The Rural Voice, 2006-10, Page 50Give gour
Steve Bowers
is a forester
and forest
owner, a
member of
the Huron -
Perth
Chapter of
the Ontario
Woodlot
Association
and
Stewardship Co-ordinator with the
Huron Stewardship Council.
Since fall is the time of year when
many folks head out to the woodlot to
cut firewood, I thought I'd talk a bit
about chainsaw safety this month.
The chainsaw is likely one of the
most dangerous tools most of us will
use, however it often doesn't receive
the respect it deserves.
I was a chainsaw safety instructor
for a number of years and in an effort
to emphasize the potential danger,
actually did the math to calculate how
many cutters on a chainsaw chain
would pass a given point in one
second. For a newer high rpm saw at
full throttle (some rev to 15,000 rpm
or more) in the time you say one
thousand and one, approximately the
same number of cutters pass by.
If you have an accident,
chainsaws don't make a nice clean
wound. They remove a quarter to
half inch wide swath of flesh or bone,
leaving behind an infectious mixture
of chain oil and wood chips. Of
course there's also the danger from
Somerville
izts
YouYour Ontario r
Woodlot Management
chainsaw the respect
falling trees and limbs or shifting
Togs.
Safety legislation is very specific
in precautions needed for workers
using chainsaws. We'd all be wise to
follow those same guidelines for
ourselves.
The legislation states that saws
must have chain that minimizes
kickback and a chain brake. All new
chains either have ramped or two
piece depth gauges that meet these
standards. If you have a really old
chain, replace it.
New saws have chain brakes that
are activated either by the inertia of a
kickback or by the front hand
contacting the lever. From personal
experience I know they work really
well. If your saw doesn't have a chain
brake. think about getting one that
does. It's also wise to be particularly
careful of the top half of the radius of
the bar tip, as that is the area that
causes most kickback.
Workers are also directed to wear
adequate personal protective
equipment. That includes eye,
hearing and head protection. The
hard hat assemblies with face screens
and ear muffs are definitely the way
to go.
Good quality safety pants are a
must. A friend of mine was cutting
brush and accidentally made contact
with his leg with a full -throttle saw.
Fortunately he was wearing a brand
new pair of safety pants. The pants
stopped the chain before causing him
any injury. I'm not sure if they
always work that well, but they're
"u"Seedlings and Transplants
Conifer, Deciduous and Wildlife Species
Member Forest Gene Conservation Association
Somerville Nurseries Inc.
5884 County Rd. 13, P.O. Box 1445, Everett, Ontario LOM 1J0
Tel: 705-435-6258 • Fax: 705-435-6259 • Email:trees@treeseedlings.com
46 THE RURAL VOICE
it deserves
definitely worth the investment.
Steel -toe boots and gloves are also
needed. Proper cutting gloves have
ballistic nylon in the back of the left
hand in case your hand slips off the
front handle and contacts the bar.
The law also states that the chain
must be stopped when not cutting.
Proper maintenance is important to
ensure the saw will idle without the
chain turning. A well -sharpened and
otherwise well-maintained saw cuts
better. is easier on both the worker
and saw and thus safer to use.
Workers must also receive
adequate training before using a saw.
The level of training required
depends on the type of work.
Professional loggers go through a
certification process that can last for
months.
For the weekend wood cutter a
one -day chainsaw safety course
would be a real asset if you can find
one or organize one for a group of
folks in your area. There are also
many references available. A good
one is "The Cutting Edge", a book
available at the Forest Shop
(www.forestshop.com).
As with any tool your skills will
develop as you use a chainsaw
(providing you're not developing bad
habits). However there's a lot more to
learn than what I've mentioned here
including felling techniques, dealing
with internal stresses in logs, felling
problem trees, etc.
Many folks only use a saw once in
a while and may not develop a lot of
expertise, so it's important to
recognize your skill level and not
attempt things you can't do safely.
If you have questions about
vgoodlot management or ideas for
topics you would like to see covered
in a future column, please contact
Steve Bowers at 519-482-3661 or
steve.bowers @ ontario.ca.0
Grain Markets
is not available this
month
It will return