TONY BERTAUSKI: Safe use of chain saws can cut chance of injury

My grandpa taught me to split wood with a sledgehammer and wedges.

The crack of the wood and the ping of metal were exciting. My grandpa was an intelligent man, but common sense was not his strong suit. I was having trouble with one log, so he held the wedge with both hands and told me to strike it. I was waiting for him to move, so he told me again. I was a kid, so I did what I was told. With his head dangerously close and both hands on the wedge, I took a full swing. I hit that wedge dead center. I couldn't do that again in a million years. What my grandpa lacked in common sense, he made up for in luck.

Injuries from wedges and sledges pale in comparison to the ultimate man-tool: the chain saw. Approximately 40,000 people sustain chain saw injuries annually. A few days after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, one hospital reported that 90 percent of its emergencies were due to chain saws, including one death.

Homeowner tools. For home-owners, most jobs don't require a chain saw. In fact, I've found most of my yardwork at home can be done with a folding hand saw. A compact Corona hand saw has a slightly curved blade to increase leverage on the draw stroke. The three-sided teeth blaze through branches several inches in diameter. And its advantage over a chain saw is that it frees up one hand for balance and leverage.

However, there are things a hand saw can't cut. For the homeowner, an electric chain saw is a reasonable option. While the electrical cord is inconvenient, it's much quieter and there is little to no maintenance as opposed to a two-cycle engine. When a chain saw is infrequently used, stale gasoline can gum up the carburetor and create starting and running problems.

Safety equipment. Eye-protection is critical no matter how little the job. Fully enclosed safety glasses are the best option to keep debris from flying in your eyes. If something gets past the glasses, avoid rubbing your eyes to avoid further damage. Instead, use eye wash. Complete protection, especially for a prolonged operation, should include earplugs, steel-toed shoes, gloves, chaps and a hard hat. Chaps are used to protect legs, where one-third of injuries occur. Chaps are chain-saw resistant and made with mesh material that tear upon contact and bind the chain-saw sprocket to stop its operation.

Injuries. Many chain-saw accidents can be avoided. Avoid drop-starting the chain saw -- that can cause contact with your legs. Instead, firmly place the chain saw on the ground to start it.

Kickback happens when the chain saw is forced up and back, endangering the chest and face. Avoid cutting with the nose of the bar, which is the cause of most kickback incidents. When possible, stand firmly to the side of the cut so the path of an unexpected kickback will not contact the body.

Keep the chain sharp. When the cutting links are sharp, the debris is made up of small chips. When the edges become dull, the debris turns to finer sawdust. Dull chain saws also require more force to cut wood, increasing exertion and the likelihood of an accident. Homeowners can use inexpensive chain-saw files to keep the edges sharp.

Injuries also can occur from falling branches. When cutting large limbs from a standing tree, the first cut should be beneath the branch, about one-third of the diameter. When the final cut is made a few inches outside of that cut from above, the branch will break off instead of swinging downward.

Felling a tree is typically done by cutting a wedge one-third the diameter of the tree on the side you want the fall. Making a single cut a few inches above the wedge on the opposite side will finish the job. Special precautions must be taken when a tree is leaning in the opposite direction of the desired fall. Once dropped, be especially aware of branches that are under stress and can cause unexpected movements when cut.

For large tree removal, a bonded and insured arborist is advisable. It can be expensive, but so can a tree dropping through the kitchen wall.

Tony Bertauski is a horticulture instructor at Trident Technical College. To give feedback, e-mail him at tony. bertauski@tridenttech.edu.