Safety Manual

11
ENGLISH
KICKBACK/ OPTIONAL KICK GUARD
TM
FORCE OF GRAVITY & “FOLLOW THROUGH”
Gravity is always present and you must be
prepared for it when you are operating a
chain saw. During the cutting operation, the
weight of the chain saw is supported by the
material being cut. When the saw completes
the cut, the saw is no longer supported, and
the operator must control both the weight
and the downward momentum of the saw.
Never reach too far out with the saw. If you
reach too far out with the saw, you may be
unable to control it. Maintain a proper grip,
a balanced stance, and good footing. Never
cut when you are off balance – the sudden
burden of supporting the weight of the saw
could cause you to fall or lose control of the
saw. Make no cuts above chest height where
control may be more difcult.
IMPORTANT: When you’re about to complete a cut on an elevated tree branch
or limb, be ready to release the throttle and support the chain saw so that the
guide bar and moving chain will not “follow through” and cut into your legs,
feet, or body after the guide bar breaks into the clear.
SKATING
This condition occurs when the saw chain
does not dig in properly when starting a
cut, and does not start a dened groove
as it attempts to penetrate the wood.
The guide bar then begins “hopping” or
skidding side-to-side along the surface.
When this occurs, you do not have full
control of the chain saw, and the bar
nose could strike something and cause
a kickback. If you are holding the chain
saw with one hand and a branch with the
other, the chain saw could skate laterally
into your hand holding the branch. To
prevent or reduce skating, always hold the
chain saw with two hands, and make sure
the saw chain has established a groove
for cutting. For gasoline-powered units,
throttling down the chain speed may help
the chain get grooved, but once the chain
is grooved, throttle up the chain speed to complete the cut.
DO NOT OVER REACH TO
MAKE A CUT
BEWARE OF SKATING