Kickback from chainsaws

It's a good idea not to attack yourself with a hi-revving chainsaw. This is what happens when a chainsaw 'kicks back'. One in every 12 forestry work accidents is caused by chainsaw kickback, so if it can happen to a professional tree feller it can happen to a less experienced chainsaw user as well.

Kickback happens while, in making a cut, the top of the bar nose contacts a solid object or is pinched. This causes the guide bar to fly back towards you. A chainsaw is designed to cut through wood but it will slice through muscle and bone with ease, severing nerves and arteries in the process.

There are ways to reduce the likelihood of kickback, such as by using an anti-kickback chain and not using the tip of the guide bar for cutting.

If you're a novice, it's important to get training before you start using your flash new chainsaw. To further help, The Department of Labour has an excellent booklet on Safety with Chainsaws and another one on Safety in Tree Felling and Crosscutting.

This young worker was lucky not to sever an artery when his chainsaw kicked back.