chainsaw safety

[thomasbeaverton]

I am registering on March 10th for a trail skills college with PCTA in my area (beaverton OR), and will be volunteering my time to help the trails and get some more time behind my saw, and have been looking for other ways to take chainsaw safety courses. I've contacted community colleges and everywhere in-between. 

Any suggestions for where I could go to get said training?

I've used chainsaws safely, but not as a profession and I am trying to give myself some verifiable training in order to get a foot in the door of the arborist profession.

I have gotten certified in CPR/AED and First aid through red cross. I paid a deposit for a 4day climbing course with Tree Climbing Planet, in May. I'm taking initiative to invest in myself every way possible so I can try to get in as a grounds man and work up to climber. I am looking for more training all around.

Lastly; I currently live in an apartment, any suggestions on how to get more time behind my saw? Walking into the woods and cutting isn't responsible and I am willing to donate my time if there is an opportunity. Thank you all, ahead of time, for the help.

[sawguy21]

Welcome aboard, you have come to the right place. I commend your commitment to safe working practices. Does anyone offer the Game of Logging course in your area? info@gameoflogging.com

[thomasbeaverton]

First, thank you for your time. I sincerely appreciate it. I googled game of logging in oregon and am only seeing those courses on the east coast. I would be willing to travel to a washington state for those courses but I am just not seeing the availability on the west Coast.

Thank you for the resource. Best regards, sir.

[thomasbeaverton]

I sent them an email as well. Just incase.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, thomasbeavert.   8)

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Thomasbeaverton!

[clww]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

[thomasbeaverton]

Thank you all for welcoming me. I do appreciate it.

[Lorenzo]

Wish it was offered closer to home I would like to take it.
Welcome aboard.

[thomasbeaverton]

Thank you, Lorenzo.

Anyone think this thread would be better off in a different section of the website?

If so, where?

[beenthere]

Seems to fit well in the Chainsaws board.
Contact, if not done already, your state forestry or enviro resources dept. and talk with some forestry types there, as well as contact the Forestry Dept. at OSU and the state extension service.
Surely they would have interest in safety training of tree cutters.

[thomasbeaverton]

I did call state forestry and was directed to north American Training solutions and arbor master. I had actually already looked into them and they don't have anything for me. I also spoke with a gentleman from state forestry who heads up the logging department.  That was the closest thing and there wasn't a course that he could reference.

I will contact OSU. For some reason I didn't even think about that. I will have to see, if they do have something,  how much the course would cost.

Thank you for the post. Feel free to contribute any additional information.

[thomasbeaverton]

Just spoke with a lady at the forestry dept. Of OSU and she wasn't familiar with any course that I was inquiring about. She gave me a number to their extension office in Washington county. I called them and left a voicemail.       Thank you, again, for the post.

[beenthere]

Another thought, is OR OSHA, and poking around found this link in their "site".

http://www.orosha.org/subjects/chain_saws.html

[thomasbeaverton]

I actually called the OSHA office in portland and the one just north of Albany, about three weeks ago, and couldn't get any relevant information from them. I am looking through their site again to see if I missed anything.

Your time and help is valued and appreciated.  Thank you, sir.

[mad murdock]

Welcome thomasbeaverton.  I don't know for sure, but you could contact an insurance underwriter in the area, and ask them if they have any recommended training courses that they recognize for giving a guy points for or discounts on insurance.  Another thought would be to contact Weyerhaueser and ask them what their safety training requirements are for their contractors, or where they send their foresters to get powersaw certified. They have safety standards that are very strict, and won't let just anyone run a powersaw on their property.  The other thought is to contact the USDA FS, and see what requirements are for certification as a saw operator for wildland fire fighting.  They have accredited training requirements, and usually it spells out in great detail what and where a guy would go to get certified.

[thomasbeaverton]

Great ideas! I will do that research today and see what Information they can offer. Much appreciated, sir.

[thomasbeaverton]

I contacted and left voicemails for both Usda fs and Weyerhaeuser. I hope they have time to return my call. Thank you for the resources. I will have to contact an insurance underwriter later.

[Jiles]

Your post reminds me of some great advise that an older man gave me about using a chainsaw.
I dought you will hear this advise anywhere but I have never taken a safety course.
He advised me to ALWAYS lock my left elbow when cutting. Over the years, I have had the chainsaw kickback and go straight up!
I realize that there are certain situations that make this "locked elbow" difficult to do but I have this in my mind and it seems to make me more conscious of the danger.

[John Mc]

Around here, some of the "career centers" and continuing education / adult education places offer chainsaw classes from time to time.  Some of these tend to be more landowner oriented than professional logging type training, but hey, any formal training is better than nothing, and it shows a potential employer that you are taking this seriously by getting yourself some training.

[Southside]

Just a thought - try the National Park Service, they do have the facility at Crater Lake, so there is a presence in Oregon.  The NPS has a formal chain saw safety program and protocol, their Pacific West regional office is in San Francisco, CA.  Call there and ask to speak with the Regional Safety Manager, my guess is they would not allow you to attend one of their classes but they do have contractors who put them on and would be able to give you some names to start with.  If nobody helps you PM me and I will see if I can get you a contact, we moved from Lake County and as they say I "have connections" out that way - its quite possible that and $1.00 will get you a cup of coffee but you know.....

Welcome aboard. 

