Chainsaws are popular tools for both homeowners and professionals because they have so many uses – tree trimming, cutting firewood, cleaning up after storms, etc. Although chainsaws are handy, they are potentially dangerous and must be used carefully to avoid serious injury.
Personal Protective Equipment
You need protection from both the saw and the trees and limbs you are cutting. Your clothing should be well fitting and not have any loose pieces that could become caught in the chain. Protective chaps, leggings and pants are available, and they provide protection if the saw chain should come in contact with your legs. If protective gear is damaged by saw contact, it should be replaced and not reused. A hard hat is important. When you start cutting a tree or limb, loose or dead limbs may fall. Also, improper use of the saw could allow the bar and chain to contact your head.
Safety goggles or a full face shield is critical. Never operate a chainsaw without them! Ear protection is also important. When you combine the engine noise with the chain noise, a modern chainsaw can exceed 90 dBA, a level that requires hearing protection. Gloves will help protect your hands and also provide some cushioning from vibration. Finally, you should wear substantial shoes – preferably steel-toe work boots.
Kickback
Kickback occurs when the saw chain grabs the wood or is pinched, and this causes the bar and chain to kick back toward the operator. Low-kickback chains are required on all small homeowner saws (those less than 3.8 cu. in.). Larger saws used by professionals may or may not have low-kickback chains, but they are available and recommended. You can also minimize kickback by not letting the chain at the tip of your bar contact anything. Kickback can cause the bar and chain to pivot back toward the operator abruptly. Always stand to the side; never have any part of your body directly behind or above the bar and chain!
Fuel Safety
Gasoline engines on chain saws are two-stroke and require oil mixed with the gasoline. Never fuel a hot engine; allow it to cool first. Be careful not to spill fuel on the engine or saw. Refuel the saw at a site at least 10-20 feet away from where you will be running the saw. Be sure to clean the filler cap on the saw and the top of the fuel container before refueling to avoid fuel contamination. You should add bar and chain oil every time you fill the fuel tank.
Cutting
Avoid cutting overhead. Do not climb a tree or ladder with a chainsaw; leave that to a professional who will climb and then pull the saw up on a rope. Plan your cuts based on how the tree or limb will try to fall naturally to avoid pinching the saw chain or being injured. On anything other than small trees (less than about 3 inches in diameter) you should make a preliminary cut or notch on the side where you want the tree to fall, then make the felling cut from the backside a couple of inches above the first cut or notch.
It is often good insurance to fasten a rope or cable to the tree and pull it in the direction you want it to fall because it is difficult for an amateur to predict the direction the tree will fall. If you do use a rope or cable, be sure it is at least 50 percent longer than the height of the tree. When cutting limbs, be aware of any load on the limbs and cut carefully. Limbs can spring when cut. When cutting limbs from downed trees, stand on the side of the trunk opposite the limb(s) you are cutting. It is dangerous to cut dead trees; branches may be loosened by the saw vibration and fall on you.
Chainsaws are useful tools for a homeowner – especially in the Coastal South where we have lots of trees and lots of storms – but they are dangerous if improperly used. Wear proper personal protective equipment and treat the saw with utmost care and respect.