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CHAIN SAW SAFETY MANUAL
DANGER!
Misuse may result in serious or fatal injuries. You must read, understand,
and follow these safety instructions and the instructions in you Chain
Saw Instruction Manual before operating a Chain Saw.
DANGER!
Chainsaw kickback can cause serious or fatal injuries. Read and follow the
instructions to avoid kickback. ECHO supplies an anti-kick back guard called a Kick
® ®
Guard with every new chain saw. Read the Kick Guard instructions to determine
which cuttin
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KEY SAFETY SYMBOLS AND WARNINGS These important safety symbols are used throughout this manual and may also appear on your chain saw. They are provided to make you aware of potential hazards, and the precautions you must take to protect yourself from injury. You must read and understand the explanations, and obey the instructions. These symbols appear on safety labels as a reminder to follow these important precautions whenever you are transporting, fueling, operating, servicing, or handling
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IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNINGS DANGER! Kickback hazard. Do not allow guide bar tip to contact objects. Allowing an unguarded guide bar tip to touch any object during cutting may cause the guide bar to suddenly kick up and back toward the operator, a forceful reaction called rotational kickback. Body contact with a moving saw chain will cause serious or fatal injury. DANGER! ® Prevent hazardous Rotational Kickback! Install the Echo Kick Guard anti-kickback bar tip guard in cutting applications
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IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNINGS WARNING! Keep hands and arms away WARNING! Keep helpers from moving chain. Do not reach near a and bystanders away from the moving chain to grab or remove the material area where you are cutting. that you are cutting. Never let a helper hold material you are planning to cut. Serious injury can occur. WARNING! Do Not cut overhead. The cut material or chain saw can fall on you, causing serious injury. WARNING! Use proper ground starting procedure. Do not “drop
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KEY CHAIN SAW TERMS – See Glossary at back for additional terms. BALLISTIC - A special material used in protection devices designed to reduce the risk of penetration from chain contact. ® BINDING - Closing of the cut or shifting of the wood, possibly KICK GUARD DEVICE - The ECHO brand name for its trapping the saw blade in the cut. Binding includes pinching. anti-kickback bar tip guard. (Also, see PINCH.) PINCH - Specifically the closing-in of the wood which CHAIN CATCHER - A projection designed
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INTRODUCTION WARNING! Before using your saw, read this Safety Manual and your chain saw instruction manual carefully. You must completely understand and follow all safety rules, precautions, and operating instructions. Echo recommends that you obtain and review the supplemental ECHO Chain Saw Safety Video. Congratulations on taking the right steps to learn basic chain saw safety. Over the years, Echo has developed and improved technology to increase the safety of chain saw use. However, chain
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FORCES YOU MUST CONTROL This section explains the forces which must be controlled to avoid injury when operating either a gas or electric-powered chain saw. Always remember that your best defenses are to exercise caution and use the chain saw properly, PULL and to be prepared to react to these forces PULL, PUSH and KICKBACK are terms for the direction a reaction takes. CUTTING ON BOTTOM OF GUIDE- PULL - When you are cutting on top of a log with the lower portion of the BAR PULLS SAW AWAY FROM Y
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FORCES YOU MUST CONTROL FORCE OF GRAVITY & “FOLLOW THROUGH” – Gravity is always present and you must be prepared for it when you are operating a chain saw. During the cutting operation, the weight of the chain saw is supported by the material being cut. When the saw completes the cut, the saw is no longer supported, and the operator must control both the weight and the downward momentum of the saw. Never reach too far out with the saw. If you reach too far out with the saw, you may be unable t
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® KICK GUARD INSTALLATION DANGER! Chain saw kickback is an extremely dangerous reaction. Kickback can cause serious, or fatal injuries! ® Kick Guard KICK GUARD ANTI-KICKBACK BAR TIP GUARD: This is an anti-kickback device that covers the bar nose to prevent chain contact at the kickback-generating area of the nose. The ECHO bar ® tip guard is called the Kick Guard device. With the device properly mounted on the bar nose, rotational kickback cannot occur. The device will also halt linear kic
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® CONDITIONS WHICH MA Y REQUIRE REMOVAL OF KICK GUARD In any circumstance, it is your responsibility to learn how to minimize the risk of kickback if you are using the saw without the Kick Guard in place. Even if you have prior experience with safe chain saw operation, or are trained in the prevention of kickback, please use extreme caution if you choose not to install the tip guard, or if you decide to remove it. If you plan to use the saw ® ® without the Kick Guard device to facilitate cuttin
