Work Safer With Your Chainsaw

Chainsaw Accessories and Attachments

If you are a user of a chainsaw, whether for home use or for your trade, there are several ranges of accessories and attachments you can buy to enable you to work safer.

Unlike most basic tools and even the odd power tool, this is one of those items where safety equipment must be used, and to the highest level possible.

All chainsaws whether they are battery-powered, electric, or petrol driven, can be used more safely with the right accessories, attachments, and protective safetyware. With regards to safetyware this includes protective boots, trousers, jackets, gloves, helmets, and goggles or glasses.

A large majority of chain saw users only use their saws freehand, and whilst this is ok providing a safe work practice is followed, the job of cutting wood that has already been felled can be made even safer still by using a dedicated attachment such as a sawhorse.

Other accessories that can help you to work safer with your chainsaw are items such as protective blade covers, tensioning tools, circuit (rcd) breakers, sheathed extension leads, and many more.

In addition to physical items you can also work safer with a chain saw if you attend a chainsaw training course. This could be for working at height (aerial use) or at ground level.

Protective Safety Clothing

There is a wide range of dedicated safety clothing aimed at the chainsaw user.

• Protective Gloves
• Safety Trousers
• Safety Jackets
• Protective Boots
• Face, Ear, and Head Protection
• Eye Protection

Protective Gloves

 For the chain saw operator these need to be cut resistant. Two types are common; leather and textile. For European users the most common rating of these gloves is BS EN 381. Most have a cut resistant feature on the back side of the glove.

Safety Trousers

Depending on the job being undertaken it is not essential for the operator to wear a full protective suit. Safety trousers however are a must to provide main body protection with this type of forestry and tree care power tool.

Safety “Cut Resistant” trousers can be bought in various forms; seatless trousers, bib and brace trousers, and ”full” protective trousers.

Safety Jackets 

The jackets designed for chainsaw use are typically manufactured from a textile type material. In addition to being cut resistant they are usually also protective as regards being water-resistant as well as being highly visible having reflective panels present. The usual European safety standard is BS EN381.

Protective Boots

Safety footwear for use with a chainsaw are usually boots manufactured in rubber or leather incorporating a cut blocking material. A large selection of these boots also have steel toecaps as well as being water resistant.

Safety boots used by foresty workers and chain saw users also must incorporate a rough tread giving sure footing when working on site. Several brands of boots are also available to buy that feature self cleaning soles.

As with protective clothing you can also find safety boots with reflective panels attached that give extra visibility and safety in the dark.

The cut resistant area is usually on the front upper side and toe cap area of the boot.

Face Protection

This is required to protect a chainsaw users face from flying debris including twigs, dust, chippings, and bark. Several types of face protectors can be purchased including; clear plastic visors and mesh visors manufactured from plastic or metal.

Ear Protection

There are several different types of protective safety equipment you can buy for ear protection. Amongst these are ear defenders that can be attached to a safety helmet or visor, or just on their own. Other alternatives are ear plugs or a head band that has protective ear plugs attached.

When choosing which type of ear protection to buy for use with a chainsaw two things should be considered; the level of noise protection and also their comfortability.

Most ear plugs are of the disposable type, ear defenders are re-useable and generally offer full coverage of the operators ears.

Head Protection

Your head must be well protected when using a chainsaw. In forests , woods, and large areas of greenery, branches and tree cuttings can quickly find their way down, especially after a storm of bad weather.

Most chainsaw protective helmets are manufactured from a type of tough plastic such as ABS. This allows a light weight construction coupled with high strength. Other features on these helmets include; visors, air vents, adjustable straps, anti dazzle peaks, and many more.

Chainsaw helmets are also available to buy that incorporate safety ear defenders as well as UV indicators.

Eye Protection

When it comes to working safer with your chainsaw eye protection is another must. There are two popular types of eye safety wear you can buy; protective glasses and goggles.

Most are manufactured using high quality extra impact plastic offering protection from flying debris including dust, cuttings, abrasive particles.

