Hearing loss and tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) from the 110-decibel scream of the engine is almost universal among the old-time loggers. ![]() Branches can spring back and snap bones, and falling or rolling logs weighing over 1,000 pounds have incredible crushing force. The blade can throw wood chips into your eye at over 60 miles per hour. There are other ways chainsaws can hurt you. If that is not enough to get your attention, search YouTube for “chainsaw accident” – but only if you have the stomach for it. According to OSHA, in 2012, 243 workers died while engaging in tree trimming and clearing activities.Medical costs for chainsaw accidents average around $350 million per year.The average chainsaw injury requires 110 stitches, with an average cost of $12,000 in medical bills.There were about 36,000 chainsaw-related hospital emergency room visits in 2013.Bureau of Labor Statistics, puts logging as the most hazardous occupation.Ĭonsider these sobering statistics compiled by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the U.S. But even in the hands of trained professionals, they are respected for their dangerous side which, according to the U.S. Almost every country-dwelling homesteader has at least one, and most of us are proud of our mastery over the tool. In the right hands, they are capable of cutting trees for clearing land, producing lumber or firewood, and even rough (very rough) construction framing. Be sure you know how to fell a tree safely before getting started.Ĭhainsaws are remarkable tools. Using the right techniques is essential to learn how to cut down a small tree with a chainsaw.
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