Essential Chainsaw Safety Gear and Equipment

For many individuals, operating a chainsaw is exciting. Chainsaws can be priceless and important instruments for trimming trees, cutting branches, and harvesting firewood. However, they are also, without a doubt, one of the riskiest instruments you can buy. Thus, it's crucial to use the proper safety gear when using one. Let's look at seven of the most important chainsaw safety gear you should invest in to keep your chainsaw activities fun and safe.

Chainsaw Protective Gear to Keep You Safe

Helmet

If you're new to using chainsaws, you need to understand that chainsaws produce what is called a "kickback." It's an unexpected upward motion of the guide bar that occurs when the chain momentarily snags after the nose strikes an object. When you're not prepared, a kickback could injure you. This is where the importance of a good chainsaw safety helmet comes in.

Helmets are obviously required since they alone cannot protect you against chainsaw accidents. They also offer additional defence against flying debris, such as branches that could fall from a tree that's being cut down.

Remember that helmets deteriorate over time. And even while a worn helmet may appear OK, it won't be able to protect the wearer adequately in the event of an accident. If your helmet is already three years old or older, it's definitely time to replace it with a new one.

Visor

A chainsaw visor is one of the first essential safety gear you should put on when using a chainsaw. This is due to the fact that chainsaws may cause wood chips to shoot up into your face, putting you at risk for severe eye damage. It may even cause permanent blindness.

Some people use regular sunglasses, but you have to understand that these items are not good enough. For one, they were not designed to withstand impact and could even cause injury when the worst comes to worst. So, always wear a certified protective visor before operating a chainsaw.

Opt for protective safety goggles whenever possible since they offer better protection due to the absence of gaps around the eyes, keeping injury risks to a minimum.

Earmuffs

Ear protection is another crucial chainsaw protective gear. Human hearing can only take as much as 85dB in terms of noise capacity. When noise levels go beyond this level, they can cause serious damage to the ears. And since non-electric chainsaws usually produce noise beyond this level, it's important that you wear chainsaw earmuffs when operating a chainsaw.

There are several types of earmuffs to choose from. First is the garden earmuff that's comfortable on the head and features impact-resistant ABS plastic. Another one is the FM radio earmuff, which is a unique form of hearing protection that blocks out chainsaw noise while still allowing radio communication. 

And then there's the in-ear protector that you can compress in your finger and push into your ears. Which type you use depends on your preferences. What's important is that you have some form of protection for your ears while working.

Jacket

Upper body injuries are less common than leg injuries when operating chainsaws, but that doesn't mean you should forget about upper body protection. Good chainsaw protective clothing should provide you with the protection you need. 

Chainsaw jackets are built of the same materials as chainsaw chaps and perform the same functions. Wearing the appropriate upper body protection can prevent you from suffering a fatal or seriously life-altering injury.

Gloves

No matter how careful you are, you need to be equipped with the best pair of gloves to avoid any type of injury. You can always wear regular working gloves for doing jobs that require a chainsaw, but you would want to give yourself extra protection by wearing gloves designed specifically for working with chainsaws. A good pair of specialist chainsaw gloves should be able to keep your hands and fingers safe while providing you with excellent grip and sensitivity at the same time.

Chaps

While lower body injuries are very common among people working with chainsaws, proper leg protection still remains to be one of the overlooked aspects of chainsaw protective gear. 

That said, you should never operate a chainsaw without protecting yourself with a pair of quality chainsaw chaps. Your regular pair of jeans won't stand a chance once they come into contact with the blades of your chainsaw. On the other hand, chainsaw chaps are made with fabric designed to withstand powerful chainsaw cuts.

Boots

When using a chainsaw, it's also crucial to wear the appropriate footwear since cutting on uneven ground and unstable slopes sometimes leaves your legs and feet exposed. You may avoid frontal and lateral cuts by wearing the appropriate footwear.

Keep in mind that the authorised pair of chainsaw boots should weigh 2.5kg per pair and feature non-slip soles and reinforced toe caps. This pair of boots will protect your legs and feet from cuts or from injury resulting from branches and logs that may accidentally fall while you work.

A Few Safety Precautions When Using Your Chainsaw

Besides wearing the right chainsaw safety gear, it's important to observe safety precautions when using a chainsaw.

• Avoid using a chainsaw beyond shoulder height or above ground level unless you are trained and qualified to do so.
• Never operate a chainsaw under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Never use a chainsaw alone, and always have someone within calling distance.
• Never use a chainsaw when you are tired.
• Never use your chainsaw's guide bar for digging or cutting other materials other than wood.

Furthermore, you should always wear comfortable clothing that allows you plenty of room to move but is not too baggy or loose, with parts that may get caught up in the chainsaw chain.

Chainsaws are an interesting instrument to work with, but you should never underestimate their potential for harm. Respect such a powerful tool regardless of its size and keep your attention focused at all times to avoid accidents.

Get Chainsaw Safety Gear and Equipment Only at Jono & Johno

Your safety while operating a chainsaw also depends on the quality of chainsaw safety gear and equipment that you use. Wearing poor-quality protective clothing and gear will eventually put your safety at risk. For that reason, only invest in safety clothing and gear that are of the highest quality. And when it comes to quality, you can guarantee that Jono & Johno can provide you with what you need.