•Do not operate a chain saw with one hand!

Serious injury to the operator, helpers or bystanders may result from one-handed operation. For proper control, always use two hands when operating a chain saw, one of which operates the trigger. Otherwise, this can result in the chain saw “skating” or skidding, which can result in personal injury due to loss of control.

•Keep a good firm grip on the saw which both hands, with the right hand on the rear handle and the left hand on the front handle, when the engine is running. Use a firm grip with thumbs and fingers enriching the chain saw handles. A firm grip will help you reduce kickback and maintain control of the saw. Two hands must be used to control the saw at all times.

Don’t reach far out

•Do not overreach or cut above chest height.

•Make sure that the area in which you are cutting is free from obstructions. Do not let the bar nose contact a log, branch, or any other obstruction which could be hit while you are operating the saw.

•Cutting at high engine speeds may reduce the likelihood of kickback. But cutting at part-throttle or low engine speeds may be preferable to control the chain saw in tight situations and may also reduce the likelihood of kickback.

•Follow manufacturer’s sharpening and maintenance instructions for the saw chain.

•Use only replacement guide bars and chains specified by the manufacturer, or the acceptable equivalents of these guide bars and chains.

3.OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS VIBRATION AND COLD

It is believed that a condition called Raynaud’s Phenomenon, which affects the fingers of certain individuals, may be brought about by exposure to cold and vibration.

Accordingly, your ECHO chain saw has shock mounts designed to reduce the intensity of vibration received through the handles.

Exposure to cold and vibration may cause tingling and burning followed by loss of color and numbness in the fingers. We strongly recommend you take the following precautions because the minimum exposure which might trigger the ailment is unknown.

•Keep your body warm, especially the head and neck, feet and ankles, and hands and wrists.

•Maintain good blood circulation by performing vigorous arm exercises during frequent work breaks and also by not smoking.

•Limit the number of hours of chain saw operation. Try to fill a part of each work day with jobs other than chain sawing.

•If you experience discomfort, redness and swelling of the fingers, followed by whitening and loss of feeling, consult your physician before further exposing yourself to cold and vibration.

REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

It is believed that over-using the muscles and tendons of the fingers, hands, arms and shoulders may cause soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness and extreme pain to the areas just mentioned.

To reduce the risk of repetitive stress injury, do the following:

•Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted position. Instead, try to maintain a straight wrist position. Also, when grasping, use your whole hand, not just the thumb and index finger.

•Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest your hands.

•Reduce the speed and force in which you do the repetitive movement.

•Do exercises to strengthen the hand and arm muscles.

•See a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in the fingers, hands, wrists or arms.

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