18. Use extreme caution when cut-
ting small size brush and sap-
lings because slender material
may catch the saw chain and be
whipped toward you or pull you
off balance.
19. When cutting a limb that is un-
der tension, be alert for spring-
back so that you will not be
struck when the tension in the
wood fibers is released.
20. Never cut in high wind, bad
weather, when visibility is poor or
in very high or low temperatures.
Always check the tree for dead
branches which could fall during
the felling operation.
21. Keep the handles dry, clean and
free of oil or fuel mixture.
22. Operate the chain saw only in
well ventilated areas. Never start
or run the engine inside a closed
room or building. Exhaust fumes
contain dangerous carbon mon-
oxide.
23. For respiratory protection, wear
a protection mask while emitting
the chain oil mist and dust from
sawdust.
24. Do not operate the chain saw in
a tree unless specially trained to
do so.
25. Guard against kickback. Kick-
back is the upward motion of the
guide bar which occurs when the
saw chain at the nose of the
guide bar contacts an object.
Kickback can lead to dangerous
loss of control of the chain saw.
26. When transporting or storage
your chain saw, make sure the
appropriate guide bar protector
is in place.
27. Clean and maintenance the unit
carefully and store it in the dry
place.
KICKBACK SAFETY PRECAU-
TIONS FOR CHAIN SAW USERS
WARNING
• Kickback may occur when the
nose or tip of the guide bar
touches an object, or when the
wood closes in and pinches the
saw chain in the cut. Tip con-
tact in some cases may cause
a lightning fast reverse reac-
tion, kicking the guide bar up
and back towards the operator.
Pinching the saw chain along
the top of the guide bar may
push the guide bar rapidly back
towards the operator. Either of
these reactions may cause you
to lose control of the saw, which
could result in serious personal
injury.
• Do not rely exclusively on the
safety devices built into your
saw. As a chain saw user you
should take several steps to
keep cutting jobs free from ac-
cident or injury.
(1) With a basic understanding of
kickback you can reduce or
eliminate the element of surprise.
Sudden surprise contributes to
accidents.
(2) Keep a good grip on the saw with
both hands, the right hand on the
rear handle, and the left hand on
the front handle, when the engine
is running. Use a firm grip with
thumbs and fingers encircling
the chain saw handles. A firm
grip will help you reduce kick-
back and maintain control of the
saw.
(3) Make certain that the area in
which you are cutting is free from
obstructions. Do not let the nose
of the guide bar contact a log,
branch, or any other obstruction
which could be hit while you are
operating the saw.
(4) Cut at high engine speeds.
(5) Do not overreach or cut above
shoulder height.
(6) Follow the manufacturer's sharp-
ening and maintenance instruc-
tions for the saw chain.
(7) Only use replacement bars and
chains specified by the manufac-
turer or the equivalent.
G
B
GB-5