You can also buy safety glasses designed specifically for outdoor use that feature lenses for clearer visibility in differing conditions. These can vary in performance from brand to brand but examples are as per the Stihl range that comprises; clear lenses for general work, yellow lenses for contrast in poor light conditions, orange coloured lenses for contrast in bright light conditions, and tinted lenses for use in very bright conditions.  

General Accessories

• Carry Case
• Carrier Bag
• Tensioning Tools
• Sawhorse
• Protective Blade Covers
• Electric Circuit Breaker (rcd)

Carry Cases – Carrier Bags

Safety when handling a chainsaw can be improved by the use of a carry case or storage carry bag. As the name suggests these offer protection to the owner as well as to the machine itself when carrying or storing a saw of this type.

The main objective of these accessories is to offer protection from the tool cutting blade. By being enclosed in a plastic or textile housing it is kept away from personnel improving safety handling.

Blade Tensioning Tools

Although this is an inexpensive accessory it offers practical help in adjusting a chain saws cutting blade. As the blade wears and stretches safety could be comprised by the blade jumping off the saws bar or sprockets.

Why not buy and utilise a tensioning tool to keep your chainsaw safe?

Sawhorse 

One of the easiest ways to improve safety whilst cutting with this type of power tool is to use a chainsaw sawhorse.

Specifically designed for help with cutting timber sections, a sawhorse allows you to secure logs and trunks as well as branches securely in place making cutting easier and safer at the same time.

Why struggle cutting at ground level when you can work faster and safer with a chain saw sawhorse?

Most accessories of this type are manufactured out of either wood or metal.

The wooden variants tend to be more aimed at users that have a need to cut kindle and firewood. The metal variation is more suitable for general chain saw users that have a requirement for general tree and logging work, forestry maintenance, and cutting work in the garden, or on the estate or farm.

Because the metal variant is aimed at general use they usually employ some form of restraint or chain to hold the log or branch in place whilst it is being cut.

Protective Blade Covers 

Otherwise referred to as a scabbard, a blade cover provides protection to the bar and loop blade of a chain saw as well as to the operator. The preferred choice is for the cover to be manufactured out of plastic as this is easy to use, light in weight, can offer protection to the blade, and prevents injury to anyone moving or transporting the saw itself.

Circuit Breaker

A circuit breaker (or RCD) is a must for the user of an electric powered chainsaw. This accessory is basically an automatic electrical switch that is designed to cut off the electric supply to a piece of equipment or tool should a fault or damage be present in the cable or plug that is fitted to it.

With regards to an electric chainsaw the most common occurrence where this accessory can improve safety no end is where the user cuts through the electric extension cable lead with the saws blade.

If a circuit breaker is used (and activated) it will cut off the power supply preventing a possible electric shock.

Unlike a power fuse a circuit breaker can be reset and used immediately providing the faulty cable / plug is replaced or repaired, if it is not the RCD device will trip again.

Of course this accessory can only be used in conjunction with an electric powered chainsaw.

Rubbish Skip Hire

If you need to tackle a job of clearing rubbish or general waste consider using skip hire!

Available in several different sizes and shapes a rubbish skip could be the answer to any clearance or waste removal needs you have whether for domestic use or business use.

The job of getting rid of unwanted items and especially left over materials from building works or gardening tasks can be both time consuming as well as costly.

When you consider the amount of time it can take to clear a loft out, or just get rid of tree prunings and plant clippings when overhauling your garden, local skip hire can often be the cheapest option.

What sizes of rubbish skip are available?

Typically there are four (4) sizes of rubbish skip you can rent. These being midi sizes, mini, standard, and commercial.

The most common size seen in the UK and across Europe is the standard size skip.

This is the shape and size that most builders, general contractors, landscapers, and all types of fitters choose for day to day clearance and waste removal jobs.

Can all skips be sited on the roadside?

