Chainsaw Safety, Protective Equipment and Training

Chainsaw Safety Training – it’s not just about protective equipment; It’s about you and your skills as well. Now that we offer chainsaw safety training on-line, we’ve done some research. Recently that helped us to create the chainsaw safety infographic we posted. We’ve also found other information that might be useful for you if you’re interested in chainsaw safety (we assume you are if you’re still reading).

Worksafe BC and Chainsaw Safety

As we’re based in BC it’s not surprising that we’re going to point you to local resources. WBC produces a helpful ‘chainsaw safety pdf’. It gets a big thumbs-up from us as trainers for offering easy to remember written tips combined with plenty of pictures! Here’s a quick summary:

• Use appropriate clothing and protective equipment
• Get training. WBC recommend all users get chainsaw safety training and take a first aid course. Luckily for you, we offer both. It’s no coincidence that WBC OFA1 courses include a chainsaw accident as a scenario.
• Use safe cutting methods
• Ensure stable footing
• Fuel the saw appropriately – fuel is another cause of accidents

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

The chainsaw safety training on-line applies wherever you use a saw, not just in BC! The CCOHS has a list of tips for you, including using protective equipment, getting proper training, etc. The list is more comprehensive than WBC’s list, but has fewer fun graphics.

Chainsaw Safety & Tree Felling

Moving further from BC, the US Dept. Agriculture has this interesting document. It’s older than the others and offers the same tips (use protective equipment, get trained, learn first aid, etc.). We included this one because it has extra information about safely felling trees & bucking which may be of interest to you.
So there we have it – several helpful documents & lists to help you be safe with your saws. Of course we encourage you to use correct protective equipment, take the chainsaw safety training on-line and take first aid too…. but then it’s our job to tell you that!
Be safe!