Have any nonsmokers gotten lung cancer from chainsaws, does moss or spores cause any human diseases, does breathing in saw dust do irreparable harm? Has anyone suffered blindness from being exposed saw dust and pollen on a daily basis? or some other malady from bird or animal excrement?
Don't expect much help, on this. The guys in here will deride you and put all kinds of nonsensical replies up. Yes, there are health issues involved with our business. Yes, inhaling chainsaw exhaust, when the saw is running a few inches from your face and/or prevailing winds are blasting you with that exhaust, will certainly up your chances of developing lung cancer. Yes, there are spores from fungal pathogens that can grow on bird excrement that, when aerolsolized, can, in fact, cause diseases in humans. Only within the past year was there an article about this happening in the northwest. Yes, sawdust, if inhaled, daily, can increase your chances of developing pulmonary problems.
The above being said, we are in a business where we daily face certain death, if we get careless. We work with the largest living organisms on this planet, bar none. We don't worry about the preceding to the extent where we want to get out of the business. Tree sap flows in our veins.
If you're worried about exhaust, you can wear a mask. It won't block everything, but it can help, a bit. Same goes for inhalation of sawdust and spores. I keep my mask below my chin, on its strap, until I"m cutting. You'll need a great anti-fog spray for your goggles, though, as the mask will kick your breath into your goggles, even with exhalation valves. Wear long sleeves, always, to lessen your chances of melanomas. I wear second-hand store long sleeve white shirts, always. I pay about two dollars for them. They get tossed when they're totaled. Wear a sun shield on your helmet to protect your neck, even if it's cold out. Wear gloves. Use canola oil as your bar oil. I've been using it for over twenty years. No big deal, and it cuts out the smoking emissions from (possibly) more carcinogenic bar oils they sell in hardware stores.
You can up your PPE as you see fit. I've been in this game for a long time. At 62, and still climbing, I've done what I feel is best for me. You may see things differently. I have chronic arthritis in my hips that radiates out to my whole lower body, but it goes away, completely, when I climb. I love the work, and I won't stop until I'm ready to pass into whatever new reality or nothingness awaits me, later. If you're too worried about the tree biz, get out of it. That's about it.