[thomasbeaverton]

Thank you. Locked elbow makes complete sense to me. I appreciate the advice, sir.

[thomasbeaverton]

I will definitely check out some of the career centers and adult/further education facilities where I am. Thank for the input. I appreciate it.

[thomasbeaverton]

Southside, I will contact the NPS to see if I can get the name of their contractor that puts on those classes. It sounds like whoever they use would be top-notch. Great advice. Thank you, sir.

[beenthere]

Thank you. Locked elbow makes complete sense to me. I appreciate the advice, sir.

Doesn't to me... but will check it out today and see.  Must be pretty awkward to keep an elbow locked through the cut.

[Jiles]

It might seem a little awkward at first but I personally want the chainsaw as far away from me as possible.
Easy for me because I started out cutting that way.
Like I stated, you cant used the locked elbow cutting technique in some situations, but it makes you more aware of the dangers.
I guess I am in a minority, but it has worked for me many years.

[JohnG28]

I don't see one particular way to cut given that every log, tree, cut, whatever is going to be different. You need to understand the forces acting on the log, the saw and yourself and understand how that particular cut could go wrong. That's what I do anyway. As long as you're prepared for the possible ways the saw could react you have a good start IMO. That doesn't take Murphy's Law into account however, so always beware. Getting some time running a saw with someone who knows what they're doing will be a big help IMO also. Be safe.

[Jiles]

I had a young man, probably in his late twenties, come and look at one of my saws. I always let the prospective buyer crank and cut with the saw.
The saw was an Echo cs345 that I had rebuilt.
He started cutting and right off I knew he knew nothing about chainsaws. He bogged the saw down no less the four times cutting an eight inch sweetgum log.
I asked him for the saw and I made four cuts without the first bog.
I told him he was pressing too hard and trying to cut too fast for a 34cc saw.
He took the saw back and made six or eight cuts without an issue.
He had a big smile on his face and said SOLD!

[thomasbeaverton]

Thank you. Locked elbow makes complete sense to me. I appreciate the advice, sir.

Doesn't to me... but will check it out today and see.  Must be pretty awkward to keep an elbow locked through the cut.

Picture a chainsaw on the end of a solid straight steel pole, the other end is your shoulder, it kicks back, the saw goes straight in the air. The length of your arm as your elbow is locked would physically keep the saw from coming in contact with you almost all of the time.

The bent elbow creates an express route straight to the head/face whatever. Obviously your grip/strength/tension while your elbow is bent will determine the outcome and you would mostly be just fine.

If your shoulder/elbow/arm with a chainsaw on the end were a piece of machinery in a factory or shop, and a person had to stand behind it, shoulder height, the shop/factory would, for safety/liability reasons,  eventually take the elbow out of the machine and make it a straight bar. Physically,  the angles/risks/possibilities suggest that you are at more risk with the range of motion when an elbow is bent. The straight bar would primarily keep it out of your wheelhouse and the bent elbow would be more likely to keep it in your wheelhouse.

My two cents.  I thinks it is an awesome topic of conversation though.  Clearly there will be situations where locked elbow may not be a possibility.  I get that. Just siding with the physics of the locked elbow as a concept. (Yes, we should all be safe enough with a bent elbow, otherwise were not being safe enough anyway.)- plenty can be said, but the physics make sense to me.

[thomasbeaverton]

Thank you, JohnG.  I appreciate your words and the time you took to provide input.

[John Mc]

Basically, a locked elbow does not rely on muscle strength and reaction time to keep a kickback from coming back at you. Not to say it's the only way to protect yourself, but something to consider, especially since fatigue and dehydration can have a significant effect on strength/endurance, reaction time, and judgement.

[Jiles]

If you ever have a violent kickback, and the saw goes nearly straight up, you will be glad you used the locked elbow. This is not something I came up with. It was suggested to me by an older man that had used a chainsaw more then I ever will.

[Ron Scott]

 On Saturday, January 7th, MUCC will be hosting Chuck Oslund to teach a Chainsaw Safety Course at their office in Lansing, MI.

This course is free and will cover topics on why each saw operator must have a safety system, the elements of a good safety system, mental aspects of safety, safer chainsaw handling techniques, and the state-of-the-art safest way to fall a large diameter tree.
This year, we will also be offering an optional hands-on training on Sunday, January 8th. This will include tree-felling demonstrations by experienced sawyers and the option to practice bucking techniques as well as felling cuts on stumps. This portion will be hosted at a location in the Rose Lake State Game Area- time TBA, please RSVP here for updates on the event details.
     *Note: If you've attended Chuck's course with us previously, you are welcome to attend the optional hands on training. Others must attend the lecture portion before attending the optional hands on training day.
 
A majority of on the ground wildlife habitat projects involve sawyer techniques and it is highly recommended that volunteers utilize this safety training to keep up with the safety system. The seminar provides a great amount of detailed techniques and is updated each year. Lunch will be provided by MUCC for both the lecture and training portion. 
o   January 07, 2017 at 9am – 4pm
o   January 08, 2017 at 9am- TBD
o   Michigan United Conservation Clubs
2101 Wood St
Lansing, MI 48912

Sarah Topp
stopp@mucc.org
5173466493

Michigan United Conservation Clubs
http://www.mucc.org/

[Caloren]

Well I've been using chainsaws for almost 50 years, but if I lived close enough to this I would love to go. Never too old to learn!  8)