Relevant

Kick Back Safety Tips

Kickback of a chainsaw is when the teeth on the chain catch on something as they rotate around the tip of the blade. The teeth may have enough force to cause the blade to kick back violently toward you, hence the term "kickback." Figure 9 shows three situations that can cause kickback:

• when the nose of the blade strikes another object.
• starting a bore cut improperly.
• when the blade nose or tip catches the bottom or side of a saw cut during reinsertion.

The best defense against kickback is to keep the tip guard on the chain saw. However this does limit what you can do with the tool. Some kickback control can be maintained by keeping a firm hold on the saw and using a saw which has a chain-brake or kickback guard.

Always be watchful for blade-pinching situations and plan accordingly. Cut branches at the base of the blade, don't saw with the tip of the blade. Use a high chain speed when reinserting the blade in a cut or removing it from a cut. Keep the saw teeth sharp so they will cut; dull teeth are more likely to cause a kickback. Always cut below shoulder height, otherwise the saw is difficult to control and is too close to your face.

Figure 9. Avoiding kick-back.