Chainsaw Safety – Island Woodturners Guild

For many years, Al Lundgren has been our “go-to” member for information and advice concerning chainsaw safety, maintenance, and sharpening.

As a member of the IWA Local 1-80, Al was a major player in developing safety guidelines and training in the forest industry which were subsequently enacted into law in the early 2000’s. These measures had a huge impact in reducing the number of deaths and permanent disabilities amongst fallers. A short video by the B.C. Labour Heritage Centre honouring his efforts and discussing his involvement can be found HERE:

The following are his speaker notes for a 2023 presentation on Chainsaw Safety.

INTRODUCTION

In planning for a session on chainsaw safety, I was reminded of the similarities between what we do as wood turners and what we should be doing as chainsaw operators when gathering turning wood.

My background includes working in the woods for 40 years and falling timber for 34 of them. I also have an extensive background as a safety advocate consulting to IWA Canada, WorkSafe BC and the BC Forest Safety Council among others.

In 2015, I presented a session similar to this at the Island Woodturners Guild, in Brentwood Bay. I am still a member of the Guild, although a long-distance one now.

So, let’s first take a quick glance at woodturning:

Each of us has a standard work procedure and consistent steps that we take whenever working on the lathe. Some of what you use may be in the following.

We carefully and securely mount a block of wood on the lathe after studying how to get the best grain orientation out of the turning.

We turn it by hand to check for clearance.

The tool rest is adjusted to clear the wood and yet be close enough to support the bowl gouge properly.

We pick up our favourite bowl gouge, one that we previously had taken to the grinder to touch up the cutting edge before calling it a day.

We had inspected the cutting edges at that time to ensure we maintained the correct profile on the face and each side of the gouge.

We put on our personal protective equipment, which will vary for each of us. My preference is to use a zip-up smock and a full-face screen.

I have a large exhaust fan that is turned on at this time and because I use dry wood as a segmented turner, I always wear a good-quality dust mask.

At this time, the belt speed is checked and finally, after all that, the lathe is switched on and turning can begin.

Now let’s look at using a chainsaw:

Your neighbour gives you a call because he had a large black walnut felled and the wood is yours for the taking.

You quickly search under the lumber pile, find your chainsaw, shake off the dust and head over.

So, what is the first thing you do? For many, it will be to pull on the recoil to start the engine.

But remember how we prepared for woodturning? The last thing you did, in that case, was to start the machine, just as it should be for any chainsaw cutting.

And this is where we start the session.

SAFE CHAINSAW HANDLING

Is the wood secure?

Just as mounting a block of wood on the lathe, you must ensure that the wood you want to cut with a chainsaw is well secured.

Don’t do the following to secure the wood:

Have a buddy hold the block with his hands.

Support it with your feet inches from the running chain. Does any of this sound familiar?

When we adjust the tool rest to clear the turning, we need to follow a similar rule on the log we want to cut.

You need to inspect all sides of the log. Check the far side for loose chunks, limbs etc., that can be thrown back at you. Look under the log for rocks and other loose debris.

Remember that loose debris, chunks and limbs can be thrown directly toward your face if the running chain comes in contact with any of it.

And, of course, rocks and other parts of B.C. can ruin a chain in a heartbeat.

Is the Chain Sharp?

Since we know that it is critical to use sharp tools when turning wood on a lathe, it is just as important to cut wood with a sharp chain. We will talk about maintaining the chain and guide bar shortly.

The point is the saw should have been put away after use with a sharp chain ready for the next time. You will do a better job of filing at the end of the day than when you are in a hurry to use it the next time.

The chainsaws in manufacture today can run from about 8500 rpm to well over 12,000 rpm. For that reason, you should never have to push on the guide bar to make the chain cut.

Working with a dull chain is the same as pushing on a dull bowl gouge, only in this case, the results can be even worse than a simple catch on the lathe.

Is the saw ready to go?

