Safety Manual

10
ENGLISH
KICKBACK/ OPTIONAL KICK GUARD
TM
FORCES YOU MUST
CONTROL
This section explains the forces which must be
controlled to avoid injury when operating either
a gas or electric-powered chain saw. Always
remember that your best defenses are to
exercise caution and use the chain saw properly,
and to be prepared to react to these forces
PULL, PUSH and KICKBACK are terms for the
direction a reaction takes.
PULL - When you are cutting on top of a log with
the lower portion of the chain moving toward
you, the chain saw will be pulled into the wood
and away from you.
PUSH - Cutting on the underside of a log pushes
the chain saw toward you.
PUSH and PULL forces are controlled by
anticipating which reaction will happen
and adjusting your position and stance to
compensate.
ROTATIONAL KICKBACK
When the chain is moving downward around
the upper nose of the bar, solid contact there
may drive the bar tip upward in an arc toward
you. This is an extremely dangerous reaction
called Rotational Kickback. When used alone
in this manual, the term kickback will always
refer to the rotational kickback.
Rotational kickback is predictable,
preventable and controllable. If the operator is
not alert to the possibility of a kickback, it may
come as a complete surprise. The possibility
of kickback can be greatest if the chain is not
a low- or reduced kickback type, or if the bar is
not a reduced-kickback type. The best defense
against rotational kickback is making sure the
chain does not contact anything solid at the
upper nose of the bar. This can be assured by
proper installation of the ptional Kick Guard
TM
device.
LINEAR KICKBACK
A sudden PUSH reaction that occurs when the
chain along the top rails of the bar gets pinched
in a cut. This type of reaction pushes the chain
saw straight back toward the operator. The
optional Kick Guard device on your bar nose
acts as a stop against this type of kickback by
stopping the guide bar.
WOOD
FORCE
REACTION
PINCH
PINCHING TOP OF GUIDE
BAR CAUSES LINEAR
PUSH OR KICKBACK
ROTATIONAL KICKBACK
CUTTING ON BOTTOM OF
GUIDE BAR PULLS SAW
AWAY FROM YOU
PULL
CUTTING ON TOP OF
GUIDE BAR PUSHES SAW
TOWARD YOU
PUSH
CHAIN MOVING
DOWNWARD AT IMPACT
ROTATIONAL
KICKBACK