Training a Must for Safe Chain Saw Use

Almost anyone can manage to get a chain saw started. But when it’s put in the hands of a person that has no training and/or no time for skill development, the potential for chain saw-related injury is everywhere.

According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, there were more than 28,500 chain saw injuries in 1999 alone. The average chain saw injury requires 110 stitches, with about 40 percent affecting the legs and knees, and a close second being the left hand and wrist at about 35 percent. If chain saw operators would wear chaps or chain saw pants and keep both hands on the saw, we could reduce injuries by as much as 75 percent.

In order to increase safety and reach a true level of competence and proficiency, the following components are vital for chain saw operators:

The fact is that decision-making is often based on personal experience and/or a mixture of the experiences of co-workers. How many times have you heard, “We’ve done it before and it worked out okay – I’m not sure what went wrong”?  There are at least two problems with this type of decision-making process:

1. Although experience is an essential part of skill development, it can be a very dangerous teacher as well. Workers can experience way too much pain and suffering just to “chalk one up to experience.”

2. It is dangerous to base our critical decisions on what we have “gotten away with before.” That would be flirting with disaster, because each tree is at least a little different from the next and conditions can change from one cut to the next.

Chain saw operators have to be able to think on their feet and adjust to their surroundings. Accidents can be dramatically reduced and productivity dramatically increased, when workers have the information and knowledge they need to make good decisions. The more they have developed the skill sets required to safely and productively carry out chain saw operations, the safer and more productive they will be.
 
Proper training is imperative to identify and understand the many factors involved in professional chain saw use. With today’s chain saw technology, safety, skill and productivity can be attained with a thorough understanding of:

It’s true that proper training represents an investment of time and resources on your part. However, that investment will pay off with long-term benefits like improved productivity and reduced risks on the job. And in the end, it’s impossible to put a “price tag” on your safety and the safety of those you work with.

The author is president and CEO of ArborMaster Training, Inc.

October is National Chain Saw Safety Month. Lawn & Landscape Online has partnered with Husqvarna to produce a series of articles that will be appearing throughout the month to educate and enhance awareness regarding the safe operation of chain saws.