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® OPERATING SAW WITH THE KICK GUARD DEVICE WARNING! Study your safety and instruction manuals, and be sure you understand how to keep control of the ® chain saw either with or without the Kick Guard device. ® WARNING! The Kick Guard device prevents rotational kickback when properly installed, but it cannot prevent other chain saw mishaps. Always wear protective articles such as cut-resistant boots, gloves, and leg chaps, and proper attire for chain sawing. Use the correct two-handed grip o
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® OPERATING SAW WITHOUT THE KICK GUARD DEVICE DANGER! IF YOU REMOVE THE KICK GUARD, BE AWARE OF THE INCREASED RISK OF KICKBACK DUE TO THE BAR NOSE NOT BEING PROTECTED. PREVENT KICKBACK YOURSELF. DON’T LET THE BAR TIP CONTACT ANYTHING! Study the following illustrations related to kickback, and never make these kinds of errors! COMMON CAUSES OF KICKBACK KICKBACK KICKBACK IMPROPER INSERTION INTO A PREVIOUS CUT. BAR TIP CONTACT CAUSES KICKBACK. UPPER BAR TIP CONTACT WITH ANY OBJECT PINCH KICKB
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® OPERATING SAW WITHOUT THE KICK GUARD DEVICE WARNING! Hold the saw firmly with both hands. Make sure your left thumb is always on the underside of the front handle. Never over the top! Keep your left arm straight with the elbow locked to prepare for any sudden or unexpected reaction of the chain saw, and to maintain better control. WARNING! Do not let the tip or nose of the saw come near any solid object DON’T CROWD THE SAW while the chain is rotating. Never let the saw dip into the ground.
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ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY FROM KICKBACK Your ECHO chain saw and its operator’s manual have been certified to meet the requirements of Voluntary Standard B175.1 of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). B175.1 sets forth the minimum safety requirements for the manufacture of gasoline-powered chain saws. ANSI B175.1 addresses rotational kickback, which can occur when the chain saw tip contacts an object and propels the saw upward and rearward toward
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ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY FROM KICKBACK • Improper assembly of the chain brake to the chain saw may render the brake inoperable. • Wear and fatigue of the activating brake band or spring, and/or wear of the brake/clutch drum and pivot points may lengthen the brake’s stopping time or render the chain brake inoperable. ECHO chain brakes are designed to retain stopping times as close as possible to their original times, however periodic cleaning and or adjustme
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ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY FROM KICKBACK REDUCED-KICKBACK GUIDE BAR: In general, guide bars that meet this requirement, have small or reduced- radius noses. All ECHO guide bars with reduced nose radius have been machined to accept a bar tip guard. (Some large radius bars may not accept a tip guard.) BANNANA NOSE REDUCED RADIUS SYMMETRICAL REDUCED RADIUS TM REDUCED-KICKBACK GUIDE BAR AND KICK GUARD DEVICE - These devices both provide strong protection ® ag
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OPERATOR SAFETY PHYSICAL CONDITION – Chain saw work and the associated clearing of branches and logs is a strenuous activity. You should be in good physical and mental health in order to handle your chain saw safely. Errors in judgment can be serious or fatal. If you have any physical condition which strenuous work could worsen, check with your physician before using a chain saw. Take frequent breaks and drink fluids, especially in warmer weather. Do not operate when ill, fatigued, upset, or un
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OPERATOR SAFETY Hard hat VITAL SAFETY GEAR TO WEAR WHEN CUTTING: Hearing Eye protection Protection Trim, protective Elbow as clothing straight as Hearing Protection ANSI Z-87 Eyewear Hard Hat possible Non-slip gloves Protective, non- Thumb slip footwear under handle bar No pants cuffs to snag in Protective Cut Resistant underbrush Cut resistant Leg Chaps Steel-Toe Boots Gloves PRECAUTIONS IN HOT, HUMID WEATHER - Heavy logger’s clothing can cause overheating and increase the risk of operator fati
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KEY SAFETY AND RISK PREVENTION RULES DANGER! 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 contact in some cases may cause a lightning-fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar up and back toward the operator (this is called a rotational kickback). Pinching the saw chain along the top of the guide bar may push the guide bar rapidly back toward the operator (this is called a linear kickback). E
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KEY SAFETY AND RISK PREVENTION RULES DANGER! Carbon monoxide is a poisonous odorless gas produced by gasoline engines. Operate the chain saw only in well-ventilated areas. Do not run chain saw inside, in garages or sheds, or in confined areas with the possibility of poor ventilation- such as drainage ditches, low & confined creek beds, etc. WARNING! Do not operate a chain saw when you are upset, fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. DO NOT OPERATE UNDER THE INFLUENCE WARNING!
