SAFETY RULES

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•As an additional safety precaution, apply the chain brake prior to setting down the saw.

•Only use the chain saw in well-ventilated places, do not opera- te the chain saw in explosive or flammable atmospheres or in closed environments (Fig. 12). Beware of carbon monoxide poi- soning.

•Do not operate saw from a ladder or in a tree. Always cut from a firm-footed and safe position.

•Do not put pressure on the saw at the end of the cut. Applying pressure can cause you to lose control when the cut is com- pleted.

•Do not cut near electric cables.

•Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil or fuel mixture.

•When the chain saw is running, grip the front handle firmly with your left hand and the back handle with your right hand (Fig. 10).

•When cutting a limb that is under tension, be alert for spring- back so you will not be struck when the tension in the wood fibre is released.

•Take great care when cutting small branches or shrubs which can block the chain, be thrown back towards you or cause you to lose your balance.

•Never cut with the chain saw above shoulder height (Fig. 13).

•Never start up the chain saw without the chain cover fitted.

Precautions Against Kickback

WARNING: Avoid kickback which can result in serious injury. Kickback is the backward, upward or sudden forward motion of the guide bar occurring when the saw chain near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts any object such as a log or branch, or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the wood can also result in loss of chain saw control.

•Rotational Kickback can occur when the moving chain con- tacts an object at the upper tip of the guide bar. This contact can cause the chain to dig into the object, which stops the chain for an instant. The result is an extremely fast, reverse reaction which kicks the guide bar up and back toward the operator (Fig. 14-15 and Fig. 16 page 10).

•Pinch-Kickbackcan occur when the wood closes in and pinches the moving saw chain in the cut along the top of the guide bar and the saw chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stopping of the chain results in a reversal of the chain force used to cut wood and causes the saw to move in the opposite direction of the chain rotation. The saw is driven straight back toward the operator.

•Pull-Incan occur when the moving chain contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut along the bottom of the guide bar and the saw chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stopping pulls the saw forward and away from the operator and could easily cause the operator to lose control of the saw.

Avoid Pinch-Kickback:

•Be extremely aware of situations or obstructions that can cause material to pinch the top of or otherwise stop the chain.

•Do not cut more than one log at a time.

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