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Safety gear and storm cleanup with a battery chainsaw
Updated
CDC says about 36,000 people a year are treated in hospital emergency departments for chainsaw injuries, and that the risk goes up after hurricanes and other disasters, when many people use saws to clear fallen trees. Many battery saws get bought the week after a storm. Buy the protective gear in the same order, and know which storm wood to leave alone.
The gear list
CDC's list of protective equipment for chainsaw work:
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Heavy work gloves
- Cut-resistant legwear (chainsaw chaps) that extends from the waist to the top of the foot
- Boots that cover the ankle
One caution we will add as general information: chaps are made to stop a chain by clogging the sprocket, and makers of chaps state which saws they are rated for. Check that the chaps you buy are rated for electric saws. Read the chap maker's label, not ours.
Distances and position
- CDC: keep other people at least 30 feet from anyone using a saw to remove limbs or cut a fallen tree, and at least two tree lengths, at least 150 feet, from anyone felling a tree.
- CDC: always cut at waist level or below so you keep secure control of the saw. CCOHS: do not saw above shoulder height.
- CDC: clear cut limbs as you work so you have safe footing and an escape path.
- CDC: check for nails, cables and other hazards in and around the wood.
- CDC: avoid contact with power lines until they are verified as de-energized. If a tree is on a line, call the utility. That is not your wood.
Spring poles: the storm hazard people do not see
CDC warns about "spring poles", which are trees or branches bent, twisted or pinned under something by the wind. When cut, they can release with enough force to cause serious injury or death. CDC says even a branch 2 inches across can be a hazard under tension. Its advice is to find the point of most tension and slowly shave the underside so the tension lets go gradually, not to cut straight through. If you are not sure what a bent limb will do, that is a sign to stop and get a trained person.
What a homeowner battery saw is for after a storm
CDC says it is best to have an operator with training and experience fell trees and remove limbs. A homeowner saw fits the rest: limbs already on the ground, lying flat, not under load, no thicker than your bar allows. For a 10 inch bar like the WORX WG322 that is about 8 inches. For a 16 inch bar like the EGO CS1613 it is about 14. Use the calculator to see how many charges a pile will take, because power may be out and you cannot recharge.
If someone is hurt
CDC's instruction is short: apply direct pressure over any place with heavy bleeding. It says this can save lives. Call emergency services. This page is general information, not first aid training or medical advice.
Check for recalls
Saws bought in a hurry, or second hand, may be under recall. In September 2020 CPSC announced a recall of about 150,000 Kobalt 40 volt cordless chainsaws because the saw could stay in the "on" position. Search the CPSC site for your model number before you use any saw.
Run your own wood through the bar length and cuts calculator, or compare all seven picks on the roundup page.