5
CS-1201
3. OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
•
Do not operate a chain saw with one hand!
Serious injury to the operator, helpers or bystanders
may result from one-handed operation. For proper
control, always use two hands when operating a chain
saw, one of which operates the trigger. Otherwise, this
can result in the chain saw “skating” or skidding, which
can result in personal injury due to loss of control.
•
Keep a good firm grip on the saw which both hands,
with the right hand on the rear handle and the left hand
on the front handle, when the engine is running. Use a
firm grip with thumbs and fingers enriching the chain
saw handles. A firm grip will help you reduce kickback
and maintain control of the saw. Two hands must be
used to control the saw at all times.
•
Do not overreach or cut above chest height.
•
Make sure that the area in which you are cutting is free
from obstructions. Do not let the bar nose contact a
log, branch, or any other obstruction which could be hit
while you are operating the saw.
•
Cutting at high engine speeds may reduce the
likelihood of kickback. But cutting at part-throttle or low
engine speeds may be preferable to control the chain
saw in tight situations and may also reduce the
likelihood of kickback.
•
Follow manufacturer’s sharpening and maintenance
instructions for the saw chain.
•
Use only replacement guide bars and chains specified
by the manufacturer, or the acceptable equivalents of
these guide bars and chains.
Don’t reach far out
VIBRATION AND COLD
It is believed that a condition called Raynaud’s
Phenomenon, which affects the fingers of certain
individuals, may be brought about by exposure to cold
and vibration.
Accordingly, your ECHO chain saw has shock mounts
designed to reduce the intensity of vibration received
through the handles.
Exposure to cold and vibration may cause tingling and
burning followed by loss of color and numbness in the
fingers. We strongly recommend you take the following
precautions because the minimum exposure which
might trigger the ailment is unknown.
•
Keep your body warm, especially the head and neck,
feet and ankles, and hands and wrists.
•
Maintain good blood circulation by performing vigorous
arm exercises during frequent work breaks and also by
not smoking.
•
Limit the number of hours of chain saw operation. Try
to fill a part of each work day with jobs other than chain
sawing.
•
If you experience discomfort, redness and swelling of
the fingers, followed by whitening and loss of feeling,
consult your physician before further exposing yourself
to cold and vibration.
REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES
It is believed that over-using the muscles and tendons of
the fingers, hands, arms and shoulders may cause
soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness and extreme
pain to the areas just mentioned.
To reduce the risk of repetitive stress injury, do the
following:
•
Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted
position. Instead, try to maintain a straight wrist
position. Also, when grasping, use your whole hand,
not just the thumb and index finger.
•
Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest
your hands.
•
Reduce the speed and force in which you do the
repetitive movement.
•
Do exercises to strengthen the hand and arm muscles.
•
See a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in
the fingers, hands, wrists or arms.
