CHAIN SAW OPERATOR'S SAFETY MANUAL A CHAIN SAW IS DESIGNED TO CUT WOOD, AND CAN BE DANGEROUS. CARELESS OR IMPROPER USE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS OR EVEN FATAL INJURY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS OF THIS MANUAL, AND THAT YOU ALLOW ONLY COMPETENT ADULTS WHO UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION IN THIS MANUAL TO OPERATE YOUR CHAIN SAW. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY PERSONS WHO USE YOUR CHAIN SAW HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THIS MANUAL. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ...........................................................2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ...............................................................3 GENERAL SAFETY .......................................................................4 INTRODUCTION Chain Saw Operator ..........................................................................5 Manuals .............................................................................................6 Personal Equipment. ..................................................................... 6-7 Required Tools. ..................................................................................8 CHAIN SAW SAFETY FEATURES General ..............................................................................................9 Safety Features. .......................................................................... 9-10 Cutting Equipment ..................................................................... 12-14 POTENTIAL DANGERS Severe Laceration . ...........................................................................15 What is Kickback?...................................................................... 16-17 Avoiding Kickback ...................................................................... 18-19 Avoiding Kickback Your Equipment . ...................................... 20-21 Carbon Monoxide Poisoning . ..........................................................22 Hearing Loss . ..................................................................................22 Vibration Injury . ...............................................................................23 Crushing, Fracture or Puncture. ......................................................24 Burns, Fire . ......................................................................................25 BEFORE STARTING/AFTER STARTING Safety Check.............................................................................. 26-28 Carrying the Saw . ...........................................................................28 Starting the Saw. .............................................................................29 Holding the Saw . .............................................................................30 After Starting the Saw . ....................................................................30 Stopping the Saw . ...........................................................................30 BASIC WORKING TECHNIQUES General Rules . .................................................................................31 Reactive Forces ...............................................................................31 Boring Cut . .......................................................................................32 Felling ........................................................................................ 33-35 Lodged Trees ............................................................................. 36-37 Limbing ............................................................................................37 Cutting Logs .....................................................................................38 Cutting Shrubs, Brush, etc . ..............................................................39 Cutting Trees or Limbs under Tension. ............................................40