Chainsaw Safety

Details

• Personal Author:
  Vance NK
• Description:
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people are injured by chainsaws annually, and that number continues to grow. Medical costs for chainsaw injuries based on these facts amount to about 350 million dollars per year. Kickback, binding, and pull-in are injuries from chainsaws that are highly documented on each state's fact sheets. The kickback of a chainsaw occurs when the teeth on the chain catch on something as they rotate around the tip of the blade. The teeth may have enough force to cause the blade to kick back violently toward you, hence the term "kickback." Chainsaw kickback could also happen when the nose of the blade strikes another object or starts to bore a cut improperly or when the blade nose or tip catches the bottom or side of a cut during reinsertion. See picture to the right for example. Binding (or pinching) occurs when the material you're cutting clamps down and stalls the cutting chain inside of the kerf (or cut). Binding can lead to kickback, pushback, and pull-in. Be aware of how the weight of the branch or log can shift and bind the saw when you are cutting. Learn cutting techniques that help avoid binding. The proper use of appropriate felling and bucking wedges can also help prevent binding. Pull-in occurs when the chain at the bottom of the bar stops suddenly due to pinching or striking a foreign object, immediately drawing the saw forward. To help minimize pull-in, start your cut with bumper spikes set against the branch or log you're cutting and make sure you cut only when the saw is up to full speed. Be aware of weight shifts or situations that can bind the saw. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Before you even think about cranking the saw and starting to cut, protect yourself. ALWAYS wear protective clothing and gear, including: Leg protection; such as chaps or cut-resistant pants; Hard hat; Gloves with an enhanced gripping surface and cut resistance; Eye protection with side shields; Hearing protection; such as earplugs or earmuffs; Boots or shoes with steel toes and non-skid soles. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Health Promotion Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Safety Chain Saws Equipment Operation Health Promotion Injury Prevention Personal Protective Equipment PPE Public Health Safety Education Tools
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054009
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2018 Oct; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d4f0c801e1fb41047a3b7c2e11be09a0a6ff1ec9d04e7f11fa93ed83e20e330bc7c0325d7ab04cd1d0c14761cb1cfec003cadce1c495868a016321118ce14ceb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216660/cdc_216660_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 420.15 KB ]