How safe are your legs & other bits

[Marc]

Who cuts close to there legs & thinks that chainsaw trousers will protect them?

 

Who thinks ppe will protect them?

 

Protection is the way you carry yourself and interact with the team on a daily basis not how good your ppe kit is.

I think the case of the railways is a good one, a few cases of guys cutting the back of their legs and type C was deemed the answer to better protect them on the ground, the whole concept of just put more protection on I find difficult to understand. The reality is they should never of exposed themselves to cuts to the back of the leg poor chainsaw use is the cause not inadequate protection.

 

Ppe is very important though.

 

As for yanks do not be fooled they are just as competent as us.

[Paul Jenks]

IOSH suggest that PPE is the last thing to consider after all other controls have been implemented.

I guess their legislation and enforcement is different. Culturally they're generally happy to have guns around,(not meant as a dig and I know it's a sweeping generalization. It's just an observation. And before the UK gun lobbyists start having a go I'm using this as an illustrative metaphor.), so I'm guessing they're more at ease with the hazards associated with the great outdoors than our little island.

Our HSE culture tends towards over-protecting and the Americans maybe less so. However legislation, PPE and hazard controls are put in place to protect the worker, there has to be a culture of use and acceptence within the whole organisation to make it work.

It would be interesting to see realistic accident statistics from the States.

FTR and IMO The over-sanitisation of the industry in the UK is a bit of a turn-off for a lot of people within it.

[WoodED]

my work mate was crosscutting and the log started to roll so he pulled his saw out, on a run down, didnt apply the chain break and he must of kneed the chain with a brand new pair of hiflex on, the chain cut straight through all the protective layers, didnt pull any of the protective stuff out and the chain just lightly scratched his leg, this was with a 261 on a run down, not even at full revs,,, nothing is chainsaw proof, if u would do it in your shorts, dont do it with ur chainsaw trousers