So, if we have a sharp chain and a decent guide bar, let’s take a quick look at engine maintenance.

Find the manual that came with the saw, or go onto the net, or ask your chainsaw mechanic and check such things as sparkplug gap, carburetor adjustments etc.

Clean the air filter. The simplest and easiest thing to do, but oftentimes forgotten until the motor is gasping for air and your eyes are watering from all the exhaust smoke.

Always fill the oil pot with proper chainsaw oil whenever the fuel mix tank is filled. They are designed to empty at the same rate.

Inspect the little aluminum chain catcher under the clutch cover. If it is missing, the only thing that will catch a loose chain will be your knee.

Professional saws with full-wrap handlebars have traditionally made use of the handlebars as a chain catcher.

Go over the saw looking for any loose screws and secure them.

It can be a pain to have to do this maintenance just when you want to make a few cuts. But remember, if the maintenance had been done before putting the saw away, it would have been ready to go.

Are you wearing proper personal protective equipment?

Most people wear running shoes, blue jeans, tee shirt and a ball cap when running a saw.

Remember how you outfit yourself when turning a bowl?

Let’s compare the differences between wearing a regulation hardhat with a protective face screen and hearing protection, and then compare that to a baseball cap. Whew! That’s a bit scary.

A common location for serious cuts suffered from a kickback situation is your face and upper body, most especially when operating a lightweight chainsaw.

We will come back to this when we discuss pivot points.

You also really need leg protection devices like chaps to protect your legs in the event of a kickback. One of the common locations of serious injury from chainsaw users is your front left thigh.

Good footwear is a must. Hiking boots are a vast improvement over running shoes, offering good traction in various situations.

Professional fallers and other chainsaw users in the forest industry would never operate a chainsaw without having a pressure bandage and pocket first aid kit on their person. This a practice we all need to copy.

Chainsaw cuts are never pretty, and you need a pressure bandage to plug the hole.

To eliminate situations while working with a chainsaw, a single-bit axe, at least one plastic bucking wedge, spark plug/bar wrench, screwdriver, round file with handle and a fine-tooth flat file should be on hand.

A small pocket knife can be handy along with any other assorted tools like Allen wrenches required for your brand of saw.

Have a CSA approved fuel container filled with correctly mixed fuel. Don’t use a bleach bottle!!

Have a container of proper chain oil. The oil is available at various sources such as Canadian Tire or any saw shop. OK, a bleach bottle is OK for the chain oil.

If you prefer to wear gloves, use something thin like glove liners or other lightweight gloves. Heavy leather gloves and/or monkey-faced gloves will impact your ability to control the saw in the event of a kickback.

So, let’s look at what the pro’s do at the end of each day. The saw went through a visual inspection looking for missing screws, casting cracks etc. The fuel tank and oil pot were both filled. The air cleaner was cleaned. And since the machine was to be left on site until the next day, a cover was placed over the power head. This might be as simple as the wedge belt, and/or an undercut slab. The point is, when the faller arrived the next morning, the chainsaw was ready to work. Not 20 minutes later.

It is worth repeating, the pro’s always wear all the necessary personal protective equipment. As mentioned, this includes hearing, eye, hardhat and leg protection devices. It also includes proper footwear. And as previously mentioned, a pressure bandage and a pocket personal first aid kit will be included.

Do you have a Plan?

Never start cutting up a log without first considering the end result. Will the log swing towards you? lift up? Fall down? Or swing away from you?

Remember gravity will be towards the slope of the hill when bucking a log, not straight down.

You need to determine if the cut will bind and pinch the bar and chain. Conversely, will the log split open, catching the chain.

Determining the bind is extremely important to figure before you start cutting. Where is the balance point?

This is where the single-bit axe and bucking wedge become handy when the saw gets pinched. And yes, it happens to the best of the pros too!

Starting the Chainsaw Safely

So, after all that, we can finally start the saw.

