Can chainsaws be more safe?

[peatff]

1 hour ago, briscoe said:

Some sort of sensor / trigger on the front handle which prevents the saw from being able to be accelerated without 2 hands being on the saw would be good for diy users. I once laid the saw down on its side without the chain brake on and a twig caught the throttle and revved the saw up . 

 

You need to press the trigger lock before you can rev the saw.

[s o c]

1 hour ago, briscoe said:

Some sort of sensor / trigger on the front handle which prevents the saw from being able to be accelerated without 2 hands being on the saw would be good for diy users. I once laid the saw down on its side without the chain brake on and a twig caught the throttle and revved the saw up . 

Agreed.

I’ve seen a fair few groundies , when snedding ,use their left hand to move branches while right hand is holding  front handle (without locking the chainbrake)

a sensor would give a layer of safety in this and other scenarios.

I think when did our courses in the early 90s there was a greater emphasis on snedding skills, it was seen as where a lot of the potential dangers were and also you needed to be efficient at it to have any hope of making a living on production cutting.

Nowadays training seems to be hit and miss in a lot of cases.

[spuddog0507]

On 01/11/2021 at 08:10, Stere said:

I see  they actually sell replacement stickers never knew they were that important whats the actually regs with regards to stickers?

 

 

In our line of work which is subbing to a large forestry Co, If there H&S guy came on site and they randomaly do, if one of us had a saw with out the warning/addvise stickers on and it was found he would be sent of site or told not to use that saw until new stickers where fitted, Harsh i here you say but them stickers are there for a reason,

[Mike Hill]

On 01/11/2021 at 20:55, spudulike said:

I think our Australian comrades would disagree

I think even Australians could work out what the switch on the side of the saw does...

[Mick Dempsey]

The sticker situation on chainsaws is ridiculous of course, but where do you draw the line?

[Stubby]

7 hours ago, peatff said:

 

You need to press the trigger lock before you can rev the saw.

You can still do this with just your right hand on the saw . Takes a bit of practice but stick with it ..😃

[Pete Mctree]

If you put some kind of microswitch on the front handle, it would inhibit use, especially shedding where the front hand moves constantly. It may work for a 2nd rate arb who just cross cuts or works by a chipper, however the saws are designed to be used ergonomically & stupid “make it safe” fads are only going to detract.

Safety is increased through good training and application of common sense to that base knowledge.
Be careful what you all wish for, - remember the fiasco with 2 rope working !

[Mike Hill]

If you are bucking big logs, you will end up using the big saw one handed at some stage. Its just the way its done.

 

Same with crane work.

 

[peatff]

11 hours ago, briscoe said:

a twig caught the throttle and revved the saw up . 

 

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

You can still do this with just your right hand on the saw . Takes a bit of practice but stick with it ..😃

 

I'm referring to this Stubby.

 

I'm as guilty as anybody of letting go of the front handle to scratch or brush something off the visor, it's done without thinking.

Edited November 3, 2021 by peatff

[briscoe]

On most electric hedgetrimmers there is a mechanism on the front handle which must be pressed inorder for the motor to engage. You may be better off aiming for the petrol hedge trimmer market and installing a sensor on the front handle  Its a bigger market for sure and slipping forward into a hedge off ladders occaionally results in loss of fingers on the hand which was on the forward handle but now resting either in hedge or on the blade minus a finger.

 

Failing that making an improvement on this drone chainsaw would be good for aerial tree work:

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU

 

Or could you make something that would fit over a hedge and trim it without the need of an operator? Robotic hedgetrimmer . Similiar to the robo lawn mower