In most UK cities you can site a rubbish skip on the side of the road providing it is not a hazard to pedestrians and road users. When renting a skip it is always wise to ask the provider before going ahead with your order.

It goes without saying that in certain conservative and historic areas you will not be able to site a skip without a permit. An example of this could be if you are wanting to hire a skip in York. Being a historic City a large number of areas and roads fall into conservation areas where council approval must be obtained before any building, construction, or similar work is undertaken. This also includes restriction of skip placement as well.

What can you put in a rubbish skip?

With the exception of commercial type skips a “common” skip is for the disposal of general builders waste, old construction materials, as well as garden and household waste.

Examples of this are old paving slabs, bricks, building blocks, timber including old doors, kitchen units, furniture, and inert materials like soil, gravel, slate, and clay. As far as the home “domestic” user is concerned most household fixtures and items can be disposed of with the exception of anything that could be a hazard.

Items that should not be put in a rubbish skip (unless approved) are old tv sets, computer monitors, fridge and freezers, paints, solvents, and cleaning materials like bleach and acids.

How long can you keep a skip for?

This is entirely up to the customer. Most local hire operator contractors like to hire a skip for a period of time in the region of 10 to 14 days. It is common however for a client to rent one for several months at a time depending on their individual needs.

Industrial waste needs to be handled in a totally different way depending on what it is. It is wise to contact a local skip hire company prior to undertaking a removal project especially if you intend to dispose of large quantites of a certain item, eg a large quantity of old cement powder or concrete mix.

In these scenarios a commercial skip may be the answer, or alternatively it may need specialsit removal by a commercial waste removal company.

Backpack Leaf Blowers

Thinking of buying a backpack garden leaf blower?

This particular powered tool is one of the most useful items of garden machinery you can buy for tacking the job of clearing fallen leaves and twigs in the Autumn and Winter.

As the name suggests this type of leaf blower is carried on the back of the operator usually by way of a harness attatched to a carry support frame.

Backpack leaf blowers are self contained units that run on petrol (usually two stroke engined) and which incorporate a compact engine with a high speed blower unit. Air is propelled out of a flexible blower tube / nozzle at a high rate in the direction required by the operator, clearing fallen leaves rapidly and effortlessly.

All petrol back pack garden leaf blower units feature a throttle (speed) control to vary the amount of air flow being delivered. This is usually a trigger speed control that is mounted on the far end of the blowers nozzle tube.

Types of engines available:

The majority of leaf blowers feature a two stroke compact sized petrol engine. Up until recent years this was the favourite option for both manufacturers as well as users allowing production costs to be kept to a minimum whilst offering good performance, and with little maintenance requirements for the owner.

A stroke engine has far fewer moving parts than a four stroke machine and hence repairs and servicing costs are cheaper.

Four stroke engined backpack leaf blowers are a relatively new introduction as far as leaf blowers go, but they have been developed and introduced to meet emission concerns regarding noise and polution.

A four stroke engined machine is far quieter than a two stroke machine and is therefore better for clearing leaves around hospitals, office buildings, and residential areas where noise is an issue.

One innovative development as far as backback leaf blowers go is the introduction of a completely new design of petrol engine that is ideally suited for this type of  portable power tool. This new type of engine is the 4 mix (four mix) Stihl engine.

Fitted to several models in their range (the BR500, BR550, and BR600 Magnum) this innovative engine runs on a two stroke mixture of petrol with oil but fires on a four stroke cycle as per a normal four stroke petrol engine.

The compact engine allows their relevant models of leaf blower units to be quiet in operation but feature the simplicity of a two stroke engine.

The Stihl BR600 Magnum is also one of the quietest running leaf blowers you can buy incorporating extra sound reduction by way of a special silenced blow nozzle tube.

The 4 mix range of Stihl back pack style units have instantly gained popularity Worldwide by professional users that have a need for a power tool of this type.

Garden contractor workers in particular recognise their good ergonomics, reliability and robustness, and powerful leaf blowing performance.