SAFETY RULES
• As an additional safety precaution, apply the chain brake prior
to setting down the saw.
• Only use the chainsaw in well-ventilated places, do not operate
the chainsaw in explosive or flammable atmospheres or in
closed environments (Fig. 12). Beware of carbon monoxide
poisoning.
• 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
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completed.
• Do not cut near electric cables.
• Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil or fuel mixture.
• When the chainsaw 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
springback 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.
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• Never cut with the chainsaw above shoulder height (Fig. 13).
• Never start up the chainsaw 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
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foreign object in the wood can also result in loss of
chainsaw control.
• Rotational Kickback can occur when the moving chain
contacts 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-Kickback can 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
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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-In can 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.
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• Do not cut more than one log at a time.
en
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