whipped toward you or pull
you off balance.
Carry the chain saw by the
front handle with the chain
saw switched off and away
from your body. When
transporting or storing the
chain saw always fit the
guide bar cover. Proper han-
dling of the chain saw will re-
duce the likelihood of
accidental contact with the
moving saw chain.
Follow instructions for lu-
bricating, chain tensioning
and changing accessories.
Improperly tensioned or lubri-
cated chain may either break
or increase the chance for
kickback.
Keep handles dry, clean,
and free from oil and
grease. Greasy, oily handles
are slippery causing loss of
control.
Cut wood only. Do not use
chain saw for purposes not
intended. For example: do
not use chain saw for cut-
ting plastic, masonry or
non-wood building materi-
als. Use of the chain saw for
operations different than in-
tended could result in a haz-
ardous situation.
32
Causes and operator
prevention of kickback
Kickback may occur when the
nose or tip of the guide rail
touches an object, or when the
wood closes in and pinches the
saw chain in the cut.
Tip contact in some cases may
cause a sudden reverse reac-
tion, kicking the guide rail up and
back towards the operator.
Pinching the saw chain along
the top of the guide rail may
push the guide rail rapidly back
towards the operator.
Either of these reactions may
cause you to lose control of the
saw, which could result in seri-
ous personal injury. Do not rely
exclusively upon the safety de-
vices built into your saw. As a
chain saw user, you should take
several steps to keep your cut-
ting jobs free from accident or in-
jury.
Kickback is the result of tool mis-
use and/or incorrect operating
procedures or conditions and
can be avoided by taking proper
precautions as given below:
Maintain a firm grip, with
thumbs and fingers encir-
cling the chain saw handles,
with both hands on the saw
and position your body and
arm to allow you to resist
kickback forces. Kickback
forces can be controlled by
the operator, if proper precau-
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