Idling chainsaw

[Tom Dunlap]

Does anyone know of an ANSI or OSHA reg that says anything about having a chainsaw hanging on the saddle or hanging from a lanyard and still left running?

I would never allow anyone to have an idling saw hanging on their saddle! Even with the brake set! There could be a situation where the saw would be hanging from a lanyard with it idling. After dumping a large chunk a climber may just drop the saw in order to use both hands.

The situtation I'm wondering about is to just leave the saw running ALL of the time the climber is in the tree. I know...it is really bad practice and doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons. I need to know of some rule or reg.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Tom, as you know I'm no fanatic about following safety rules, but ANSI Z133 7.2.6 states that chainsaws SHALL be "operated only when arborists and other workers are clear of the chain saw."

Now if a saw is hanging by my leg I'm not clear of it, so that standard would seem to forbid the practice of leaving it idle. So does the desire on my part to and avoid clogging my carburetor and my lungs, so this is one safety rule I'm 100% for.

If you're saw's starting so poorly that you want to keep it running so you don't have to pull that &%$^& rope again, then for goodness sakes tune it up, it ain't that hard.

Then again if your lanyard's long enough to get it clear of you, that would follow the standard. If I was blocking something down that needed a cut every minute or so, then the carb may not get clogged. Yeah I think there's a loophole here, aren't you glad I got my specs on?

Also on this ANSI page are the infamous one-hand and chainbrake rules, but we need n-t go there again so soon...

ps where's that fwd? I want to see your love letter to that righteous bureaucrat that your tax dollars are supporting

 

[stihltech]

idle

How about putting the chain brake on? The chain won't be able to move, and it can idle all day that way. Seems pretty safe to me.

 

[Stumper]

Err.. Tom, you are the boss. YOU can make a rule. You don't need the government or a standards organization to make a rule for your biz.( And I concur that leaving an idling saw dangling from the saddle all the time is rather foolish.)

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Most of you know me as safety conscious, so my reponse to this may surprise you.
I keep the saw running on high idle at all times, and let it swing just below my feet. For removals this works great because half the limbs get cut off as I move around.
Works good for me.

 

[SpikeSupra]

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by SpikeSupra
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

What, Mike kid? Or kneejerk bombastically? Neverhappen!
Actually it might be more useful to actually read the standard and interpret it yourself and discuss interpretations. Could that've been the original post's intent? if so, it was a good one. If you see problems with a standard, SPEAK UP to the ANSI committee next time--or better yet, join the committee!

It's like contributing to the work of isa or any tree org; if you just pay dues and make jokes and complain once in a while, you're not supporting the org but are dead weight on it. Too few people have too much influence/work, because the majority is silent. imvho

So all sarcasm aside, what do you really think about 7.2.6?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

It should probably read more specifically not to let he saw run while it hangs on your belt. Although it may seem like common sense, think of it like those warning stickers on the chippers that tell you not to put your head in the feed wheel.
I'd like to see climbing saws with a kill switch that can be activated easily one handed (right) so you could shut it off when you're in those situations.

 

[NeTree]

I do it on occasion... like when I'll be making another cut very momentarily; I set the chain brake, and my lanyard puts the saw far enough away that if couldn't cut me even if it wanted to.

To that end, I leave my CB on even when the saw isn't running, and don't pull it off until I'm ready to cut.

Ordinarily tho, to start the saw for your first cut and leave it run the whole time in the tree is a waste of fuel and un-necessary.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
I'd like to see climbing saws with a kill switch that can be activated easily one handed (right) so you could shut it off when you're in those situations.

Those situations? What situations?

My 200T's off switch works with my right thumb; my left hand could be doing anything else while my right kills the saw. Isn't that as good as any "kill switch"?

And isn't ease of shutting off one more good reason for saw designs to work one-handed? Is your point that one-handing saws is safer? Makes sense to me that a saw that requires two hands is harder to shut off and therefore less safe.

If the lanyard keeps the saw clear of the climber, then letting it run while hanging way down is evidently cool w ANSI. While this is justifiable imo only when blocking something down with frequent cuts, why would you seek to outlaw this practice?

 

[NeTree]

On the Echo climbing saws, I find it quite easy to hit to stop switch with my fingertips. VERY easy to get to.

 

[SilverBlue]

Either way I don’t allow saws to be attached to a saddle unless the lanyard positions the saw below the climber’s feet. Mike have you ever tried the Stihl 360 QS system? Would it be feasible on a tree saw?

 

[SilverBlue]

Perhaps you should climb with my guys in the various trees here rocky, they will teach you how to do it.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
I will not climb with a saw dangling below my feet.

Me too, I like it clipped near my hip if I need the stinking thing in the tree in the first palce. The question here was, leaving the saw running while blocking down a spar, no lateral climbing involved. Wuddya think, Rock, OK or not OK?

And silverblue, wha tin the heck is the QS system? Quick Start? Quite Simple?

 

[rbtree]

Replying to Tom's original question, I don't think it is a good idea, although I have been guilty of doing it, likely when I've had a 335 that has hot starting difficulties.

SilverBlue, did you mean that you don't clip a saw up close, or that the lanyard should be long enough to allow the saw to hang below the climber's feet...as well as have a close clip position?

QS stands for Quick Stop. I think it referred to an improvement Stihl made to the inertia chain brake, years ago. I think earlier brakes may have required activation against the hand to engage.

 

[SilverBlue]

Quick Stop system

RB our lanyards are able to clip on the belt area but also extend below ones feet. But still don't clip up close.

 

[ORclimber]

I let saws idle when blocking down spars.

Drop starting a medium-large saw while blocking out a spar is a PITA and more of an opportunity for an accident than letting the saw idle IMO.

Shutting the saw off makes sense if there is rigging to be done, or the climber is moving more than a few steps. But if the climber is pushing off short blocks, turning off the saw seems inefficient and unneccesary.

The rule about hanging big saws off a second rope makes sense, but while blocking out spars in short pieces it seems extremely inefficient. At some point extra safety practices create liabilities by adding operator fatigue.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

What do you guys find to be a good length for a chainsaw lanyard?

 

[Stumper]

Shoot! Brian, If you aren't getting the length you want, make your own. The rings and webbing are available at most hardware stores and a tapestry needle and upholstery thread (or even dental floss) will work to stitch up what you want. When things are slow (like this time of year) its easy to make up gear that doesn't cost much in components.

 

[jamie]

regulations

over here in the uk we are supposed to have NPTC Units 30 + 31 to use a chainsaw, to climb we have to do the unit climb a tree and perform aerial rescue...to use a saw in a tree Unit 39 aerial use of a saw, then its on to unit 40 pruning operations, then onto unit 41 sectional fell of a tree (the unit number might be different) im sure that to do the sectional fell course you need to have unit 3? felling medium sized trees.

the regulations and units i feel would work if it was only qualified people who used them. as it is any have a go hero can pick up a saw and bam they are a 'tree sureon'...... i know someone who wont stick the saw in the soil because it will kick back.....nothing to do with it killing the edge....

its the cowboys who do all the really shonky work, who push the insurance up for the legitimate businesses,

if you had to have your chainsaw ticket to buy a saw that would help, as you have to have an aerial use of saw ticket to get a climbing saw.


grrr

jamie