DENNY SCOTT

CHAIN SAW
SAFETY STUDY

By DENNY SCOTT
IWA International Assistant
Research Director

During the fall of 1979 hundreds of IWA
loggers received lengthy questionnaires
asking for their views on chain saws and the
hazards associated with timber falling,
bucking and limbing. The survey, co-
sponsored by the IWA and Portland State
University Department of Engineering,
asked professional chain saw users for
information concerning safety hazards,
saw design and falling practices.

The survey was an overwhelming success
with 156 replies received and tabulated.
High Injury Rate

Loggers who returned the survey ques-
tions were very familiar with injuries
inflicted by the chain saw. The average
number of injuries for all respondents was
2.2. Nearly two-thirds of those injuries
resulted in lost work days. Twenty percent
reported permanent disabilities as a direct
result of chain saw accidents. Examples of
disabilities were muscle cut, finger or hand
severed, deformed hip and the loss of sight.
A full two-thirds of the fallers answering the
questionnaire indicated a hearing loss due
to chain saw noise.

Although most accidents have more than
one cause and many contributing factors as
well, the questionnaire attempted to identify
the major underlying reasons for chain saw
accidents. The most common was kick back
which accounted for one-third of the injur-
ies. Trips, falls or slips were primary factors
in 27 percent and interestingly fallers cited
fatigue as a major cause in almost 10
percent of the injuries reported. This survey
result lends weight to the notion that fatigue
may be a contributing factor in many more
logging accidents than is now generally
recognized.

Equipment Preferred

The most common chain saws being used
by IWA falers are Stihl, Husgvarna and
McCulloch. Eighty percent of the respond-
ents used one of these three saws. When
asked which saw was the best professional
saw based on quality, price and safety
features, Stihl showed up in first place with
Husgvarna a distant second.

The average life of saws now in use
ranged from 3 months to 60 months with the
average being 13.3 months.

When asked what changes the profes-
sional would make in the saw to make it

easier to maintain and/or safer to operate
there was no shartage of answers. There
were 66 suggestions offered which ranged
from the use of pistol grips to sawdust
guards to relocating oilers.

Answers to the questions about personal
protection equipment were mixed. Sixty
percent indicated they always wore ear
protection and another 20 percent said they
sometimes used ear plugs or muffs. The use
of goggles, safety glasses or eye screens was,
however, much lower with just 21 percent
reporting it was always worn. The break-
down for leg protection reflected the geogra-
phic origin of the fallers answering the
questions. One-third indicated they always
wore chaps and one-third reported they
never wear leg protection. One-third of the
questionnaires came from British Columbia
where a safety regulation on leg protection
has been in effect since 1972. Sixty percent
of the responses came from Washington and
Oregon — two states, that only recently
amended state logging code to require
fallers and other landing personnel to wear
leg protection.

Kickback

When asked about design features that
are most effective at reducing kickback 29
percent checked off “safety chain”. Twenty
percent felt the anti-kickback bar (banana
bar) was very helpful in reducing kickback.
Ironically and sadly 60 percent answered
that they had never used low profile safety

chain and 70 percent had no experience at
all with the anti-kickback bar.

Saw Noise

An overwhelming majority of fallers
(91%) felt that saw should be quieter. To geta
quieter saw most loggers would not accept a
heavier model, one with less power or one
with less cutting efficiency. A large group,
however, held the view that an improved,
perhaps larger, muffler on present saws
would be an acceptable engineering
approach to the noise problem.

Exhaust and Sawdust
Another set of questions stimulating a
great many comments involved exhaust
emissions and saw dust. Exhaust fumes and
saw dust bother saw operators at least some
of the time. Nearly 30 percent reported
breathing problems as a result of exhaust
fumes. Seventy percent supported the idea
of a deflection vane that could be moved in
order to direct exhaust gases away from the
face. Here are a sampling of the remarks
concerning saw dust:
—undercutting is worst time
—worse when windy
—if you could adjust direction of muffler
you could control some dust
—causes eye irritation
—engine cooling design on Stihl and
McCulloch blow saw dust in your face
while falling.

Vibration

Only 10 percent of the respondents
reported no numbness or burning sensation
associated with operation of the chain saw.
Forty-three percent were bothered during
cold weather. Most saws being used were
equipped with cushions or shock absorbers
but some models were identified as having a
more severe vibration problem — notably
many Homelite models. Here are a few of the
comments submitted on vibration:

—I have white finger

—circulation in fingers gets worse every

year

—vitamin E has helped white finger

symptoms

—numbness and pain occurs when sleep-

ing and when gripping the steering
wheel of the car

—less problem with newer saws having

rubber shocks.

To moderate the white finger problem
fallers overwhelmingly felt that it was
helpful to wear gloves, keep hands warm,
use a tight grip (helps reduce kickback as
well) and rest hands occasionally.

Training
When asked about training 36 percent

indicated they were self-trained, 30 percent
were taught by a friend and 30 percent

received instruction from the company.
Only 1% percent had a formal schooling/
training course. With this kind of hit or miss
training approach in the industry it is no
surprise that over 90 percent of the respond-
ents agreed that professional chain saw
users should receive formal training in the
proper way to use the saw and in the
recognition of falling/bucking hazards.

A worthwhile footnote to this finding is a
short course being developed by the Port-
land State University Engineering Depart-
ment. The course will cover proper handling
and use of the saw, saw maintenance and
hazard recognition. It will be tried out in the
fall of 1980, refined and improved upon and
then packaged for use by interested groups.

Who Responded?

The age range of the survey respondents
was from 22 to 64 with the average at 44.
Forty-six percent had 15 or more years of
experience.

Forty percent were from the western
Canadian provinces and the remaining 60
percent were from Washington, Oregon and
Idaho. Sixty percent were paid on an hourly
rate, 25 percent on a day rate and 15 percent
worked on an incentive rate. 78 percent
logged for saw timber and 22 percent were
pulpwood cutters.

LABOUR COLLEGE
PROGRAMME DATES

By FRANK WALL

Regional Council No. 1
Education Director

The 1981 residential program for partici-
pants to the “Labour College of Canada”
wt commence May 9th through July 4th,
1981.

The Labour College of Canada com-
menced its work in 1963. The founding of the
Labour College arose out of a decision of the
Canadian Labour Congress Convention of
1958. That decision was to establish a
facility where union members could equip
and better prepare themselves for their
various roles in their respective organiza-
tions. To better serve their membership. To
work in their communities and yes if
required lend their efforts and use their
newly acquired knowledge and skills in the
political arena.

Quoting from the College brochure, “The
objective of the Labour College is to develop
leadership by heightening trade unionists’
awareness and understanding of the prob-
lems and issues facing Canadian society,
and sharpening their analytical skills to
enable them to handle problems in the
workplace more effectively and to partici-
pate more fully in trade union activities.”

The IWA over the years have taken
advantage of the program offered by the
College and their participation has been
commendable.

Many of our rank and file and those in
leadership positions in our organization
have benefited from their participation in
the College. With the pace of ever changing
events bringing with it many problems we
must be mindful of the need to encourage our
leadership and leadership potential to avail
themselves of the program offered at the
Labour College.

Material, brochures and application
forms are now out to the Locals, it is to be
hoped that it will result in a good healthy
response from our membership.

Lumber Worker/October, 1980/3