9
CS-400
VIBRATION AND COLD
• It is believed that a condition called Raynaud’s Phe
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nomenon, which affects the fingers of certain individu
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als, may be brought about by exposure to vibration and
cold. Exposure to vibration and cold may cause tingling
and burning followed by loss of color and numbness
in the fingers.The following precautions are strongly
recommended 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 operation. Try to fill each
day with jobs where operating the chain saw, or other
hand-held power equipment is not required.
• 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 INJURY
• It is believed that over-using the muscles and tendons
of the finger, hands, arms and shoulders may cause
soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness and extreme
pain to the areas just mentioned.
Certain repetitive hand activities may put you at a
high risk for developing a repetitive stress injury (RSI).
• An extreme RSI condition is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
(CTS) which could occur when your wrist swells and
squeezes a vital nerve that runs through the area.
Some believe that prolonged exposure to vibration
may contribute to CTS.CTS can cause severe pain for
months or even years.
To reduce the risk of RSI/CTS, do the following:
• Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted
position.
• Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest
your hands.
• Reduce the speed and force in which you do the repeti
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tive movement.
• Do exercises to strengthen hand and arm muscles.
• See a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in
your fingers, hands, wrists or arms. The sooner RSI/
CTS is diagnosed, the more likely permanent nerve and
muscle damage can be prevented.
EYE AND HEARING PROTECTION
• Wear eye protection goggles that meet ANSI
Z 87.1 requirements. Goggles meeting the require-
ments have the mark “Z 87” stamped on them.
• Wear hearing protection.
If this guideline is not followed, hearing loss can occur.
ECHO recommends wearing hearing protection
at all times.
WEAR PROPER CLOTHING
• Snug fitting durable clothing should be worn.Pants
should have long legs, DO NOT WEAR SHORTS.
Do not wear loose fitting clothing, scarves, neck
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ties, jewelry or any item that may become tangled in
surrounding growth or the chain saw itself.
• Wear shoes with non-skid soles. DO NOT wear open
toed shoes or operate unit barefooted.
• Wear no-slip, heavy duty work gloves to improve your
grip on the chain saw handles. The gloves also help
reduce the transmission of machine vibration to your
hands.
• Keep long hair away from engine and air intake. Retain
hair with cap or net.
HOT HUMID WEATHER
• Heavy protective clothing can increase operator fa
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tigue which may lead to heat stroke. Schedule heavy
work for early morning, or late afternoon hours when
temperatures are cooler.
AVOID HOT SURFACES
• During operation, the muffler or catalytic muffler and
surrounding cover become hot.
• Never suspend the saw on a lanyard with the engine
running.
• Always use the saw from the right-hand side of your
body -
NEVER
from the left side.
• Always wear proper safety clothing to protect your
lower body from sharp saw chain and hot muffler.
• Always keep exhaust area clear of flammable debris
during transportation or when storing, otherwise seri
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ous property damage or personal injury may result.
OPERATOR SAFETY
