United States Department of Agriculture Chain Saw Forest Service and Crosscut Saw Technology & Development Program Training Course 6700 Safety & Health December 2006 Student’s Guidebook 0667-2805-MTDC 2006 Edition MISSOULA TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER Acknowledgments Thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to this training course: R.C. Carroll (retired)—Chapter 4 Paul Chamberlin—Chapter 2 David E. Michael—Chapter 5 Winston Rall—Chapter 3 and MTDC staff: Ian Grob, Gary Hoshide, Bert Lindler, Ted J. Cote, Sara Lustgraaf (retired), Deb Mucci ii Contents Chapter 1—Course Information _____________________________________________________ 1 Course Instructions __________________________________________________________________________________1 Instructor Prerequisites _____________________________________________________________________________1 Student Target Group _______________________________________________________________________________1 Student Prerequisites _______________________________________________________________________________1 Personal Protective Equipment _______________________________________________________________________2 Course Objectives __________________________________________________________________________________2 Classroom Requirements ____________________________________________________________________________3 Guidelines for Conducting Field Training and Evaluating Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Operators _______________3 Other Training Materials _____________________________________________________________________________4 Forest Service Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Program ______________________________________________________4 Additional Information for Sawyers _____________________________________________________________________4 Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Documents ______________________________________________________________4 Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Videos ___________________________________________________________________5 Chain Saw Documents ______________________________________________________________________________5 Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw PowerPoint Presentations __________________________________________________5 Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Web Information __________________________________________________________5 Chain Saw Videos __________________________________________________________________________________5 Chain Saw Courses _________________________________________________________________________________6 Crosscut Saw Documents ____________________________________________________________________________6 Crosscut Saw Videos ________________________________________________________________________________7 Chapter 2—Safety Requirements ____________________________________________________ 9 Job Hazard Analysis _________________________________________________________________________________9 First Aid ___________________________________________________________________________________________9 Emergency Evacuation Plan _________________________________________________________________________10 Personal Protective Equipment ______________________________________________________________________10 Situational Awareness _______________________________________________________________________________15 Checklist of Personal Safety Considerations and Attitude ________________________________________________15 Evaluating the Complexity of the Assignment __________________________________________________________15 Sample Job Hazard Analysis _________________________________________________________________________15 Chapter 3—Chain Saw Use and Maintenance _______________________________________ 21 Chain Saw Operation _______________________________________________________________________________21 Chain Saw Components ____________________________________________________________________________21 Guide Bar Maintenance _____________________________________________________________________________25 Chain Tension ___________________________________________________________________________________26 Daily Saw Maintenance ____________________________________________________________________________ 26 Chain Maintenance ________________________________________________________________________________27 Chain Filing _____________________________________________________________________________________28 Saw Transportation ________________________________________________________________________________30 Safe Chain Saw Use ________________________________________________________________________________31 Operational Safety _________________________________________________________________________________32 Additional Tools ___________________________________________________________________________________34 Chapter 4—Chain Saw Tasks and Techniques ______________________________________ 37 Limbing __________________________________________________________________________________________37 Brushing and Slashing_______________________________________________________________________________38 Sizeup and Safety Considerations ____________________________________________________________________38 Safe and Effi cient Brushing and Slashing Techniques ____________________________________________________39 Bucking___________________________________________________________________________________________41 Situational Awareness ______________________________________________________________________________41 Safe and Effi cient Bucking Techniques ________________________________________________________________41 Safe Bucking Practices ____________________________________________________________________________44 iii Contents Basic Felling ______________________________________________________________________________________46 Situational Awareness _____________________________________________________________________________46 Sizeup __________________________________________________________________________________________46 Escape Routes and Safety Zones ____________________________________________________________________ 48 Beginning the Cut _________________________________________________________________________________49 Felling the Tree ___________________________________________________________________________________51 Directional Felling _________________________________________________________________________________54 Felling Observers and Spotters ______________________________________________________________________56 Chapter 5—Crosscut Saw Tasks and Techniques ____________________________________ 57 Historical Origin of the Crosscut Saw __________________________________________________________________57 Different Types of Crosscut Saws ______________________________________________________________________57 Two-Person Crosscut Saws ___________________________________________________________________________58 Saw Grinds ________________________________________________________________________________________59 How a Saw Cuts ____________________________________________________________________________________60 Tooth Patterns _____________________________________________________________________________________61 Saw Handles _______________________________________________________________________________________62 Types of Saw Handles ______________________________________________________________________________62 Handle Installation and Maintenance _________________________________________________________________62 Saw Maintenance ___________________________________________________________________________________63 Cleaning the Saw __________________________________________________________________________________63 Checking for Straightness __________________________________________________________________________ 64 Saw-Related Equipment and Tools _____________________________________________________________________68 Axes ____________________________________________________________________________________________68 Wedges _________________________________________________________________________________________68 Peaveys and Cant Hooks ____________________________________________________________________________70 Underbucks ______________________________________________________________________________________70 Bucking Preparation and Techniques __________________________________________________________________71 Safety Considerations ______________________________________________________________________________71 Bucking Sizeup____________________________________________________________________________________71 Planning the Cut __________________________________________________________________________________72 Single-Bucking Techniques _________________________________________________________________________75 Double-Bucking Techniques ________________________________________________________________________78 Felling Preparation and Techniques ____________________________________________________________________80 Safety Considerations _____________________________________________________________________________80 Situational Awareness _____________________________________________________________________________80 Felling Sizeup _____________________________________________________________________________________81 Establishing Escape Routes and Safety Zones __________________________________________________________82 Placing the Undercut _______________________________________________________________________________82