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When it corner time to start cutting this winter's firewood supply, your top priority should be. . .

Chain Saw Safety

The importance of chain saw safety to woodcutting professionals is evidenced by the fact that practically every article in our special chain saw section makes some mention of this life-and-limb-saving topic. But to emphasize it even more (can safety ever be overemphasized?), we ware t,, kick thingsoff with a brief discussion of the basics of safe chain save use. The rest is up to you.

More and more people-especially those trying to achieve some measure of independence from the energy brokers-are discovering the usefulness of the modern lightweight chain saw for outdoor tasks ranging from cutting fuel for the family woodstove to clearing woodland tangles for a new garden patch. But this valuable power tool can be-is-dangerous if not used properly and treated with informed respect. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, some 69,423 Americans were injured seriously enough in chain saw accidents in 1982 to be treated in hospital emergency rooms. Of those seen in ER's, 2,221 were hurt badly enough to be admitted to the hospital ...and 139 were pronounced dead on arrival.

Alarming statistics? You bet. But worse yet is the fact that the majority of those mishaps and fatalities could easily have been prevented, since they were caused by lack of familiarity with the equipment or careless operation of it.

I have long been convinced that almost all chain saw accidents could be avoided if operators would adhere to a few commonsense safety rules. And to help that conviction become a reality, I've drawn up a list of basic chain sawing do's and don'ts for woodcutters who, like me, have no intention of ever becoming accident statistics.

CHAIN SAW DO'S

*When shopping for new chain saws or accessories, consider those with built-in safety features such as automatic chain brakes, bar-tip guards, antikickback guide bars, antikickback chains, and hand guards.

*Read your owner's manual carefully, reviewing it before each woodcutting season to familiarize yourself with your saw and its proper and safe operation.

*Keep your chain saw in perfect working order; a sharp chain and well-maintained saw make safe operation more certain.

*Adjust the chain tension frequently; a loose chain can fly off the guide bar.

*Make sure that observers and helpers stay clear of the work area. (Very young "helpers" are especially vulnerable to injury.)