Safety Manual

23
ENGLISH
OPERATOR SAFETY
• 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 ll a part of each
work day with jobs other than chain sawing.
• If you experience discomfort, redness and swelling of the ngers, followed
by whitening and or loss of feeling, consult your physician before further
exposing yourself to cold and vibration.
• Maintain a rm grip, but do not squeeze the handles with excessive
pressure.
• Assure good maintenance of your saw - loose parts can add to vibration
levels.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST REPETITIVE STRESS
INJURIES
It is believed that overusing the muscles and tendons
of the ngers, hands, arms, and shoulders may
cause soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness, and
extreme pain to the areas just mentioned. Certain
repetitive hand activities may put you at a high risk
for developing a repetitive stress injury (RSI). An
extreme RSI condition is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
(CTS), which could occur when your wrist swells and
squeezes a vital nerve that runs through the area.
Some believe that prolonged exposure to vibration
may contribute to CTS. CTS can cause severe pain
for months or even years. To reduce the risk of RSI/
CTS, 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 nger.
• Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest your hands.
• Reduce the speed and force with 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 ngers, hands,
wrists, or arms. The sooner RSI/CTS is diagnosed, the more likely
permanent nerve and muscle damage can be prevented.
IF IT HURTS,
TAKE A BREAK