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Cutting Wood Under Tension
Special care is required when cutting wood which is under tension. cutting
wood which is under tension can release the tension, causing the wood to react
out of control. In the worst case this can result in sever and even fatal injuries.
This type of work must be performed only by specially trained persons.
Kickback
The term “kickback“ describes what happens when the running pruner
suddenly kicks upward and backward. Usually this is caused by contact between
the tip of the cutter bar and the workpiece or by the chain becoming trapped.
In the event of kickback, large forces occur suddenly and violently. As a result,
the pruner usually reacts uncontrollably. This can often result in very serious
injuries to the worker or persons in the vicinity. The risk of kickback is at its
greatest when the pruner is positioned for a cut in the region of the tip of
the cutter bar, as the leverage effect is greatest there. It is therefore safest to
position the pruner as flat as possible.
