Basic Chainsaw Safety

&

Directional Felling

Course Outline• Why we train

• Required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Safety features of the chainsaw

• Safely starting a chainsaw

• Reactionary forces when operating a chainsaw

• Developing a safe felling plan

• Properly notching and felling a tree

Manual vs. Mechanical Felling

Why We Train:Risk and Hazard

Mitigation

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Required PPE when operating a chainsaw:• Eye protection

• Hearing protection• Head protection• Leg protection• Foot protection

• Personal first aid kit

Eye Protection

Face Screen

Safety Glasses

Hearing Protection

Ear Muffs

Head Protection

Hard Hat

Leg Protection – Why It Is Needed

Types of Leg Protection

Images courtesy of http://www.stihlusa.com/

How Leg Protection Works

How Leg Protection Works

Front side of chaps Back side of chaps

How Leg Protection Works

Foot Protection

• Leather Boots are NOT cut-resistant

• Saw hands are required to wear cut-resistant footwear

Personal first aid kit

Safety Features of the Chainsaw

•Chain brake

•Throttle inter-lock

•Chain catch peg

Chain Brake

Throttle inter-lock

Chain Catch Peg

Proper Grip For Holding the Saw

Reactionary Forces

Pulling Chain

Pushing Chain

Bottom Quadrant or The Attack Corner

ATTACK CORNER

Kick-back Zone

Kick-Back Zone

Safely Starting a Chainsaw

Ground Starting

Leg Lock Start

Safely Starting the Chainsaw

Properly Felling a Tree

Developing a Felling Plan

The Felling Notch

Notch Angle

Correct Notching

Avoid By-Passed Notching

Cutting the Notch

The Felling Plan

1.Overhead Hazards2.Side Lean/ Good Side;Bad Side3.Escape route4.Proper Hinge Wood5.Back Cut

Overhead Hazards

Bad Side Good Side

Escape

Direction of fall

450

450

Proper Hinge Wood

• Function of the hinge wood

• Proper hinge width

• Role of tree species in determining hinge width

Function of the Hinge Wood

Proper Hinge Width

Tree Species & Hinge Width

Photos courtesy of http://cnre.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/factsheets.cfm

Body Placement

Two Types of Back Cuts

• Conventional back cut• Controlled release back cut

Conventional Back Cut

Controlled Release Back Cut

Conclusion

The SHARP Logger Program would like to thank the following groups for making this training possible:

Disclaimer: Commercial products pictured in this training are for informational purposes only. Virginia Cooperative Extension does not endorse these products and does not intend discrimination against other similar products.

• Forestry Mutual Insurance Company• Bob Shank – Shank Logging• Ontario Hardwoods Inc.

Training Completion