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By Larry Reichenberger
Don't get injured in the firewood frenzy
High home-heating costs will likely
drive more rural property owners
into the woods this fall to cut firewood—
and accident statistics will
probably show it. Records from
the U.S. Consumer Products Safety
Council show a spike in chainsaw injuries
following weather disasters where trees are
heavily damaged. A similar pattern likely exists
when energy costs climb and homeowners
turn to wood for fuel.
"Cutting, splitting, and stacking wood is great exercise and a good way to save money.
But it's also dangerous, especially for the
inexperienced who don't have proper safety
equipment or follow safety procedures," says
Dennis Carlson, district forester with the
Kansas Forest Service.
Records from the Safety Council and insurance
underwriters show there are roughly
36,000 chainsaw injuries annually. The average
injury requires 110 stitches at a cost
(in the year 2000) of more than $12,000.
Safety equipment costs money, but an
emergency room visit, along with time to
recover from an injury, can add up. “The
price of safety is nominal,” Carlson says.
Investing in safety. Chainsaw safety equipment (shown right) includes a helmet system ($40), gloves ($25), chainsaw chaps ($75),
and a long-sleeved shirt and work boots.
All are important, but especially the helmet
and chaps, explains Carlson.
"The helmet system protects the head
from falling branches and contains a face
shield to protect the eyes from flying chips
and ear muffs to protect hearing," he says.
Injury statistics show that 36% of all
chainsaw injuries are to the legs and knees—
frequently to the operator’s left side. Chainsaw
chaps protect these areas.
"They contain a web material that will fray
and cause the chain to jam if contacted by
the saw. Chainsaw gloves are available with
a protective Kevlar lining," he explains.
Plan to be safe. Carlson says the first step
in chainsaw safety is elementary, but critical:
"Read the owner’s manual."
"Next, make certain the chain is sharp—
using a dull chain increases fatigue and that
causes accidents," he adds.
Felling a tree poses particular dangers.
"Begin by sizing up the tree, looking for hazards
such as dead limbs overhead or structural
defects in the trunk. Determine the
direction of fall by sizing up the mass of the
tree and the direction of the wind. Lay out
two escape routes from the tree and clear the
brush from them," says Carlson.
"Cut a notch in the trunk on the side of
the fall, then score the bark around the tree
on a line level with the notch. This helps to
position the back cut, which should be 1 to 2
inches above the hinge-point of the notch."
After the tree falls, the job of limbing
branches and bucking firewood begins.
"When limbing, I like to keep the saw on the
opposite side of the tree. This protects me
from kickback, which occurs when the teeth
of the chain catch as they rotate around the
tip. To prevent kickback, keep the tip guard
in place if possible and cut with the base of
the blade," says Carlson.
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