Echo 99944200532 manual Kickback, Clear the Work Area

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Clear the Work Area

•Spectators and fellow workers must be warned, and children and animals prevented from coming nearer than 15 m (50 ft.) while the

unit is in use.

Use Proper Clothing & Equipment

•Always wear head protection with full face shield to help protect against falling branches and debris.

Keep A Firm Grip

• Hold the front and rear handles with both hands with thumbs and fingers encircling the handles

Keep A Solid Stance

•Maintain footing and balance at all times. Do not stand on slippery, uneven or unstable surfaces. Do not work in odd positions or on ladders. Do not overreach.

•Operate the Power PrunerTM only from the ground or out of an ap- proved bucket lift.

•Always evaluate the branches to be pruned for hazards such as loose dead branches which may fall and strike the operator or helpers. Remove hazards before pruning.

•Plan retreat path from falling objects.

•Cut branches bounce when striking ground.

•Turn the Power PrunerTM off when moving from tree to tree.

•Avoid any contact with saw chain.

Avoid Hot Surfaces

• Keep exhaust area clear of flammable debris. Avoid contact during

and immediately after operation.

kickback

DANGER

Kickback can lead to dangerous loss of control of the Power PrunerTM and result in serious injury to the operator or any one standing close by. Hold the Power PrunerTM firmly with both hands with thumbs and fingers encircling the front and rear handles. Be aware of the down and outward path the pruner will take after the cut is made.

Kickback may occur when the moving saw chain at the nose or tip of the guide bar touches an object, or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. In some cases this may cause a lightning-fast reverse action, kicking the guide bar and saw chain up and back or down and back towards the operator. Either of these reactions may cause the operator to lose control of the Power PrunerTM which could result in serious personal injury.

With a basic understanding of kickback, you can reduce or eliminate the element of surprise which contributes to accidents.

Avoid contact of the guide bar tip with any object while the saw chain is moving.

Cut only wood. Avoid striking concrete, metal, wire, or other obstruc- tions which could cause kickback or damage to the saw chain.

If the saw chain does strike a foreign object, immediately stop the en- gine, inspect and repair the Power PrunerTM if necessary.