Some chainsaws have a combination choke/part throttle/ignition switch. This will allow the saw to start at part throttle. The designer obviously never worked with chainsaws in the real world. So how do you safely start a saw, when it will run at part throttle?

All modern chainsaws come equipped with a chain brake mechanism and this can be helpful.

Locking the chain brake when starting a cold chainsaw will stop any potentially exciting moments with this design flaw. If you decide to try it, this practice will not harm the chain brake.

Most if not all saws have an enlarged pistol grip designed to allow for your foot to secure the saw to the ground when starting. This actually works. Try it.

CHAINSAW CONTROL

Since I have been hinting about kickback situations, let’s spend some time on this.

Kickback Zone:

The kickback zone on any guide bar is at the top front section of the guide bar, right where the chain starts to rotate down the front. This is the point where the rakers are no longer protecting the exposed front of the cutter teeth.

If you push the guide bar straight ahead into the cut, you can almost see the teeth grabbing more wood than it can cut, resulting in a kickback.

This is similar to taking your bowl gouge at 90 degrees and sticking it directly into a spinning block of wood on the lathe. You can almost see the gouge flying out of your hands toward the ceiling. Same thing.

I guess it could be said to never touch anything with the tip of the guide bar in the kickback zone, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t always be practical. However, if you can find an alternate method of attaining a clean cut without boring or coming in contact with limbs, then it should be considered.

Controlling the Chainsaw:

Use a proper stance when working with the saw for good balance. One leg slightly behind the other.

Always, always use two hands on the saw.

Maintain a comfortable grip, not too tight, to allow for reserve strength if a kickback occurs. Compare it to holding a golf club, baseball bat, shop broom etc.

Let’s talk about Pivot Points:

One-handed use has the kickback pivot point at your wrist. The saw will fly out of your grasp towards your face and upper body.

Two-handed bent elbow use, has the pivot point at your elbow and similar consequences as one-handed use.

Straight-arm use, keeps the pivot point at your shoulder, allowing the saw to fly to the clear above and behind you.

Do keep the saw close to your person for good control.

One thing to consider is that all chainsaws are designed for right-handed use. The ergonomics are designed that way, so they balance best with the right hand on the pistol grip and the left on the handlebar. All saws are awkward to use left-handed.

Helpers and Bystanders:

Let’s talk about those around you when you are controlling the chainsaw.

First of all, it is essential for someone to be with you whenever operating a chainsaw.

If you get cut and need a driver, a young child is of no use to you in this situation. Always have an adult with you.

Just as in turning, never let them stand in front of where you are cutting and most importantly never let them stand directly behind you.

Examples:

In the late 1970’s a Franklin River log truck driver died when struck in the chest with a flying tooth when it exploded off a running chain when he was standing in front of a landing bucker who was cutting a log.

I had a four-inch piece of chain break off and fly forward when bucking with an 090 Stihl and never recovered the missing section.

A TimberWest landing man was cut from his hand to his elbow when struck by a flying chainsaw that kicked out of a cut when he was standing directly behind the landing bucker.

A simple rule to follow if anyone enters your no-work zone:

Somebody walks in front. Shut down. Somebody walks behind, shut down. Somebody comes too close from the side, shut down. Easy….

Some other ideas:

If purchasing a new chainsaw, buy from a dealer. Canadian Tire and London Drugs are of no help if you need service work done.
The two top brands for the forest industry are Husqvarna and Stihl. I recommend both for home use as well. They cost a bit more but will reliably last for many years.
If purchasing another brand, check to see what the warranty is and make sure it is CSA approved as some are not.

Review:

Make sure the chain is sharp.
Make sure the saw runs well.
Wear the correct safety equipment.
Have the necessary fuel, oil and tools on hand.
Go with a buddy not a kid.
Let someone at home know where you are going and when you will return.
Don’t start a cut you cannot complete.
Remember your pivot points in event of a kickback.